. >> this is molly reynolds of the brookings institution here to talk about an effort to change how electoral votes are counted. it goes back to something called the electoral act of 1887. can you describe what that is? >> it is the federal law that we have currently that governs how the electoral votes themselves get counted at the very end of the presidential election. one of the things that the reform effort is trying to do is modernize the language of the act and take some steps to clarify some provisions that are in their that we learned might be vulnerable to some manipulation. but generally, the way the law works is it provides for what should happen on january 6 when the vice president is in the congressional chamber counting the electoral votes. >> it goes also in connection to the constitution. it goes on from there. talk about that connection. >> requires congress to meet to tabulate the votes. it is the law that says if one member of the house and one member of the senate objects to the states then the joint session shall divide and each chamber shall debate the objection. the ori

host: this is molly reynolds of the brookings institute. in florida, nelson. er: miss reynolds, i am not confident in the proposals -- because it needs more bureaucracy, more people involved and more hands in the five. the big problem we have regarding all of this is the fact that in 2020, there were several states that violated their own state constitution. when you violate the constitution, the statute -- the statutes become meaningless. a comment that the democratic party likes to use when it is to their convenience. i am 73 years old and i have been voting in every election since i have been old enough to vote and i have always trusted the results except because of the last one because there were several states that violated their constitutions. host: that is on the state level. we are talking about when the votes are counted in comments -- congress. i am trying to apply to the conversation to the expert i am having here. caller: let me finish. it is a mistake to create more laws and it is a mistake -- a mistake to create more bureaucracy because it only cr

mobile, alabama, republican line bill for molly reynolds of the brookings institution. lease. >> caller: molly, it's obvious that those people who wanted to stop trump chose not to follow this law. .. >> you know, you write all the laws you want, but there are limits to what you can expect in terms of-- or there may be limits in terms of what you can expect people sort of following them. one of the -- one of the goals of this act thatway haven't -- this reform proposal that we haven't talked too much about yet is this idea of what's been called a federal court backstop. so one of the things that the reform proposals provides for is if there is a dispute in a state around a slate of electors, it puts forth an expedited federal judicial review process for that dispute and it says specifically that if there is a dispute in federal court between competing states of electors, what the court says goes and that's what congress -- that's the slate that congress has to follow. so no law is perfect. there have been folks of various stripes who have raised some sort of questions ab

. >> this is molly reynolds of the brookings institution here to talk about an effort to change how electoral votes are counted. it goes back to something called the electoral act of 1887. can you describe what that is? >> it is the federal law that we have currently that governs how the electoral votes themselves get counat

and senior fellow, molly reynolds, on the bipartisan effort to change the way votes are counted after a presidential election. and we will preview the week ahead with the washington examiner's white house reporter, catherine doyle. watch "washington journal" on c-span or c-span now, our free mobile app. during the conversation with your phone calls facebook , comments, text messages, and tweets. >> here is what is ahead. next, hearing thing at election security and threats to election workers. then the mayor of buffalo, new york talks about the economic effect of mass shootings, and later, a debate among democratic candidates to be the next governor of florida. >> in march 2020, he head it 19 outbreak while sailing and no one would let him dock. they recount what happened aboard the stranded ship with cabin fever and the eventual save harbor. >> virus started becoming apparent a week into the cruise. looking cap on it, they said they noticed certain people were getting sick people or coughing even before then. >> it felt like the cruise -- cruise company gambled that one last ship cou

week's major events in congress with emily wilkins and then, brookings institution senior fellow, molly reynolds on the bipartisan effort to change the way electoral votes are counted after a presidential election. we will preview the week ahead at the white house with the washington examiner white house reporter. washington journal, live at 7:00 eastern monday morning on c-span or c-span now, our free mobile app. join the conversation with your phone calls, facebook condiments come at text messages, and tweets. -- facebook comments, text and tweets. >> next, the do candidates for the florida democratic gubernatorial race. they participate in a debate hosted by telemundo 51. the winner would go on to face the incumbent rep come -- and could have been republican governor, ron desantis in the 2022 election.

then the brookings institution government senior fellow molly reynolds on the effort to change the wayal votes are counted after a presidential election and we will preview the week ahead with the washington examiner's white house reporter. watch washington journal monday morning on c-span or on c-span now our free mobile app. join the conversation. >> c-span is your unfiltered view of government. we are funded by these television companies and more including cox. >> homework can be hard. but squatting in a diner for internetwork is even harder. we are providing lower income students with access to affordable internet. so homework can just be homework. >> cox along with these other television providers giving your front row seat to democracy. >> in march 20, -- 2020, a cruise ship expense to covert outbreak and no port would allow them to dock. michael smith and jonathan franklin recount what happened with their book and the eventual safe harbor given in south florida. >> although some of the people we talked to looking back on it. they noticed some of the people were getting sick or c