McConnell backs post-Jan. 6 revisions to elections law

By MARY CLARE JALONICK
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell says he will “proudly support” legislation to overhaul rules for certifying presidential elections, bolstering a bipartisan effort to revise a 19th century law and avoid another Jan. 6 insurrection.  The legislation would clarify and add to parts of the 1887 Electoral Count Act, which, along with the Constitution, governs how states and Congress certify electors and declare presidential winners. The changes in the certification process are in response to unsuccessful efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to exploit loopholes in the law to overturn his 2020 defeat.  McConnell spoke just before the Senate Rules Committee voted 14-1 to approve the bill and send it to the Senate floor.