[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 51 (Friday, March 23, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E630]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              INTRODUCTION OF THE VOTE BY MAIL ACT OF 2007

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                          HON. SUSAN A. DAVIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 23, 2007

  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce 
the Vote by Mail Act of 2007--a bill to provide grants to states to 
help them offset the costs of adopting Vote by Mail election systems 
and to study the benefits of those Vote by Mail election systems.
  While I love the ritual of going to the polls to vote, I know that 
getting to the polls on Election Day is often difficult. For some, it's 
impossible. And for some elections, it simply does not make sense to 
open the polls.
  That is why I have introduced a bill that builds upon the growing 
trend of states to bring the polls to the voters. I believe we should 
try to meet our constituents halfway by increasing access to the 
electoral process.
  Oregon, the only State to adopt Vote by Mail, historically has one of 
the highest voter participation rates in the country. Oregon has also 
dramatically decreased its costs.
  Under current law, certain States and jurisdictions may conduct 
certain elections by mail but only under limited circumstances and they 
are not given Federal funding to make that adjustment to vote by mail.
  This bill would help States who want to conduct Vote by Mail 
elections by creating an $18 million, 3-year grant program to provide a 
portion of the funds they need.
  Under this bill, States would have the option of adopting Vote by 
Mail statewide, within a group of selected counties, or even in a 
single county.
  Further, this bill instructs the Government Accountability Office 
(GAO) to conduct a very important study.
  With the popularity of Vote by Mail increasing dramatically, it is 
crucial that we invest in some valuable research to learn about its 
benefits, find remedies for any problems and share best practices.
  This bill will instruct the GAO to compare traditional voting methods 
with Vote by Mail with respect to: the likelihood of fraud and 
misconduct; the accuracy of voter rolls and election results; voter 
participation in urban and rural communities and by minorities, 
language minorities, individuals with disabilities, individuals who are 
homeless, and individuals who move frequently; residual vote rates, 
broken out by voter age, education, income, race, or ethnicity or 
whether a voter lives in an urban or rural community, is disabled, or 
is a language minority; public confidence in the election system; and 
cost savings.
  As the former president of the League of Women Voters of San Diego, I 
care deeply about the integrity of our electoral system and the rate of 
participation among our citizens.
  I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in 
supporting this effort to strengthen the democratic process and give 
elections officials and voters the options and support they deserve.

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