Civic Group Suggests
Five Reforms for Future Elections
Responding
to concerns that U.S. election procedures are still subject to some of the same
problems that plagued the 2000 presidential elections, U.S. PIRG called for states
to implement ten tips to make the November 2004 election as open and accurate
as possible and to move toward five reforms that should be adopted for future
elections.
“Casting ballots, and having them accurately counted,
is the bedrock of our democracy,” said U.S. PIRG Democracy Advocate Dana
Mason. “Without increased diligence in this election and better systems in
the future, we run the risk of repeating the problems of Florida in 2000.”
Of particular concern is the ability of local election officials to fully
process all of the recent voter registration applications and ensure that each
registrant is added to the voter rolls in an accurate and timely manner. The New
Voters Project of the state PIRGs, for instance, has registered some 330,000 young
voters in recent months.
“All who are registered should be sure to
exercise their right to vote on Election Day,” said New Voters Project Director
Ivan Frishberg. “Adjusting to the changes under the Help America Vote Act
is a learning process for everyone, so voters should be patient as well as vigilant
that election officials count their vote.”
Another concern is the
availability of provisional ballots for those voters whose registration is not
processed correctly or who, for whatever reason, do not appear on the registration
rolls. The Help America Vote Act guarantees the right of every citizen to receive
a provisional ballot. There are concerns, however, about whether provisional ballots
will be provided in all cases and whether those ballots will be tallied correctly.
“Nothing is more sacred than the right to vote,” said Derek Cressman,
director of TheRestofUs.org. “While it’s fine that Americans disagree
as to who our president should be, we should all come together to make sure that
our elections are as accurate and accessible as possible.”
“America’s
technology, prosperity, and legacy of democracy should make us the yardstick by
which other countries measure the freedom and accuracy of their elections,”
said U.S. PIRG’s Mason. “We have made some progress in the past four
years, but we are still woefully behind where we ought to be in terms of election
preparedness and systems to ensure that all citizens cast an accurately counted
vote.”
10
Steps to Success on Election Day
1. The state and the federal governments
should provide the resources necessary to run elections smoothly. Specifically,
all new registrants’ information must be processed in a timely and accurate
manner, local registrars must be prepared to accommodate rising numbers of voters
on Election Day, and local officials must have a fully trained staff to handle
new voting systems and rule changes.
2. Basic rules and requirements
should be clearly posted and available in every election office and polling location
so that voters can assess if they are being treated fairly and in accordance with
the rules. In this way, voters will understand their options if problems or questions
arise.
3. Voter groups and campaigns should include information about
the mechanics of voting and voters’ rights as a part of their GOTV efforts.
4. State and local election officials should include non-partisan voter
groups in the training and orientation of election officials who will run the
show on Election Day.
5. Voters should go to the polls equipped with
acceptable forms of ID as required by the state.
6. Provisional ballot
and recount rules should be clarified and publicized in advance of Election Day,
and the campaigns should have understood and agreed to these procedures in advance.
7. Prior to Election Day, the media should aggressively and regularly
provide voter information on the candidates, the rules, and the voting procedures.
Citizens deserve more than just a horse race.
8. State and local law
enforcement officials and national election observers should aggressively ensure
that the rules are being applied fairly and equally to all voters. It should be
made clear that unequal application of the law is against the law.
9.
No voter should go to the polls alone or leave behind a registered non-voter.
Bring a friend, a relative or a total stranger, but make sure that when you vote,
America votes.
10. Election officials, campaigns, the media and voter
groups should all work hard and work together to make sure that November 2nd is
a shining day in the American democracy, an example for the entire world to see.
U.S. PIRG also advocates that the following 5 reforms be adopted before
the next congressional election in 2006:
Five Key Reforms for Future
Elections
1) Allow voter registration up until and on Election Day. As
states computerize their voter rolls by January 1, 2006 as required by the Help
America Vote Act, it will become technologically easier to register voters right
at polling places on Election Day. This will eliminate much of the rush to process
registrations and ensure that people who have recently moved, such as students
or members of the military, can vote. The six states that currently allow registration
on Election Day -- Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Wyoming
-- had an average turnout of 68 percent in the 2000 election, nearly 10 points
higher than the national average.
2) Voter guides. States should issue
every registered voter a detailed guide of all candidates and ballot measures
that allows each candidate to explain their platform in 500 words or less, provides
links to candidate web pages, and provides pro and con arguments for all ballot
questions. The guide should include a sample ballot and clear instructions on
how to vote, as well as the location of the citizen’s polling place.
3) Ensure that all voting machines provide a voter verified audit trail for
use in recounts. While touchscreen voting equipment has many advantages, including
greater accessibility, most do not currently provide a receipt that can be checked
by voters and used in recounts if need be. Oregon and New Hampshire currently
have laws requiring ballots to be cast on systems that allow for manual recounts.
The Secretaries of State in Washington, Missouri, California, and Ohio will join
Nevada in requiring paper trail printouts for touchscreen machines by 2006. Other
states should follow suit.
4) Make Election Day a Holiday. Given the importance
of voting to our democracy, we should ensure that everyone has a chance to vote
by declaring a state holiday at least for presidential elections.
5) Prevent
minor parties from “spoiling” elections by using Instant Runoff Voting.
Our last three presidents were elected with pluralities, rather than majorities
of the vote. This can lead to distorted election results. For instance, George
Bush won Florida in 2000 even though a majority of voters supported either Al
Gore or Ralph Nader. Likewise, Libertarian candidate Michael Bednarik may win
enough votes in Nevada this year to allow John Kerry to win the state, even though
a majority of voters may prefer Bush or Bednarik. Instant Runoff Voting, recently
adopted by San Francisco, avoids this problem by allowing voters to rank their
top three candidates in order of preference.
