The days of pulling levers and hanging chads appear to be over.
With the U.S. Senate passing the $3.8 billion election reform bill April 12, voters can expect to see significant new equipment when going to the polls for the 2004 Presidential Election.
The passing of the bill set plans in motion for a federal law aimed at avoiding a repeat of the 2000 Presidential Election ballot controversy in Florida.
Under the legislation, states would be required to create a system for tabulating disputed ballots from voters not on official registration lists. In return, federal funds will help upgrade voting equipment and procedures while training poll workers. Previously, state and local government handled the costs.
“It certainly is a step in the right direction,” UW-Madison political science professor David Canon said. “It will provide some funding to replace the outdated election equipment. There is still some 1960s technology [in Wisconsin]. The biggest problem is funding.”
The Senate must reconcile the bill with the $2.65 billion House bill, passed in December 2001. President Bush has indicated he will sign it into law, but has advocated measures more similar to the House, as it imposes fewer requirements on state and local governments.
Both bills call for states to have computerized voter registration lists to make it easier to identify voters at all polling locations.
In an effort to combat voter fraud, Senate Republicans called for first-time voters who registered by mail to provide identification at the polls. Voters not listed on official registration lists can cast a “provisional ballot” until they are verified.
UW political science professor Don Kettl warned that the provision may have more ramifications than meets the eye.
“On the surface, what may seem non-problematic can potentially cause serious problems in creating a situation making it difficult for minorities to vote,” he said. “The real problem is that efforts to create barriers all combine to make life considerably tougher on them.”
In general, minority population has voted Democrat.
While the House bill is similar, it gives state and local governments more leeway for deciding on the requirements.
“It [identifications versus fraud] is a trade-off,” Kettl said. “The requirements [are] doing things that make it harder for minorities, and is something we have been fighting in this country for years.”
Cannon also expected a debate over the provision.
“I think [the provisions] can help,” Canon said. “But, I don’t think voter fraud is a huge problem in any event. The bigger problems are the functionality of the equipment.”
The House bill includes a $400 million allotment specifically for eliminating punch-card ballots to avoid controversy like the infamous hanging chad debacle in the Florida recount.
Canon said he believes the more provisions, the better.
“It makes sense to have more conditions, because then you will not only be providing money but you will be trying to deal with some of the underlying problems as well.”
Although it is too early to tell how much Wisconsin will receive, it will likely be determined by the percentage of voting done on paper and pull lever ballots.
The bill applies only to national elections, but the machinery and training could help state and local elections run more smoothly by the fall of 2003.
