Manchin's Election Bill Compromise Praised by Abrams, Rejected by McConnell

On Wednesday, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) released a list of proposed changes to Democrats' For the People Act intended as a bipartisan compromise. Manchin, who opposed the initial version of the bill, proposed an edited version that would ban gerrymandering, require a minimum of 15 consecutive days of early voting, enact a voter ID requirement with alternate ways of identification, and make Election Day a holiday. Voting rights activist Stacey Abrams praised Manchin's version during an appearance on CNN Thursday, saying, "the restrictions on the forms of ID should meet the needs of the people. And what he is proposing makes sense because...we should not narrow the playing field so much that we push voters out of participation simply because of restrictions that make no sense and do not increase security." However, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday he opposed Manchin's version, saying it would turn the Federal Election Commission (FEC) "from a judge into a prosecutor" and would "remove redistricting from state legislatures and hand it over to computers." McConnell added that he hoped "all Republicans" would oppose the proposal. The Democrats' bill is set for a vote early next week, where it needs 60 votes to pass the 50-50 Senate. 

Manchin's bill, Abrams' praise, and McConnell's rejection received wide coverage from across the political spectrum; outlets from all sides provided speculation as to the bill's likelihood of passing in the Senate next week.