Electoral Reform Analysis.

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Erin Johnston

Project #2 Electoral Reform Analysis

2-27-03

Professor Brake M-W 5-6:15

Electoral Reform Analysis

        After all the turmoil that the 2000 presidential election created, there was some organization done by the Constitution Project to the election reform that was to promote bipartisan consensus on badly needed reforms. For weeks after the November 7, 2000 election, our nation was dealing with the drama of the Florida recount. All of the extraordinary events, the very intense media and the public scrutiny of the whole process caused many Americans to wonder and ask different questions concerning their votes. Some wondered if their vote was counted or if there was any way to improve the accuracy and integrity of elections. There were sweeping electoral reforms passed by the U.S. Congress and the State Government of Florida to make sure that what happened in the 2000 election would never happen again.

        In October of 2002, Congress passed H.R. 3295, which is called, "Help America Vote Act," which was intended to address the problems revealed in the 2000 presidential election. Taking the task of implementation are state and local election officials, voting rights advocates, state law makers and others.  This bill paves the way for significant improvements in our electoral system. The law establishes federal standards for voting systems and election administration, it authorizes three billion dollars in federal grants to help states meet the new standards and creates a new federal agency to oversee the process.  On January 17, 2002, a conference was held when four organizations joined together, the Constitution Project, the Advancement Project, the Caltech-MIT Voting Technology Project and the Century Foundation. Their main focus was to take stock of progress that was already made and to look ahead to the implementation of reforms both at the federal and state level. This conference sponsored by a grant given by the Carnegie Corporation, which was called, "Federal Election Reform: Action and Reaction."

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        There was a lot that was changed and accomplished in the year following the 2000 election. Florida, Georgia and Maryland all went ahead and didn't wait for any Congressional action and implemented their own reforms and passed comprehensive election reform laws. As one of the bill’s lead sponsors, House Administration Committee chairman Bob Ney (R-OH), acknowledged, the process took some time in order to allow legislators the benefit of the “insights and experience of individuals who have experience with and care passionately about how elections are run in this country.”

        There are four key areas that have been and ...

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