House passes election law overhaul in response to Jan. 6

By MARY CLARE JALONICK
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has passed legislation to overhaul the rules for certifying the results of a presidential election as lawmakers accelerate their response to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and Donald Trump’s failed attempt to remain in power. The bill is similar to bipartisan legislation moving through the Senate. It would overhaul an arcane 1800s-era statute known as the Electoral Count Act that governs how states and Congress certify electors and declare presidential election winners. Trump and his allies unsuccessfully tried to exploit loopholes in the law in an attempt to overturn his defeat to Joe Biden in the 2020 election.