[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 18 (Wednesday, February 27, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S1241]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        EQUAL PROTECTION OF VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 2001--Continued


                             Cloture Motion

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cloture motion having been presented under 
rule XXII, the Chair directs the clerk to read the motion.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

                             Cloture Motion

       We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the 
     provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, 
     hereby move to bring to a close the debate on S. 565, the 
     election reform bill:
         Christopher Dodd, Harry Reid, Charles Schumer, Ron Wyden, 
           Debbie Stabenow, Patty Murray, Tom Daschle, Jeff 
           Bingaman, Daniel Inouye, Carl Levin, Max Baucus, Joe 
           Biden, Pat Leahy, James M. Jeffords, Barbara Mikulski, 
           Bob Graham, and Edward M. Kennedy.

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory 
quorum with respect to the cloture motion be waived.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, for the information of the Senate, I would 
like to announce to all Members who have amendments on the finite list 
of amendments that first-degree amendments must be filed prior to 1 
p.m., Thursday, February 28. If Members have already submitted 
amendments, then it is not necessary to resubmit an amendment.
  Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to 
commend Senators Dodd, McConnell, Schumer, and Bond for their 
dedication and diligence in addressing what I believe to be an issue of 
critical importance to our country--protecting voting rights and 
ensuring the integrity of the electoral system in our nation. 
Especially given the events in the world today, making certain that 
each citizen's vote is counted and promoting public trust and 
confidence in our election process is crucial.
  The State of Washington has a long and trusted history as a leader in 
election administration. Through great efforts and cooperation, the 
state has pioneered such programs as motor voter, provisional 
balloting, vote by mail, and absentee voting.
  I thank Senator Dodd, the chairman of the Rules Committee for his 
support for an amendment that I offered with Senator Murray's support 
that has been adopted. The amendment guarantees that States are able to 
continue using mail-in voting, while also providing new safeguards to 
make mail-in voters aware of how to properly fill out their ballots, 
and how, if needed to obtain a replacement.
  Voters in my State are proud of our system that offers voters the 
option of voting by mail or in the polling place, and they are 
extremely committed to seeing it continue. The mail-in ballot, in my 
opinion, offers voters several advantages. First, it allows voters to 
cast their ballots on their own time and at their own convenience. It 
also allows voters to make more informed choices, as they are able to 
consult literature sent by the state and by the campaigns in making 
their decisions. Because these votes are cast without the pressure of 
other voters waiting in line, or without the time crunch of being late 
to work or to pick up the kids, voters are also less likely to make 
mistakes that will disqualify their ballots.
  In addition, the mail-in system is very secure. Each ballot that is 
cast by mail requires, that the voter sign the outer envelope. This 
signature is then checked against the voters signature that is kept on 
file and only when there is agreement that the signatures match is the 
ballot counted. Washington State has consistently increased the number 
of voters choosing to vote by mail and through provisional voting 
without any allegations that these types of voting have involved fraud 
or other misconduct. In fact, the procedures in place have consistently 
ensured the integrity and security of our elections and led to public 
confidence in our system that is unparalleled anywhere in the country.
  It has not always been this way. In the early 1990s, we had several 
close elections that pointed out the vulnerabilities in our system. 
These close elections led Washington to become one of the first states 
to adopt statewide guidelines that ensured that each jurisdiction 
followed the same rules in determining how ballots are verified and 
counted. In addition, my State also adopted other requirements for 
testing and procedural consistency. It is my hope that this legislation 
will lead other States to follow our example and institute similar 
guidelines and procedures that will result in more people voting and 
making sure that all votes are properly cast and counted.
  Our challenge, at the federal level, is to ensure that in passing 
legislation that reduces hurdles to civic participation across in 
country, we respect the role of the States in selecting types of voting 
that work well for their citizens and lead to maximum participation. I 
believe that this bill as amended does that, and I thank the chairman 
of the Rules Committee for his commitment to this bill and to ensuring 
that States have the flexibility to keep their systems in place.
  This bill, by setting minimum standards and by guaranteeing the 
Federal Government will provide the funds necessary to purchase new 
equipment, takes very important steps forward in guaranteeing to every 
American that not only do they have the right to vote, but that when 
they cast their vote it will be counted.

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