"Examining the Jan. 6 Capitol Event: Protests, Punishments, and the Debate Over Insurrection"

Following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, bipartisan lawmakers have reformed the electoral count process to prevent a repeat of the chaos that ensued during the certification of the 2020 presidential election results. The changes, included in a year-end spending bill signed by President Biden in December 2022, clarify the vice president's ceremonial role, designate a single official per state to submit electors, create an expedited court review process for electoral challenges, and raise the objection threshold in Congress. While these reforms reduce the risk of Congress overturning valid election results, experts warn of remaining vulnerabilities at state and local levels that could be exploited in future elections.