By Peter DeFazio
Published December 13th 2000 in Eugene Register-Guard
A HEALTHY DEMOCRACY requires the active engagement of citizens and the legitimacy they grant to its institutions. I am concerned that this cornerstone of our democracy is being eroded. Regardless of your party affiliation or how you feel about the recent national election results (or lack thereof), the ongoing disputes in the presidential contest and various congressional races around the country have raised a number of questions about the integrity of the federal electoral process. The recent election chaos seems more like something you'd see in an emerging democracy, not a country with more than two centuries of democratic rule.
While the high stakes of the current election have created widespread public recognition of electoral irregularities, these problems are not new. We should take this opportunity to examine how we can prevent similar problems in the future.
That is why I have introduced bipartisan legislation in Congress, along with Rep. Jim Leach, R-Iowa, to create a Federal Elections Review Commission, made up of experts in election law, the U.S. Constitution and U.S. history, not elected officials or party loyalists.
The nonpartisan commission would not be created to look into allegations of irregularities in the most recent election. Rather, it would take a more sweeping, analytical look. A review of systemic, structural and procedural issues to ensure the integrity of, and public confidence in, federal elections is long overdue. Restoring faith in democracy demands no less.
I have heard from many constituents concerned that the candidate who wins the popular vote may not necessarily win the presidency, because of the Electoral College process. The Electoral College is a product of a different century in which those who drafted the U.S. Constitution did not trust the masses to directly elect the president.
Much has changed since the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The right to vote has been extended to individuals older than 18, including women, minorities and those without property. Thanks to the 17th Amendment, senators are now elected by popular vote. There is a strong argument the president should be elected the same way, or at least by allocating electors proportionally by congressional district within a state. The Federal Elections Review Commission would review the rationale for the Electoral College as well as proposals to reform or abolish it.
The commission also would look at a number of issues to guarantee citizens the right to vote. There have been a number of localized reports about problems reading ballots, inadequate staffing of polling places leading to long lines and citizens being turned away. In my first re-election race in 1988, because of a poorly designed ballot, more than 50,000 residents in the 4th District inadvertently missed voting in the congressional race.
The Federal Elections Review Commission would analyze concerns about voter registration, ballot access and design, and operations of polling sites to ensure voters are not disenfranchised. The commission also would consider reforms such as same-day voter registration, uniform ballot design and the options used in some states that allow mail-in, absentee, weekend or early voting - all of which could raise our anemic voting rates.
The commission also would be charged with studying proposals for a uniform poll closing time to prevent media distortions of elections. If there's one thing Americans can agree on, it's the deplorable behavior of the media on election night.
Besides these micro-level issues, the commission would review the more systemic issue of whether the competition Americans so prize in the private sector flourishes in the electoral arena. The commission would review the history of presidential debates and the role of the private Commission on Presidential Debates to determine whether or how more voices could be included. The commission also would study the impact of our winner-take-all elections and various proposals to increase electoral competition, such as instant run-off voting and proportional representation.
Democracy occasionally needs to be rejuvenated. Given traditionally low voter turnout in the United States and issues surrounding the current election, this may be one of those times. I believe a Federal Elections Review Commission would provide a step toward the necessary healing.
Peter DeFazio, a Democrat, represents Oregon's 4th District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
While the high stakes of the current election have created widespread public recognition of electoral irregularities, these problems are not new. We should take this opportunity to examine how we can prevent similar problems in the future.
That is why I have introduced bipartisan legislation in Congress, along with Rep. Jim Leach, R-Iowa, to create a Federal Elections Review Commission, made up of experts in election law, the U.S. Constitution and U.S. history, not elected officials or party loyalists.
The nonpartisan commission would not be created to look into allegations of irregularities in the most recent election. Rather, it would take a more sweeping, analytical look. A review of systemic, structural and procedural issues to ensure the integrity of, and public confidence in, federal elections is long overdue. Restoring faith in democracy demands no less.
I have heard from many constituents concerned that the candidate who wins the popular vote may not necessarily win the presidency, because of the Electoral College process. The Electoral College is a product of a different century in which those who drafted the U.S. Constitution did not trust the masses to directly elect the president.
Much has changed since the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The right to vote has been extended to individuals older than 18, including women, minorities and those without property. Thanks to the 17th Amendment, senators are now elected by popular vote. There is a strong argument the president should be elected the same way, or at least by allocating electors proportionally by congressional district within a state. The Federal Elections Review Commission would review the rationale for the Electoral College as well as proposals to reform or abolish it.
The commission also would look at a number of issues to guarantee citizens the right to vote. There have been a number of localized reports about problems reading ballots, inadequate staffing of polling places leading to long lines and citizens being turned away. In my first re-election race in 1988, because of a poorly designed ballot, more than 50,000 residents in the 4th District inadvertently missed voting in the congressional race.
The Federal Elections Review Commission would analyze concerns about voter registration, ballot access and design, and operations of polling sites to ensure voters are not disenfranchised. The commission also would consider reforms such as same-day voter registration, uniform ballot design and the options used in some states that allow mail-in, absentee, weekend or early voting - all of which could raise our anemic voting rates.
The commission also would be charged with studying proposals for a uniform poll closing time to prevent media distortions of elections. If there's one thing Americans can agree on, it's the deplorable behavior of the media on election night.
Besides these micro-level issues, the commission would review the more systemic issue of whether the competition Americans so prize in the private sector flourishes in the electoral arena. The commission would review the history of presidential debates and the role of the private Commission on Presidential Debates to determine whether or how more voices could be included. The commission also would study the impact of our winner-take-all elections and various proposals to increase electoral competition, such as instant run-off voting and proportional representation.
Democracy occasionally needs to be rejuvenated. Given traditionally low voter turnout in the United States and issues surrounding the current election, this may be one of those times. I believe a Federal Elections Review Commission would provide a step toward the necessary healing.
Peter DeFazio, a Democrat, represents Oregon's 4th District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Election Day '09 was a roller-coaster for election reformers. Instant runoff voting had a great night in Minnesota, where St. Paul voters chose to implement IRV for its city elections, and Minneapolis voters used IRV for the first time—with local media touting it as a big success. As the Star-Tribune noted in endorsing IRV for St. Paul, Tuesday’s elections give the Twin Cities a chance to show the whole state of Minnesota the benefits of adopting IRV. There were disappointments in Lowell and Pierce County too, but high-profile multi-candidate races in New Jersey and New York keep policymakers focused on ways to reform elections; the Baltimore Sun and Miami Herald were among many newspapers publishing commentary from FairVote board member and former presidential candidate John Anderson on how IRV can mitigate the problems of plurality elections.