[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 126 (Tuesday, October 1, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S9684]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            ELECTION REFORM

  Mr. BOND. Madam President, I was interested to read in today's 
Washington Post an editorial urging us to move forward on the election 
reform bill. This bill has been championed by Senator Dodd, the 
chairman of the committee, and Senator McConnell, the ranking member. I 
have had a role in some antifraud provisions.
  The Florida elections of this year seem to have brought more 
attention to the need for election law reform. The conclusion of the 
Washington Post is that:

       At a time when voter turnout is at an all-time low, 
     bolstering public confidence in the machinery of democracy is 
     especially urgent.

  I agree with that. That is why I worked so hard to see if we could 
get a bill passed that would do that. We need to make it easier to vote 
and tougher to cheat. Unfortunately, what we saw in Florida this year 
was the old truth: No matter how much appropriations in or what kind of 
legislation you have, if you have incompetence in local election 
officials, incompetence trumps everything. We know there were 
tremendous problems this year in an area where there were problems in 
2000, even though they had new machines.
  Nevertheless, we have worked on a bill that has many compromises and 
has a good structure for getting the kind of equipment we need to 
improve elections, providing additional safeguards, voting machines for 
those with disabilities and, in my view, the very important role of 
preventing dead people, nonexistent people, and dogs from voting.
  Many of my colleagues don't want to hear me talk anymore about Ritzy 
Mekler, the dog that was registered in Missouri. Unfortunately, Ritzy 
joins a very distinguished group of dogs registered to vote around the 
country because motor voter does not have protection against phony 
registration.
  We spent more than 7 months last year negotiating a bill. We brought 
it to the floor. There was some backsliding. We got it passed late this 
winter. It has been stalled in trying to work out the final details.
  I have been discouraged because I have worked with the leaders from 
the other side on the bill to offer some compromises. We want to get 
the bill passed. I believe, along with Senator McConnell, that we have 
proposed reasonable means of dealing with the problems they have. 
Unfortunately, the negotiations at the staff level have been stymied. 
Every time we get the wheelbarrow full of frogs, we find, as we try to 
wrap up the final details and get the final frogs in, some of the frogs 
have jumped out of the wheelbarrow.
  Election reform is another bill that is long overdue for passage. I 
see my colleague from Kentucky in the Chamber who has been a champion 
in this area. I appreciate working with him and Senator Dodd. I hope we 
can work with our colleagues on the House side, if we will just move 
forward and deal with some very important protections against more 
fraud in voting.
  Since I see the manager of the bill is ready to go, I yield the 
floor.

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