We Need Clear National StandardsBy Robert Richie
Published September 8th 2004 in Washington Times
You are quite right to call for state-to-state cooperation to stop
voters from voting in more than one state.
But I strongly challenge your assertion that running elections is
"legitimately a function of state government." Certainly, that is our
tradition — in fact, counties still generally have the greatest role in
handling voter registration, ballot design, election equipment purchases
and so on — but the result is too often an underfunded, underregulated,
underperforming system that this year promises to again be highly
controversial if the presidential election is close.
Elections are as important as interstate highways and airport security.
We need clear national standards and enforcement that ensure consistently high-quality elections.
President Bush was right to say last month that he would consider
establishing an explicit right to vote in the Constitution. Our nation is
too important to decentralize protection of perhaps our most basic
citizenship right.
ROB RICHIE
Executive director
Center for Voting & Democracy
Takoma Park
voters from voting in more than one state.
But I strongly challenge your assertion that running elections is
"legitimately a function of state government." Certainly, that is our
tradition — in fact, counties still generally have the greatest role in
handling voter registration, ballot design, election equipment purchases
and so on — but the result is too often an underfunded, underregulated,
underperforming system that this year promises to again be highly
controversial if the presidential election is close.
Elections are as important as interstate highways and airport security.
We need clear national standards and enforcement that ensure consistently high-quality elections.
President Bush was right to say last month that he would consider
establishing an explicit right to vote in the Constitution. Our nation is
too important to decentralize protection of perhaps our most basic
citizenship right.
ROB RICHIE
Executive director
Center for Voting & Democracy
Takoma Park
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.