Carter/Baker vote commission puts forth proposal

[link|http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3359322|Houston Chronicle]

Warning that public confidence in the nation's election system is flagging, a commission headed by former President Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James A. Baker III will call today for significant changes in how Americans vote, including photo IDs for all voters, verifiable paper trails for electronic voting machines and impartial administration of elections.

The report concludes that, despite changes required under the Help America Vote Act of 2002, far more must be done to restore integrity to an election system that suffers from sloppy management, treats voters differently from state to state and within states and too often frustrates rather than encourages voters' efforts to participate in what is considered a basic American right.

Most of the proposals are straight forward and sensible. There should be State and National standards for voting registration, voting requirements and recounts, the voting system should have a paper trail.

The most controversial recommendation calls for all voters to produce a standard photo identification card before being allowed to vote. The commission proposes that, by 2010, voters be required to use either the REAL ID card, which Congress this spring mandated as the drivers license of the future in all states.

I don't see that as a huge issue, as long as states make a free ID card available to anybody the requests one. But I can see why this worries some people, as it could easily become a way of keeping the poor from voting.

Another change designed to restore confidence in elections calls for moving to the nonpartisan and independent administration of elections, in the states and on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

Obviously a good idea, but a hard one to pass. Who ever is in power tends to like the ability to bias the system a bit in their own favor.

Jay

Post #225,438 by JayMehaffey 9/19/05 9:31:15 AM Reply	Carter/Baker vote commission puts forth proposal [link\|http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3359322\|Houston Chronicle] Warning that public confidence in the nation's election system is flagging, a commission headed by former President Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James A. Baker III will call today for significant changes in how Americans vote, including photo IDs for all voters, verifiable paper trails for electronic voting machines and impartial administration of elections. The report concludes that, despite changes required under the Help America Vote Act of 2002, far more must be done to restore integrity to an election system that suffers from sloppy management, treats voters differently from state to state and within states and too often frustrates rather than encourages voters' efforts to participate in what is considered a basic American right. Most of the proposals are straight forward and sensible. There should be State and National standards for voting registration, voting requirements and recounts, the voting system should have a paper trail. The most controversial recommendation calls for all voters to produce a standard photo identification card before being allowed to vote. The commission proposes that, by 2010, voters be required to use either the REAL ID card, which Congress this spring mandated as the drivers license of the future in all states. I don't see that as a huge issue, as long as states make a free ID card available to anybody the requests one. But I can see why this worries some people, as it could easily become a way of keeping the poor from voting. Another change designed to restore confidence in elections calls for moving to the nonpartisan and independent administration of elections, in the states and on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Obviously a good idea, but a hard one to pass. Who ever is in power tends to like the ability to bias the system a bit in their own favor. Jay
Post #225,459 by mmoffitt 9/19/05 12:51:54 PM Reply	We could have Venezuela certify our results. ;0) bcnu, Mikem It would seem, therefore, that the three human impulses embodied in religion are fear, conceit, and hatred. The purpose of religion, one might say, is to give an air of respectibility to these passions. -- Bertrand Russell
Post #225,558 by Simon_Jester 9/19/05 11:28:03 PM Reply	The only reason I give it a chance... is that is has support from Baker. Carter is a no-brainer on it, but a large segment of our society wouldn't listen to a good idea from him if their life depended on it. I'm hoping Baker can pull it off.

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