Senate and House Democratic Leaders Call for Pre-Election Investigation
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Members Cite Concerns about Hidden Threats to the Integrity of the November Election
Washington, D.C. – As public concern continues to rise over the potential for serious problems with the national elections in November, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and a group of leaders from both Houses of Congress have, today, asked for a thorough independent review of the threat. “We already know of the potentially serious problems posed by the widespread use of electronic voting machines. There are, however, other problems that have received little notice but have great potential to disrupt the election process and cause voters to be disenfranchised on November 2nd.”
The Congressional leaders have sent a letter to the General Accounting Office (GAO), seeking a thorough study of these problems in all 50 states. The authors of the letter have urged the GAO to complete its work quickly – by September 15 – so that issues identified can be addressed before Election Day.
“We cannot abide another fiasco like the 2000 election. Our democracy is rooted in the integrity of the election process and we should move heaven and earth to make certain the American people know their voting rights are respected and their votes are properly counted,” Senator Clinton said.
In particular, the GAO has been asked to review state-by-state policies regarding provisional voting, voter registration, voter identification at the polls, and the purging of voters from the rolls. “In recent days we’ve learned of new shenanigans regarding the purging of alleged felons from Florida’s rolls. We want to make sure that issue and these others are properly addressed nationwide,” Clinton added.
The NAACP and the League of Women Voters are among the outside organizations strongly supporting this call for a thorough survey.
Along with Senator Clinton, the letter has been signed by Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Representative Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Representative Ciro D. Rodriguez (D-TX), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Representative Mike Honda (D-CA), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Representative John Conyers (D-MI), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee and Representative John Larson (D-CT), Ranking Member of the House Administration Committee.
Attached is a copy of the letter seeking the GAO study.
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July 15, 2004
The Honorable David M. Walker
Comptroller General of the United States
U.S. General Accounting Office
Washington, DC 20548
Dear Mr. Walker:
We are writing to request that the General Accounting Office (GAO) complete a study of critical issues that concern the integrity of the voting process in the United States. The ability of Americans to register to vote, cast a ballot and have each vote counted in the upcoming Federal election are issues central to the health of our democracy. The importance of an immediate review by the respected professionals at GAO cannot be overstated.
We understand that you already have pending a request for an important study regarding state and local efforts to improve the security and reliability of electronic voting machines and the best practices that should be employed with respect to those machines. We also understand that the GAO will conduct a post-election survey of state and local election officials to determine the extent to which they followed such practices and state policy and procedures. We look forward to learning of your findings.
In addition to those issues, however, there are four pressing issues that need to be appropriately addressed and remedied by federal, state and local governments before this November’s elections. It is critical that we take an academic and dispassionate look at these issues to assist state and local governments in eliminating avoidable election problems.
In order to facilitate the GAO’s expeditious review of the issues, we believe there are four questions that should be posed to each of the fifty states. They are:
1. Provisional Voting: If a state resident is registered to vote under state law and casts a provisional ballot but in the wrong precinct within the state, will that provisional ballot be counted for purposes of presidential and congressional elections? What other state rules govern whether a provisional ballot will be counted?
2. Voter Registration: If a citizen registering to vote attests to his or her citizenship and age when signing the voter registration form, but does not additionally check a box indicating that he or she is of age and is a citizen, is the voter registration form accepted or rejected? What process is used to notify applicants that their form has been rejected?
3. Identification: Which voters must provide identification on Election Day, and, what if any identification is required?
4. Purging of Voters: Since 2002, has the State (or local jurisdiction) conducted, or will it conduct before November 2004, any felon or death purges? If such purges have been or will be conducted before November 2004, what methods have or will be used, including safeguards to protect against erroneous purges? How and when is the State notifying the persons who have been or will be purged?
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Given the importance and urgency of these issues and the concise nature of these limited questions, we ask that the GAO provide us with the results of this survey no later than September 15, 2004. GAO staff should feel free to contact Leecia Eve, Counsel to Senator Clinton (224-2348), or Paul Braithwaite, Executive Director of the Congressional Black Caucus (226-8488), for any additional information.
Thank you for your prompt attention to these issues of vital importance to our nation.
Sincerely,
Joe Householder
Communications Director
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
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