[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 38 (Wednesday, March 21, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H1038]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            ELECTION REFORM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin) is recognized for 
5 minutes.
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, last week, I announced the introduction of 
a resolution calling on Congress to enact meaningful election reform 
legislation.
  Today, I am proud to introduce another measure on election reform and 
to announce an important voting technology demonstration I am 
sponsoring tomorrow with my former secretary of state colleagues who 
are presently now in the House and the Senate.
  I am pleased to introduce legislation today to improve the voting 
process for millions of elderly Americans and persons with 
disabilities.
  In every election year, many of these people stay at home, stay away 
from the polls, not from apathy but from concern about their ability to 
cast a vote independently. The elderly and visually impaired may not be 
able to decipher small print or confusing ballots, and people in 
wheelchairs may have difficulty maneuvering in older voting booths.
  Unfortunately, this problem is pervasive throughout the United 
States. With nearly one in five Americans having some level of 
disability and approximately 35 million Americans over the age of 65, 
we must act now to ensure that our voting system is accessible to all 
Americans.
  To ensure that Americans are not discouraged from voting because of 
outdated voting equipment and inaccessible voting places, I am 
introducing the Voting Opportunity through Technology and Education, or 
VOTE, Act. This measure would require the Federal Election Commission 
to establish voluntary accessibility and ease-of-use standards for 
polling places in voting equipment.
  In 1984, Congress passed the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and 
Handicapped Act. This legislation required that all polling places in 
the United States be made accessible to the elderly and the disabled, 
but provided the FEC with little enforcement power. With the 
establishment of the new accessibility and ease-of-use standards in my 
VOTE Act, the FEC would be able to provide secretaries of state and 
election administrators with more information and support services to 
help them comply with accessible laws.
  Additionally, the voting technology industry could use these 
standards to ensure that their products may be correctly used by all 
Americans at the polls. Finally, the VOTE Act would provide grants to 
States so that they may improve their voting systems and educate poll 
workers and voters about the availability and benefits of these new 
technologies.
  Mr. Speaker, I know first-hand how modern voting systems can increase 
voter turnout and improve accuracy. As a secretary of state for the 
State of Rhode Island, I was the chief architect of a plan to upgrade 
the State's voting system and equipment. The replacement of outdated 
lever machines with optical scan equipment and Braille and tactile 
ballots helped increase voter turnout and significantly reduced chances 
of error.
  To highlight this equipment, as well as other voting technologies now 
available, I am joining former secretaries of state now in Congress, 
the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt) and the gentleman from Ohio 
(Mr. Brown), in hosting the voting technology demonstration on 
Thursday, March 22. There we will address our own work at the State 
level to improve voting accountability and accuracy and demonstrate the 
various forms of election equipment, including punchcard ballot, 
optical scan and direct recording electronic systems.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to attend this 
educational event, as it will help prepare us for a nationwide 
discussion on election reform. Additionally, I ask that my colleagues 
join me in supporting this VOTE Act to make voting one of the greatest 
expressions of civic participation available on an equal basis to all 
Americans.

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