Democrats in the Senate have won the approval of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) for a bill that would dramatically overhaul elections. The new legislation combines elements of an election reform bill proposed by Manchin earlier this year with provisions from the “For the People Act,” also known as S.1, that Senate Republicans blocked in June. The full text of the new bill, dubbed the “Freedom to Vote Act,” has not yet been released. Democrats described it as focusing on guaranteeing voter access, election integrity, and civic participation. Elements include automatic voter registration, making Election Day a public holiday, requiring states use voting systems with paper ballots, and implementing changes to redistricting that the senators say would “prevent partisan manipulation” of the process. “With the Freedom to Vote Act, the entire voting rights working group, including Senators Manchin and Merkley, is united behind legislation that will set basic national standards to …https://www.theepochtimes.com/c-us-politics