[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 23, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S10]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            ELECTION REFORM

  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Connecticut for 
attempting to be a floor manager, and I apologize to my colleague from 
New Jersey.
  I make a brief statement joining with my good friend from Connecticut 
and my friend from Kentucky in commending to this body the election 
reform bill. It was not just hours but weeks, and perhaps months, we 
worked on this. His dedication to getting a good election reform bill 
through means we will have something good with which to work. There 
should be a lot of interest in this body because every single Member 
got here through the process of politics. This measure, that will be 
brought up, we hope very shortly, should ensure that everybody in 
America is treated fairly in the election process. And that has no 
greater champion than my friend from Connecticut.

  As he indicated, I was interested in assuring that we prevent fraud. 
For those who may not have read it, I commend to them an article by 
George Will in the Washington Post today headlined, ``A Long Election 
Day in Missouri.'' He outlines the case far better than I would on the 
floor. I just ask my colleagues to read it and see why part of the 
election reform proposal goes to combating fraud.
  As Mr. Will points out, our Secretary of State, Matt Blunt, reviewed 
a small sample of ballots.

       . . . among 1,384 ballots illegally cast [in St. Louis] 
     were 62 by felons, 79 by people registered at vacant lots, 68 
     by people who voted twice and 14 [votes] cast in the name of 
     dead people.

  The only thing we missed out on in that go-around was in the past we 
have had dogs registered in St. Louis. As far as we could tell, no dogs 
voted in the last election.
  I had an opportunity to address a leadership group in St. Louis--a 
very large group of people--during the recess. I told them the purpose 
of the Dodd-McConnell bill was to make sure that every American 
citizen, and, frankly, for Missourians, every Missouri citizen, who was 
a human adult American citizen entitled to vote had an opportunity to 
vote--once. I think everybody in St. Louis understands that. I think 
everybody around the country will.
  We are going to have a very interesting discussion when we get onto 
this bill. We have spent a lot of time crafting it. I do not doubt that 
people will have new ideas they will bring to the floor. It should be a 
very interesting debate, but it is something that goes to the heart, 
the very heart of our form of government.
  Everybody who is a U.S. citizen who is duly registered and entitled 
to vote in his or her State ought to have the opportunity to vote, but 
only to vote once. If we can pass this bill and combine it with the 
bill the House has passed, I hope we will see a much improved voting 
system in the United States for the 2002 election.
  I thank my colleague from Connecticut. I look forward to working with 
him and I, again with my apologies to my friend from New Jersey, yield 
the floor. We look forward to getting on with it, to pursue the vitally 
needed election reform.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Jersey.

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