Democrats rally around election proposal as counterpoint to GOP plan

Public interest groups joined Democratic lawmakers Thursday on the House Triangle to tout an election package and warn against what they say are threats to democracy from their Republican colleagues. Democrats are rallying support for their bicameral bill, known as the Freedom to Vote Act, which was reintroduced Tuesday. They say it would guard against practices like partisan gerrymandering and the influence of so-called dark money while expanding voting access to more Americans. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, House Administration Committee ranking member Joseph D. Morelle of New York and the House bill's lead sponsor, Rep. John Sarbanes of Maryland, were joined by other Democrats and members of the Declaration for American Democracy, a coalition of more than 260 public interest groups.