Federal elections hampered by machines

WILL LESTER   Associated Press    18 April 2005

WASHINGTON - Federal elections are still hampered by inadequate voting machines, outdated registration and poor training of poll workers despite a 2002 law passed to improve the system, witnesses told a special commission led by former President Carter and former Secretary of State James A. Baker III.

The system has been improved by the "Help America Vote Act," but "we've still got a ways to go," Carter said Monday.

The goal of the commission is to look for ways to improve "ballot access and ballot integrity," Baker said. "We will see if we can come to bipartisan consensus."

The commission includes former members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, and others who have been closely involved with elections.

It will be collecting research and information about election issues and problems throughout the summer and hold its next hearing at Rice University in Houston in late June and will also meet at the Carter Center in Atlanta in August.

The commission hopes to offer recommendations in September in Washington.

Commission members on Monday heard from election officials, voting specialists, college professors, civil rights advocates and an advocate for the disabled.

They cited problems in recent federal elections with long lines, inadequate voting machines, lack of access to voting for the disabled and the need for a registration system so voter records can be quickly cross-checked between counties and other states.

Carter headed a commission after the 2000 election along with former President Ford to make recommendations, some of which were included in the 2002 legislation.

That legislation called for modernizing voter registration systems, updating voter machines and improving voter education and poll worker training. States are supposed to meet specified guidelines in these areas by the beginning of next year.