The areas of consensus include amending the Electoral Count Act to restrain the vice president’s role, raising the congressional threshold for objecting to electoral votes, overhauling the transition process and protecting election officials from threats.
Two sources familiar with the group’s work said it is close to a deal, having settled on a series of new provisions and working through options on one major unresolved issue.
The senators haven’t reached a final agreement, and success would mean avoiding a number of potential political pitfalls. In addition, any bill would require at least 60 votes to break a filibuster and pass the Senate. “I hope the American people will tune in to these hearings and realize just how close we are to overturning a democratic election. And I do hope that will propel — I hope that will break new energy behind some of the election reform efforts,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said in an interview."I do think these hearings will add some extra energy to the work of the group that's been meeting for months," he said.
The second is to replace safe harbor provisions with new laws making it clear that Congress can identify the state official lawfully tasked with establishing a state’s electors. She said they have agreed to raise the objection threshold for forcing a vote on whether to count electors from certain states — from the current rule of requiring just one House member and one senator to a new rule requiring 20 percent of lawmakers in the chambers.
She said senators also want “better transition” rules between an election and the inauguration of the victor.
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