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Associated Press
Senate Approves Election Overhaul
By Janelle Carter
October 16, 2002
The Senate voted Wednesday to establish nationwide
election standards and provide states billions of dollars to upgrade
their voting systems as Congress' solution for the monumental
problems that plagued the 2000 presidential balloting in Florida.
The measure, which would spend just over $3.8 billion
over three years, passed on a 92-2 vote. It now goes to the White
House, where President Bush (news - web sites) has promised to sign
it.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (news, bio, voting record) of
Kentucky, the measure's Republican sponsor, called the bill a
"historic consensus" that "will help make all elections more
accurate, more accessible and more honest."
"Election Day 2000 was not a proud day for our
democracy, but that day was also a gift," said Sen. Christopher Dodd
(news, bio, voting record), D-Conn. "Had there never been a
contested election, the problems likely would never have been
addressed."
Dodd, who as chairman of the Senate Rules Committee
led negotiations on the bill, said the legislation "goes a long way
toward righting those wrongs."
New York's two Democratic senators � Sens. Charles
Schumer and Hillary Clinton (news - web sites) � were the only
lawmakers voting against the bill.
The House passed the measure last week in a 357-48
vote.
Congress still must approve spending the money the new
legislation would require. All sides have said they are committed to
getting that done.
The measure allows states with punch-card and lever
voting systems to get money to buy upgraded machines if they wish
and requires provisional voting, which allows people who claim
eligibility to vote even when their names do not appear on election
rolls. Those ballots would be set aside, and election officials
later would determine whether the ballots were valid.
The bill also establishes statewide registration lists
that would use the last four digits of a voter's driver's license or
Social Security (news - web sites) number as an identifier for the
database. Voters with neither number would be assigned an
identifying number by the state.
States also would have to ensure that at least one
voting machine at a polling place is accessible to the disabled.
Civil rights groups and many Democrats have opposed
identification requirements included in the bill. Those provisions
would require voters who registered by mail to show identification
the first time they vote. Photo IDs, utility bills or other
documents would be allowed.
Activists have complained that the identification
provisions discriminate against the poor and minorities who may lack
all the acceptable documentation.
The bill is H.R. 3295. |
