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Guest Commentary: June 11, 2001
Election Reform
The Honorable Christopher Dodd
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The right to vote is a fundamental cornerstone of our democracy; indeed, it is the very foundation upon which our democracy is built.
But sadly, last fall, that cornerstone was chipped and badly broken when millions of Americans were either ignored, disregarded or shut out of the democratic process.
In fact, the U.S. Civil Rights Commission review of the Florida election today confirmed our worst fears: that 54 percent of the votes rejected last November were cast by African American voters, and that African American voters there were nearly 10 times as likely to have their ballots rejected as white Americans.
That's wrong, and unacceptable. No one should be sent to a figurative 'back of the bus' when it comes to voting. Clearly we need to repair the system that failed millions of Americans last fall, and ensure that all Americans, regardless of physical disability, race, language minority, or other circumstances, can participate in this democracy by exercising his or her fundamental right to vote.
As an author of legislation, coauthored in the House by Representative John Conyers, D-Mich., to fix the problems of the last election, I am committed to moving forward to address this matter. I can assure people that as incoming chairman of the Rules Committee, it is my intention to hold hearings in a bipartisan fashion to examine this matter much more closely.
It is also important to hear directly from the people in Florida or other places around the country that were disenfranchised, to hear about this problem first-hand.
Election reform is a critically important issue, and it shouldn't merely be reduced to how to build a better mouse-trap, or seeking to coax the states into doing what we all know is necessary to ensuring the health of this democracy.
I am committed to working in a bipartisan fashion as the new chairman of the Rules Committee, on this critically important issue, to ensure that the cornerstone of our democracy is once again solid and strong.
Note: This column has been adapted from a statement Sen. Dodd released, June 6, 2001.
 How to contact Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT)
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