the Guarantee Clause,

language for the Fourth Section of the Cons ution’s Fourth Article:

“[T]hat a republican form of government shall be guarantied to each state; and that each state shall be protected against foreign and domestic violence.”

“The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion;

and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.”

It’s an amazing sentence, that could be as sweeping in its power as the Commerce Clause

“Congress finds that its authority and responsibility to enforce the Guarantee Clause is clear given that Federal courts have not enforced this clause because they understood that its enforcement is committed to Congress by the Cons ution.”

The Freedom To Vote Act ensures a “Republican Form of Government” in America by providing:


  • Automatic voter registration and online registration for 16 year olds who will be 18 and thus eligible to vote in the next election
  • Same day voter registration nationwide
  • Ends partisan gerrymandering
  • Limits campaign contributions to a maximum of $10,000
  • Criminalizes “pass through” groups to get around campaign finance laws
  • Requires companies to fully and rapidly disclose all election spending over $10,000
  • Requires all websites (like Facebook) with more than 50 million users to create a publicly available and publicly searchable archive of political ads
  • Brings web-based election expenditures under the same disclosure rules as TV
  • Makes it a federal crime to prevent a person from registering to vote
  • Requires 14 consecutive days for early voting, at least 10 hours each day
  • Requires easy access to polling places for rural and college campus voters, and easy access to voting for all voters by public transportation
  • Guarantees that all voters, nationwide, can vote by mail with no excuses necessary
  • Guarantees that all voters can put themselves on a permanent vote-by-mail list and automatically receive a ballot in the mail
  • Requires states to give voters the ability to track their mail-in ballots to be sure they’re counted or contest any challenge to their ballot
  • Forbids states from forcing mail-in voters to have their ballots witnessed, notarized or jump through other onerous hoops
  • Requires secured and clearly labeled ballot drop boxes in all jurisdictions
  • Requires the Post Office to process all ballots on the day they’re dropped off and without postage
  • Requires states to keep voting lines shorter than 30 minutes in all cases and places
  • Allows people waiting in line to vote to receive food or water from others
  • Gives the right to vote to all felons who have served their sentences, in all states
  • Prohibits voter “caging” where failure to return a postcard gets you purged
  • Prohibits states from deleting voters from the rolls because they haven’t recently voted
  • Empowers voters to sue in federal court any state or local officials who interfere with their right to vote
  • Criminalizes intimidating, threatening or coercing any election official or election worker
  • Requires federal prosecution of anybody who tries to harm or undermine public officials by doxxing the personal information of an election worker or their immediate family
  • Makes it a federal crime to publish or distribute false information about elections (when, where, etc.)
  • Increases federal penalties for voter intimidation or otherwise interfering with your absolute right to vote
  • Keeps partisan “poll watchers” at least 8 feet from voters in all cir stances, including while voting
  • Requires paper ballots in all cases and all elections (there are exceptions for disabled voters)
  • Requires post-election audits
  • Provides criminal penalties for any candidate or campaign that fails to fully and immediately report any interactions with foreign governments
  • Gives lower income individuals $25 they can use to give to candidates in $5 or more increments


https://www.alternet.org/2021/12/guarantee-clause/