[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 16 (Tuesday, February 6, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E123-E124]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       INTRODUCTION OF THE FEDERAL ELECTION STANDARDS ACT OF 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 6, 2001

  Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join today with my 
colleague from South Carolina, Mr. Graham, in introducing the Federal 
Election Standards Act of 2001.
  Now that the dust has settled over the presidential election of 2000, 
I hope we will treat our recent experience as an opportunity to adopt 
long overdue reforms in the way we run our Federal elections. I hope we 
will enlist our best minds in the effort to develop better systems and 
procedures that will restore public confidence in the accuracy and 
integrity of the electoral process. And I hope we will provide State 
and local election officials with the wherewithal to take advantage of 
these improvements.
  The Act seeks to advance these goals by establishing a bipartisan 
commission to study the accuracy, integrity, and efficiency of Federal 
election procedures and develop standards of best practice for the 
conduct of Federal elections. It further authorizes grants and 
technical assistance to States which wish to adopt measures consistent 
with the standards.
  Title I of the Act establishes the National Advisory Commission of 
Federal Election

[[Page E124]]

Standards (the ``Commission''). Twelve of the 24 voting members of the 
Commission are appointed by Congress; the other 12 by leading State and 
local government associations. The Attorney General and the Chairman of 
the Federal Election Commission serve ex-officio as non-voting members.
  In addition to ensuring a balance among Federal, State and local 
interests, the Act requires that the members of the Commission include 
equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats, and that larger and smaller 
states from all geographic regions be fairly represented.
  The Commission will have three responsibilities which it must 
discharge within one year of its appointment. First, it will examine 
and report to the President, the Congress, and the State Secretaries of 
State regarding the accuracy, integrity, and efficiency of Federal 
election procedures in the several States.
  Second, the Commission will develop a set of standards for the 
conduct of Federal elections and make recommendations with respect to 
the periodic review and updating of the standards. Among the issues to 
be addressed by the standards are (1) procedures for voter registration 
and maintenance of lists of registered voters; (2) ballot design, 
voting equipment, the methods employed in counting [and recounting] 
votes, and the procedures for challenging the results; (3) factors that 
affect access to and the efficient and orderly operation of polling 
places, including hours of voting (which may include standards for a 
uniform national poll closing time for presidential elections); number 
and accessibility of polling stations; training of poll workers; 
methods of reducing delay; and steps to ensure that all voters who 
report to the polls have an opportunity to cast their vote; and (4) 
procedures for mail-in and absentee voting (including deadlines for 
receipt of mail-in and absentee ballots).
  Third, the Commission will make additional recommendations to 
Congress in regard to certain procedural aspects of Federal elections 
that are governed by Federal law (and would therefore require 
Congressional action to alter), such as whether Federal law should be 
amended to authorize Federal elections to be conducted (1) on dates 
other than those prescribed by current Federal law so as to permit 
weekend elections, voting on multiple days, or expanded early voting 
options; or (2) by means of the Internet.
  Title II of the Act authorizes the FEC to provide matching grants and 
technical assistance to the States to improve the accuracy, integrity, 
and efficiency of Federal election procedures. The Federal share may 
not exceed 75 percent of the total costs of the program, project, or 
activity, although the FEC may waive this requirement in whole or in 
part where appropriate.
  Grants may be used for programs, projects, and other activities whose 
purpose is to bring the conduct of Federal elections into conformity 
with the standards for Federal elections developed by the National 
Advisory Commission. Specifically, grants may be used to (1) hire 
employees or consultants to design and implement systems and procedures 
that meet the standards; (2) procure equipment, technology, and 
administrative and managerial support systems that meet the standards; 
(3) provide training or retraining to election officials, employees and 
volunteers in the proper use and maintenance of new systems and 
procedures that meet the standards; (4) enhance public confidence and 
participation in the electoral process by increasing awareness of new 
systems and procedures that meet the standards; and (5) evaluate the 
effectiveness of new systems and procedures put in place through 
Federal assistance under the Act.
  The Act would not mandate changes in State practices, nor would it 
federalize election procedures. Rather, it would encourage State 
election officials to upgrade and modernize their election systems by 
establishing benchmarks for the conduct of Federal elections and 
providing the States with the resources needed to meet them. In so 
doing, the Act gives maximum latitude to the states and localities in 
assessing their own needs and determining which solutions are most 
appropriate for their circumstances.
  Recent announcements of collaborative ventures among academic 
researchers and technology companies have fueled expectations of a 
technological ``fix'' to our nation's election problems. Such 
initiatives as the one launched this past December by the Massachusetts 
Institute of Technology and Caltech are a very promising development, 
and ought to be encouraged.
  On the other hand, we must resist the temptation to look for 
attractively simple--and simplistic--solutions. The latest hi-tech 
equipment will be expensive, and the best technology in the world will 
make little difference if voters and election workers don't know how to 
use it. Thus, while some jurisdictions may choose to acquire new 
technologies, others may feel their resources would be better spent on 
voter education and training of election workers.
  I am hopeful that the Congress will take prompt action on this 
legislation, so that the most advanced nation on earth will have an 
electoral system that is second to none.

                 Federal Election Standards Act of 2001

       The Act establishes a bipartisan commission to study the 
     accuracy, integrity, and efficiency of Federal election 
     procedures and develop standards of best practice for the 
     conduct of Federal elections. It further authorizes grants 
     and technical assistance to States which wish to adopt 
     measures consistent with the standards.


       National Advisory Commission on Federal Election Standards

       Title I of the Act establishes the National Advisory 
     Commission on Federal Election Standards (the 
     ``Commission''). Twelve of the 24 voting members of the 
     Commission are appointed by Congress; the other 12 by State 
     and local government associations. The Attorney General and 
     the Chairman of the Federal Election Commission (the 
     ``FEC''), or their representatives, serve ex-officio as non-
     voting members of the Commission.
       In addition to ensuring a balance among Federal, State and 
     local interests, the Act requires that the members of the 
     Commission include equal numbers of Republicans and 
     Democrats, and that larger and smaller states from all 
     geographic regions be fairly represented.
       The Commission will have three responsibilities which it 
     must discharge within one year of its appointment. First, it 
     will examine and report to the President, the Congress, and 
     the State Secretaries of State regarding the accuracy, 
     integrity, and efficiency of Federal election procedures in 
     the several States.
       Second, the Commission will develop a set of standards for 
     the conduct of Federal elections and make recommendations 
     with respect to the periodic review and updating of the 
     standards. Among the issues to be addressed by the standards 
     are (1) procedures for voter registration and maintenance of 
     lists of registered voters; (2) ballot design, voting 
     equipment, the methods employed in counting [and recounting] 
     votes, and the procedures for challenging the results; (3) 
     factors that affect access to and the efficient and orderly 
     operation of polling places, including hours of voting (which 
     may include standards for a uniform national poll closing 
     time for presidential elections); number and accessibility of 
     polling stations; training of poll workers; methods of 
     reducing delay; and steps to ensure that all voters who 
     report to the polls have an opportunity to cast their vote; 
     and (4) procedures for mail-in and absentee voting (including 
     deadlines for receipt of mail-in and absentee ballots).
       Third, the Commission will make additional recommendations 
     to Congress in regard to certain procedural aspects of 
     Federal elections that are governed by Federal law (and would 
     therefore require Congressional action to alter), such as 
     whether Federal law should be amended to authorize Federal 
     elections to be conducted (1) on dates other than those 
     prescribed by current Federal law so as to permit weekend 
     elections, voting on multiple days, or expanded early voting 
     options; or (2) by means of the Internet.


            Federal Election Standards Implementation Grants

       Title II of the Act authorizes the FEC to provide matching 
     grants and technical assistance to the States to improve the 
     accuracy, integrity, and efficiency of Federal election 
     procedures. The Federal share may not exceed 75 percent of 
     the total costs of the program, project, or activity, 
     although the FEC may waive this requirement in whole or in 
     part where appropriate.
       Grants may be used for programs, projects and other 
     activities whose purpose is to bring the conduct of Federal 
     elections into conformity with the standards for Federal 
     elections developed by the National Advisory Commission. 
     Specifically, grants may be used to (1) hire employees or 
     consultants to design and implement systems and procedures 
     that meet the standards; (2) procure equipment, technology, 
     and administrative and managerial support systems that meet 
     the standards; (3) provide training or retraining to election 
     officials, employees and volunteers in the proper use and 
     maintenance of new systems and procedures that meet the 
     standards; (4) enhance public confidence and participation in 
     the electoral process by increasing awareness of new systems 
     and procedures that meet the standards; and (5) evaluate the 
     effectiveness of new systems and procedures put in place 
     through Federal assistance under the Act.

     

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