 National Association of Counties * Washington, D.C. Vol. 33, No. 9 * May 7, 2001 Previous story | Table of Contents | Next story States tackle 1,500 election reform bills By M. Mindy Moretti
In the wake of the controversy stemming from Election 2000, many state legislatures began taking a look at their voting policies and procedures. So many so, that more than 1,500 bills were introduced this legislative year to reform the election process. The bills covered everything from standardized balloting to absentee voting to modifying the Electoral College. Two of the hottest topics seeming to stem from the most recent election were ballot form and design, and voting systems. Thirty-one states proposed legislation to alter the voting systems of their state in some way. Currently, only two states — Georgia and Maryland — have passed legislation. The Georgia law provides for uniform election equipment throughout the state by 2004, provided the General Assembly appropriates funding. The Maryland legislation, if signed by Gov. Parris Glendening (D), requires the State Board of Elections to work with local boards of election to select and certify a voting system for voting in polling places and absentee voting. The legislation further stipulates that the chosen system be used in all counties and that the State Board acquires the selected system. Thirty-four states proposed some type of legislation that would alter the format or design of ballots. By far the most common legislation proposed with 58 bills in 22 states was the establishment of task forces, study commissions and interim committees to study election. These special groups are charged with studying the future of the election process in their respective states. According to Jenny Drage, a policy specialist with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), the current crop of election legislation is atypically large, but she does not expect huge reforms to come this session. “A lot of these 1,500 bills deal with tinkering around the edges of election reform,” Drage said. She anticipates that after states have had an opportunity to look into the issue at greater length many will return next session with more sweeping reforms. “So many of these bills were introduced real quickly at the beginning of the sessions, and as the committees took on the issue, they began to recognize that it was a problem too complex to deal with in this session.” Drage believes waiting until the next session to come up with more concrete legislation will give states the opportunity to explore the expenditures much of the new legislation will require. On the issue of expenditures, five Secretaries of State, including Florida Secretary Katherine Harris, testified before the House Administration Committee, April 25, to encourage quick action to help the states pay for upgrading voting systems. The House Administration Committee began hearings on election overhaul proposals on April 26, and Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), the ranking Democrat on the committee, urged House action before the August recess. Currently, 10 states have ended their legislative sessions and 17 will be complete by the end of May. So far, of the 1,500 bills introduced, 336 failed in 24 states, 20 states enacted 119 bills into legislation and three were vetoed in two states. NCSL’s Web site, www.ncsl.org, features an extensive database on all of the proposed election reforms and their current status. |