Owens Statement Opposing the Presidential Election Reform Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) released the following statement after he voted against H.R. 8873, the President Election Reform Act.

“The Presidential Election Reform Act, written behind closed doors with zero opportunity for collaboration, goes well beyond any bipartisan consensus to protect the integrity of the Electoral College, tramples the constitutional duty of states to oversee elections, and continues the partisan charge to centralize power in Washington.”

Background on the President Election Reform Act: 

• Creates new and broad private rights of action that can be easily abused by Democrat election lawyers to drag out elections long after Election Day.
• Allows candidates for President to sue for an extended voting period, even after polls have closed, in violation of legislatively passed laws, due to broadly defined “catastrophic events,” undermining States’ constitutional authority to conduct their own elections.
  • This provision would allow a candidate who had lost after all votes were counted to be granted additional voting days after election day.
• Changes the electoral college “safe harbor” date to December 23rd, just a few days before certification on Jan. 6th.
• Unconstitutionally empowers Congress and Federal judges to decide and interpret state election laws instead of states themselves. 

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