Congressional Record—House H484

H484 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE February 28, 2001 a long-term solution to a crisis we face were unintentionally disenfranchised. Spoiled that election officials have faced in buying new in the wake of the 2000 elections. ballots occurred on lever machines, on punch equipment is that the available technology is Mr. Speaker, today together with my col- cards, on optical scanners and on modern simply not as good as it could be. In part, that leagues Mr. HORN and Mr. PRICE, and with 60 electronic touch screens. The number of bal- is because the market for voting equipment is additional cosponsors, I am introducing the lots not counted far exceeds any measure of not that large. Thus, the grant money would Voting Improvement Act. This bill provides a the margin of victory in the Presidential elec- help to stimulate the production of equipment short term and a long term solution to crisis tion. that better accommodates all types of disabil- we face in the wake of the 2000 election. We have neglected our election system as ities, is more cost effective, and is more accu- One of the reactions that I have heard re- a whole—trusting in outmoded equipment be- rate and easy to use. peatedly from my constituents in the months cause it is familiar—and trusting in wide mar- A minimum of 20 percent of grant funds for since the election, was shock at the sheer gins of victory because they often occur. I be- States and local jurisdictions would be re- number of votes that were cast but were not lieve that with focus and funding we can de- quired to be used for voter education and for counted—19,000 discarded ballots in Palm velop voting technology that is cost effective, training. Voter education plays a critical role in Beach County alone. Those numbers are that is accurate, and that is accessible to all getting more votes counted. The implementa- shocking—and they have the potential to drive voters including the blind and the disabled. tion of new voting systems cannot be success- voters away from the polls permanently unless While it is not possible to eliminate spoiled ful unless the voters are amply educated in we can act quickly to repair our voting system ballots, there is no reason that we should not how to properly use it. Polls must also be and repair the voters’ confidence in that sys- be able to reduce the nationwide error rate to staffed with people trained to aid voters in get- tem. .5 percent. ting their votes cast and counted, not at dis- In 615 days we will be having a federal I know that it is possible as a nation to dras- couraging them from voting at all. To that end, election. That election will be subjected to the tically reduce the numbers of uncounted votes the bill would provide leave to any federal em- greatest amount of media scrutiny that has and do it quickly. It is possible because my ployee who worked in a polling place on a fed- ever befallen an election in this country. And own state of Maryland did it. They went from eral election day. Making federal worker re- that is why I believe that it is imperative that a statewide error rate of 1.5 percent in 1988 sources available is an attempt to aid election we devise a way to bring about the most dra- to a statewide error rate of less than .5 per- officials in the tremendous task of recruiting matic reduction possible in the number of cent in 2000. They accomplished this remark- and training the huge work force that play a votes that are cast but not counted. able achievement in part by getting rid of key role in making federal elections work. The quickest way to get more votes counted punch cards. Maryland stands as an example The new Commission would also be respon- is to target the system with the highest rate of and a challenge to the rest of the states. If we sible for creation of a Model Election Code. error and the lowest rate of public confidence. can reduce the number of uncounted ballots to Like the Uniform Commercial Code or other That system is, without a doubt, the punch .5 percent nationwide, one and a half million Model Codes, it would serve as a resource to card. A joint MIT Caltech analysis recently es- more voters would have their votes counted. timated that the nationwide error rate for Whatever the means by which we seek to States that are seeking to protect themselves punch cards is 2.5 percent. This translates to reduce the number of uncounted votes— from legal challenges. The Model Code would as many as 986,000 votes cast but not count- through this bill—through some other Con- cover statutory provisions including what con- ed on punch card systems alone. Almost a gressional proposal—or by State action—we stitutes a vote, when and how a recount third of voters used punch card systems in must work hard to get these votes counted. I should be held, and how an election contest 2000, making it the most commonly used vot- also want to say to the States and to the should be handled. I hope that an organization ing method. counties—this is an urgent problem. Do not with experience in producing model laws, such Yet, in some jurisdictions punch cards have wait. Do not trust that federal resources are as the National Conference of Commissioners had error rates as high as 6.25 percent or one coming. Act now to make improvements in- on Uniform State Laws, will agree to draft the in every 16 ballots. These disturbingly high cluding buying new equipment for 2002. I fear Model Code, as I believe that a product will rates of spoiled ballots also have a troubling that one of the unintentional effects of the dis- that imprimatur of expertise and credibility tendency of occurring in jurisdictions with high cussion about this issue on Capitol Hill, is that could prove a valuable resource in improving populations of minority voters. For example, in we are unintentionally producing a disincentive election statutes nationwide. Chicago rates of uncounted ballots increased for states and counties. The Voting Improve- Finally, the new Commission would serve as from 1 in 20 in precincts that were less than ment Act would provide reimbursements to a national clearinghouse for information and 30 percent African American, to 1 in 12 ballots any punch card jurisdiction that acts now and study on what elections practices work best. It in precincts more heavily populated with mi- gets new equipment in place for Election Day would develop voluntary ‘‘best practice stand- norities. Fifty one precincts in Chicago had 2002. I challenge those state and counties to ards’’ to study issues including how a ballot ballots that were ruined at a rate of 1 in 6 bal- do so. should best be designed, how voter registra- lots. These 51 precincts were 90 percent Afri- Nonetheless, money and equipment alone tion list should best be maintained, and how can American and Hispanic. cannot solve the problems with our voting sys- many votes continue to go uncounted across Punch card technology has not changed tem. New technology must be accompanied the country. significantly since its introduction in 1964. This by voter education, and by polling place re- This bipartisan legislation is supported by a is true even though there is virtually no other sources including helpful and well trained broad and diverse group of Members. I am technology that has not undergone revolu- workers and officials. That is why the punch very hopeful that we will continue to add more tionary improvements since 1964. We no card buyout is simply step one of the Voting co-sponsors and move this legislation forward. longer use rotary dial 1964 telephones, or Improvement Act. A few weeks ago, President Bush met with portable 78 rpm record players. Desktop com- The Voting Improvement Act would also cre- members of the Congressional Black Caucus puters have completely displaced typewriters, ate a new four member bipartisan Election Ad- and remarked: ‘‘This is America. Everyone de- and even the venerable rolodex is being ministration Commission. The primary function serves the right to vote.’’ However, as we all quickly replaced by the Palm Pilot. Yet the of the new agency would be to administer an know now, the right to vote is not enough. punch card counter remains virtually un- annual grant program to aid states in the ad- Every vote also must be counted. The Voting changed. In fact, punch cards themselves, a ministration of elections. In 2003, the punch Improvement Act will help us do just that, and standard IBM product used in any number of card buyout would be replaced by a grant pro- will go a long way in restoring public con- computer systems in 1964—today are program to provide $140 million annually to states fidence in our election system and our democ- duced only for the purpose of voting! There is and to counties. racy itself.*****-*****- -Name: -Payroll No. no excuse for keeping a punch card voting Unlike the buyout which requires no commit- -Folios: -Date: -Subformat: system in place. Particularly as this bill will ments from the States, the grant program provide $6,000 a precinct to any jurisdiction would require States or local jurisdictions to f that replaces punch cards by Election Day provide 25 percent in matching funds. States 2002.

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