Richard Cowan and David Morgan

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – Democrats were struggling to pass broad voting rights legislation. On Wednesday, however the top Republican in the U.S. Senate expressed interest in amending an 1887 law that permits members of Congress to challenge presidential election results.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell made it possible to amend the Electoral Count Act. This was just a day before Jan. 6, when supporters of Donald Trump invaded Congress to try to reverse his defeat in the election.

McConnell said that “it’s worth discussing” when McConnell was asked about potential changes in 19th-century law.

The Kentucky Republican was taciturn and did not offer any explanations.

This could be countered by Democrats’ drive to pass two broad voting rights bills before Jan. 17 (the federal holiday in honor of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.) in response to voter restrictions in Republican-run States following Trump’s false claim that the 2020 elections were stolen from him.

Democratic bills will require early voting for at most 15 days and allow late registration. Election Day would be a holiday. It also helps to combat partisangerrymandering within congressional districts.

The legislation faces strong Republican resistance and can only be passed if the 50 Democratic senators consent to changing Senate rules. These regulations impose a threshold of 60 votes on all bills within the 100-seat chamber.

At least one Democrat, Senator Joe Manchin https://www.reuters.com/world/us/senators-meeting-with-manchin-voting-rights-bills-schumer-2022-01-04, has said he would prefer that Democrats not change the rules on their own.

Democrats were quick to criticize McConnell’s comments.

It is distracting to put that up at such a crucial time as it stands alone. “It is a cynical and political maneuver by people trying to rig elections in the country,” stated Senator Raphael Warnock who will be running for reelection this year in Georgia.

On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also rejected the idea. He told reporters that it made no sense.

The bipartisan support for the reform of the Electoral Count Act may allow Congress to change the procedures through which Congress members can challenge the results of vice-presidential and presidential election results. On Jan. 6, Trump’s congressional allies challenged 2020 results. Trump also falsely claimed that his loss to reelection was due to massive voter fraud at rally close the White House.

Trump’s speech, and his subsequent attack on Capitol resulted in his second impeachment. He was later acquitted after a Senate trial. He continues to tell lies as we move towards congressional elections in November, and then the next presidential election in 2024.