Misleading: HR1 and Election Security

On Wednesday, March 3, 2021, after the House of Representatives passed HR1, the "For the People Act" – which its supporters call an elections security and voting rights package – many took to social media condemning the bill as a power grab, claiming that the bill would limit free speech, increase voter fraud, and ban states from governing their own election processes, among other things.

Most notably, House Republican Whip, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), accused Democrats of trying "to ban voter ID nationwide and force every state to permanently expand mail-in voting." His tweet went viral and many prominent conservatives, including Mike Pence, took up the charge and said HR1 would increase voter fraud and "trample the first amendment."