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Guest Commentary February 25, 2002
Election Reform Needed
The Honorable Sam Brownback
The 2000 presidential election taught us that we need to improve the instruments of voting and the means of electing our federal office holders. Protecting and enhancing this basic right to vote fairly, clearly and easily is both critical and necessary.
Early last year, Senator [Charles] Schumer, Senator [Robert] Torricelli, Senator [Mitch] McConnell and I worked on a compromise bill that preserved three key objectives: respect for the primary role of the states and localities in election administration; establishing an independent, bipartisan commission appointed by the president to provide nonpartisan election assistance to the states; and enforcing strong anti-fraud provisions.
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In crafting that compromise bill, we were mindful of the fact that both rural and urban areas have unique difficulties, not only with accessibility, but with funding improvements to their voting systems.
A heavily rural state like Kansas, for example, has issues related to voting procedures that are different than those faced by states with large urban areas.
For this reason, any compromise effort must not impose an unfunded election mandate upon the states, and must give states flexibility to determine how they can use the funds.
I believe this is important legislation that will instill confidence in our voting system.
Not only should we do everything possible to ensure that every qualified American is able to vote, but that we are also able to do so with certainty, accuracy and confidence.
Sam Brownback, a Republican, is a U.S. Senator from Kansas. The above commentary has been adapted from a speech Sen. Brownback delivered on the floor of the Senate, February 14, 2002. To contact him, Click Here.
The above column has been distributed by PoliticsOL.com.
