Perhaps reform of the ECA could lead to other changes that would fall short of Democrats’ goals but nonetheless mitigate serious problems that remain. In a New York Times op-ed titled “Democrats, Voting Rights Are Not the Problem,” conservative scholar Yuval Levin of AEI laid out several issues that, in addition to reform of the ECA, could attract bipartisan support in a compromise that borrows from Manchin’s bill but leaves out the provisions Republicans object to, including the campaign finance, voter registration and redistricting changes.

“Such a bill could, for instance, limit the ability of state officials to remove local election administrators without cause, and prohibit the harassment of election workers (as happened, for example, in Georgia after the 2020 election). It could mandate a mechanism for postelection audits while requiring a clear standard for rendering election results final. It could provide for uniform transparency procedures and codify the role of election monitors. It could prescribe an oath for all election administrators committing to transparently and impartially obey the law,” Levin wrote.

If Congress passes bipartisan ECA reform, Democrats should work on the remaining fixes with the same Republicans who voted for ECA reform. If those Republicans won’t help pass the new legislation, Democrats should put each provision up for individual votes and make sure the electorate knows just what the GOP is blocking.