The GOP is trying to make it harder to vote

+ the surprising way we learn to be fair US Edition - Today's top story: Making it easier to vote does not threaten election integrity [View in browser]( US Edition | 17 March 2021 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair In statehouses across the country, hundreds of bills have been introduced to change how elections are run, who can vote and how they vote. Many of the bills sponsored by Republicans aim to undo changes election officials made in 2020 to make voting easier during the pandemic. Those changes led to a record number of people voting last year. Yet the GOP bills would make voting harder. Their sponsors say it’s worth it because the proposed legislation would make elections more secure against fraud, writes political scientist Douglas Hess. Only one problem: [There’s no evidence that making it easier to vote]( leads to more fraud. Also today: - [The problem with prosecuting ex-presidents]( - [Everyone should celebrate Nowruz this year]( - [How the US patent system stifles innovation]( Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Society An election worker during mail-in ballot counting at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia on Nov. 6, 2020. Chris McGrath/Getty Images [Making it easier to vote does not threaten election integrity]( Douglas R. Hess, Grinnell College A record number of people voted in the 2020 presidential election. Donald Trump lost, Joe Biden won. Now, GOP legislators across the country are trying to pass measures to limit voting. Politics + Society - [Prosecuting ex-presidents for corruption is trending worldwide – but it’s not always great for democracy]( Victor Menaldo, University of Washington; James D. Long, University of Washington; Morgan Wack, University of Washington From Europe to Latin America and the US, former world leaders are being investigated, tried and even jailed. 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