March 28, 2007
The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton
United States Senate
476 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Clinton,
We
write to thank you for your leadership on election reform at the outset
of the 110th Congress with the introduction of the Count Every Vote Act
(S. 804) and to let you know that U.S. PIRG supports your efforts to
improve the workings of our democracy and remove barriers to voter
participation.
USPIRG applauds the comprehensive reform measures
that will help to ensure the accuracy of our elections and restore
confidence among Americans in the election process. While the
organization does not take a position on every aspect of the
legislation, the bill contains numerous important improvements to the
nation’s elections process. Common sense measures like voter verified
paper trails, ballot security, funding for poll worker training,
minimum standards for election machines and nonpartisan election
administration are important steps toward correcting problems reported
in recent elections. These problems not only cast doubt on the
integrity of our elections, they add fodder to a growing cynicism that
dampens involvement and participation in the political process.
USPIRG
is also encouraged to see included in the bill provisions calling for
election-day registration, new outreach requirements to eligible
voters, uniform standards for voter registration and registration list
maintenance, prohibitions on voter suppression and expanded access to
and uniform standards for provisional and emergency ballots. These
provisions will remove long-standing barriers and offer real
opportunities to re-engage the broader public in elections. And,
although the bill speaks to federal elections, the impact will
certainly be felt in state and local races as well.
We look forward to working with you on these issues.
Sincerely,
Gary Kalman
Democracy Advocate
