[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
[October 29, 2002]
[Pages 1926-1927]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 1926]]


Remarks on Signing the Help America Vote Act of 2002
October 29, 2002

    The President. Thanks for coming. Good morning.
    Before we begin today, I would like to pause and remember a devoted 
public servant who was taken from us last Friday, along with his 
wife and his daughter and several other members--several other Americans. 
Paul Wellstone was a deeply principled and a 
good-hearted man. He will be missed by all who knew him and by all who 
had the privilege of serving with him. So before we begin, would you 
join me in a moment of silence in honor of his memory.

[At this point, a moment of silence was observed.]

    The President. Today I'm proud to sign into law an important reform 
for our Nation. Americans are a self-governing people, and the central 
commitment of self-government is free and fair elections. The Help 
America Vote Act of 2002 is a bipartisan measure to help States and 
localities update their systems of voting and ensure the integrity of 
elections in America.
    The commission that helped inspire this legislation was led by two 
exceptional Americans, with broad experience in public service, our 38th 
and 39th President--Presidents. [Laughter] Although Gerald Ford and 
Jimmy Carter could not be here today, our Nation is grateful for their 
work on election reform and for all they have given to America. We're 
pleased, however to be joined by the co-chairmen of the commission, 
former Congressman Bob Michel of Illinois, 
former Presidential Counselor Lloyd Cutler. 
Thank you both for coming. Thank you for your good work.
    I also appreciate--I also want to thank the Members of Congress who 
are here with us today. I particularly want to thank Senator Christopher 
Dodd and Congressman Bob Ney for their hard work on this legislation. I appreciate 
Senators Mitch McConnell and Kit Bond for joining us. I appreciate Jim 
Langevin from Rhode Island for coming. And 
I'm honored that Connie Morella from 
Maryland is with us as well. And Steny Hoyer, 
from Maryland, has joined us as well. These Members worked hard, along 
with the chairman, John Conyers, of the 
State of Michigan. The Members didn't let--didn't get discouraged. They 
worked through the issues, and they produced a really good piece of 
legislation. I'm proud to be able to sign this bill.
    I also want to thank the four secretaries of state from around the 
country who have joined us. I appreciate you taking time to witness this 
important--the signing of this important piece of legislation.
    The vitality of America's democracy depends on the fairness and 
accuracy of America's elections. Over two centuries our country has 
broadened the right to vote and sealed that right in law, making our 
Government more accountable to the people and more representative of the 
people. When problems arise in the administration of elections, we have 
a responsibility to fix them. Every registered voter deserves to have 
confidence that the system is fair and elections are honest, that every 
vote is recorded and that the rules are consistently applied.
    The legislation I sign today will add to the Nation's confidence. 
Each State will be required to maintain a clean and current and accurate 
State--statewide list of registered voters, making it easier to register 
and easier to detect fraud. Under this law, people registering to vote 
are required to prove that they are who they say they are with 
appropriate identification. First-time voters who register by mail will 
be asked to provide identification when they cast their ballots. This 
law also creates new

[[Page 1927]]

criminal penalties for providing false information and punishes anyone 
guilty of conspiracy to deprive voters of a fair election.
    Each polling place must have at least one voting machine accessible 
to persons with disabilities. When people show up at the polls and their 
voting registration is in doubt, they should not be turned away but 
allowed to cast a provisional ballot so their vote can be counted if it 
is later verified that they are properly registered. And every State 
must have a fair procedure for hearing and resolving voter complaints. 
Under these reforms, training and education will be provided to 
pollworkers and voters, reducing the possibility of confusion and error 
at the polls.
    Along with the resources come high standards for the integrity of 
elections. States must ensure that voting systems have minimal rates of 
error and allow voters a reasonable opportunity to review their ballots 
and correct any mistakes before a vote is cast.
    The administration of elections is primarily a State and local 
responsibility. The fairness of all elections, however, is a national 
priority. And through these reforms, the Federal Government will help 
State and local officials to conduct elections that have the confidence 
of all Americans. We're counting on these officials to meet their 
responsibilities to protect the sanctity of the vote and to encourage 
Americans to exercise the right to vote.
    All of us in America have a duty to vote. I urge all Americans to 
show up for this election cycle on November 5th, to do their duty as 
Americans, to recognize in a free society we have a responsibility to 
participate in the process.
    Citizens of every political viewpoint can be proud of this important 
law. This legislation reflects the judgments of a distinguished 
bipartisan commission. These measures were carefully considered and 
overwhelmingly adopted by the House and the Senate. Congress has made a 
vital contribution to the democratic process.
    Now it's my honor to sign into law the Help America Vote Act of 
2002.
      

Note: The President spoke at 11:10 a.m. in Room 450 of the Dwight D. 
Eisenhower Executive Office Building. In his remarks, he referred to the 
following persons who died in the October 25 plane crash in Eveleth, MN: 
Senator Paul Wellstone, his wife, Sheila, and his daughter, Marcia 
Wellstone Markuson; campaign aides Will McLaughlin, Tom Lapic, and Mary 
McEvoy; pilot Richard Conroy; and copilot Michael Guess. The Office of 
the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these 
remarks. H.R. 3295, approved October 29, was assigned Public Law No. 
107-252.