To Assure Pride and Confidence in the Electoral Process: Report of the National Commission on Federal Election Reform

368 Pages·2002·2.481 MB·English

by  Jimmy Carter, Gerald R. Ford, Lloyd N. Cutler, Robert H. Michel, Philip Zelikow

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0366-00 Federal Election/FM 2/11/02 14:47 Page i
Pride
To Assure and
Confidence
in theElectoral
Process
0366-00 Federal Election/FM 2/11/02 14:47 Page ii
National Commission on Federal Election Reform
organized by
Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia
The Century Foundation
supported by
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
THE COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARINGS
Honorary Co-Chairs March 26, 2001
President Gerald R. Ford Citizen Participation
President Jimmy Carter The Carter Center
Co-Chairs Atlanta, Georgia
Robert H. Michel
April 12, 2001
Lloyd N. Cutler
Election Administration
Vice-Chairs
The Ronald Reagan Presidential
Slade Gorton Library
Kathleen M. Sullivan Simi Valley, California
Commissioners
May 24, 2001
Griffin Bell
Rudy Boschwitz What Does the Law Require?
John C. Danforth Lyndon B. Johnson Library and
Christopher F. Edley, Jr. Museum
Hanna Holborn Gray Austin, Texas
Colleen C. McAndrews
June 5, 2001
Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Leon Panetta The American and International
Deval L. Patrick Experience
Diane Ravitch Gerald R. Ford Library
Bill Richardson Ann Arbor, Michigan
John Seigenthaler
Michael Steele
Executive Director
Philip Zelikow
0366-00 Federal Election/FM 2/11/02 14:47 Page iii
Pride
To Assure and
Confidence
in the Electoral
Process
Report of the
National Commission on
Federal Election Reform
Jimmy Carter
Gerald R. Ford
Lloyd N. Cutler
Robert H. Michel
Co-Chairs
Philip Zelikow
Executive Director
brookings institution press
Washington, D.C.
0366-00 Federal Election/FM 2/11/02 14:47 Page iv
about brookings
The Brookings Institution is a private nonprofit organization devoted to research, education,
and publication on important issues of domestic and foreign policy. Its principal purpose is
to bring knowledge to bear on current and emerging policy problems. The Institution main-
tains a position of neutrality on issues of public policy. Interpretations or conclusions in
Brookings publications should be understood to be solely those of the authors.
Copyright © 2002
the miller center foundation
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means without permission in writing from the Brookings Institution Press.
To Assure Pride and Confidence in the Electoral Process may be ordered from the
Brookings Institution Press, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036.
Telephone: [phone] or 202/797-6258 Fax: [phone]
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data
National Commission on Federal Election Reform.
To assure pride and confidence in the electoral process / report of the National
Commission on Federal Election Reform ; Gerald R. Ford . . . [et al.], co-chairs.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-8157-0631-6 (paper ; alk. paper)
1. Elections—United States. 2. Election law—United States. I. Ford, Gerald R., 1913–
II. Title.
JK1965 .N38 2002
324.6′5′0973—dc21 2002020054
1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
The paper used in this publication meets minimum requirements of the
American National Standard for Information Sciences—-Permanence of Paper for
Printed Library Materials: ANSI Z39.48-1992.
Typeset in Sabon
Text design and composition by Circle Graphics
Columbia, Maryland
Printed by R. R. Donnelley and Sons
Harrisonburg, Virginia
0366-00 Federal Election/FM 2/11/02 14:47 Page v
Contents
1 Letter to the American People 26 Voter Registration, Past
3 Preface to the Report and Present
5 Summary of Principal 28 A Better Way: Statewide
Recommendations Voter Registration Systems
I IV
17 The Goals of Federal 33 A Democratic Process That
Election Reform Encourages Every Eligible
Voter to Participate
II
Effectively
21 The Federal Government and
34 Provisional Voting
the Federal Election System
37 “Same Day” Registration?
21 The Constitution’s
38 Improving Voter
Allocation of Authority
Participation
22 Presidential Elections and
39 Election Day Holiday
the Electoral College
42 Military and Overseas
23 The Primary Role of State
Voting
Governments
43 Early, Remote, and
Internet Voting
III
45 Citizens with Criminal
25 A Democratic Process That
Records
Maintains an Accurate List
46 Ensuring the Voting Rights
of Citizens Who Are Qualified
of All Citizens
to Vote
25 The Problem of Accurate
Voter Lists
v
0366-00 Federal Election/FM 2/11/02 14:47 Page vi
vi Contents
V 77 Endnotes to the Report
51 A Democratic Process That
Uses Equipment That 85 Additional Statements
Reliably Clarifies and 85 Concurring in Part and
Registers the Voter’s Choices Dissenting in Part,
52 Very Close Elections by Christopher Edley,
Happen—Often Joined by Leon Panetta,
52 Benchmarks, Not Mandates Deval Patrick,
55 Benchmarks Applied— Bill Richardson,
The Forty Most Populous John Seigenthaler, and
Counties Kathleen Sullivan
57 Standards for More 90 Concurring by
Effective and Accessible Colleen C. McAndrews,
Voting Technology Joined by Slade Gorton
and Leon Panetta
92 Concurring in Part and
VI
Dissenting in Part,
61 A Democratic Process That
by John Seigenthaler,
Handles Close Elections in a
Joined in Part by
Foreseeable and Fair Way
Griffin Bell
61 Objective Vote Definitions and
Foreseeable Post-Election
96 Organization
Procedures
96 About the National
64 Media Projections of Election
Commission on Federal
Results
Election Reform
103 Organizing and Sponsoring
VII
Institutions
69 A Democratic Process That
Reflects Limited but
105 Appendix A
ResponsibleFederal
Contributors to the
Participation
Commission’s Work
69 A Pattern of Neglect
70 Estimating and Allocating 113 Appendix B
the Costs of Improvement
The Michigan Qualified
73 The Federal Institutional
Voter File: A Brief
Role
Introduction
74 Structuring Federal
Legislation and Financial
Assistance
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Contents vii
119 Task Force on the Federal 217 Task Force on Constitutional
Election System and Federal Election Law
120 Preface 219 Preface
121 Sizing the Problem 220 Federal Regulation of
130 Voter Registration Elections
151 Statewide Voter 339 What Counts as a Vote?
Registration Systems 343 Recounts and Contests
157 Civic Education Programs 354 Congressional Authority to
163 Early Voting, Unrestricted Regulate When Votes Can
Absentee Voting, and Be Counted
Voting by Mail
180 Verification of Identity
186 Provisional Balloting
195 Disfranchisement of Felons
201 Uniform Poll Closing and
Reporting
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