Election Reform Fact Sheet
The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), the nation's oldest, largest and most diverse civil and human rights coalition, has a very strong interest in preventing the disenfranchisement of voters, and in ensuring that the 2004 elections are not marred by the same kind of chaos that contributed to the disastrous outcome in 2000. Many of the reforms mandated by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) are significant improvements that will help us reach our goals, if the new law is properly funded and its provisions are implemented in a fair manner. The federal government and states must adequately address the following issues in order to ensure sound elections in 2004:
Full Funding
The amount of money authorized for election reform under HAVA is very limited, and only a fraction has been distributed to the states. In fact, the Election Assistance Commission, the new federal agency established under HAVA to distribute funds and assist in implementing many aspects of the new law, has yet to even be created. Full funding is critical to a number of aspects of election reform, including not just the elimination of outdated technology, but also the creation of statewide voter registration lists, education for voters and poll workers, and improved accessibility for voters with disabilities.
Modernization of Voting Machines
It is estimated that as many as 1.5 million votes were not counted in the 2000 election because of the use of outdated technology such as lever machines and punch cards. States should act quickly to upgrade equipment, including HAVA's requirement to provide accessible machines for voters with disabilities, in time for the 2004 elections.
Discriminatory ID Requirements
While HAVA includes a number of significant reforms, it also erects a new hurdle to voting for many Americans. It requires many citizens to present identification in order to prove they are eligible to vote, and some states are going well beyond the language of HAVA to require every person to present ID. ID requirements will make it harder for many minorities and the poor to vote, not only because such populations are less likely to have the forms of ID required, but also because the ID requirement is very conducive to racial and ethnic discrimination. Congress and the Department of Justice should carefully oversee whether ID requirements are being enforced in an unfair or discriminatory fashion.
Unlawful Purging
The purging of lawfully registered voters from the voter rolls represents the clearest example of how the 2000 election, as well as previous elections, were affected by the manipulation of voter lists. Because few states will have their HAVA-mandated statewide voter registration databases up and running in time for the 2004 elections, oversight at the federal level is important to help prevent unfair, incorrect and last-minute purges.
Voter Intimidation
It has long been the experience of the civil rights community that overzealous "ballot integrity" efforts and more deliberate voter misinformation tactics, both purportedly aimed at reducing fraud, result in the intimidation of lawful voters and suppress voter turnout. This is especially true when such efforts, as has often been the case, appear to concentrate efforts on or target voters of specific minority groups. The Department of Justice must ensure that no one is deterred from exercising this most important of all civil rights on election day.
