The Senate continued last week to debate an election reform bill but did not reach final agreement.
The bipartisan election reform legislation (S.565) was debated on and off for two weeks. The bill was laid aside last week after two attempts to cut off debate failed to get the required 60 votes. Democrats and Republicans insisted they were close to resolving differences over a disputed anti-fraud provision and hoped to do this within days, clearing the way for Senate approval of the measure.
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) agreed to bring the bill back for consideration as soon as negotiators reached a deal on the anti-fraud provisions and decided how to proceed on some other proposed amendments.
“This is too important to let go,” Daschle said. “We recognize the progress that has been made. We are just not there yet.”
Pierce County (Wash.) Auditor Cathy Pearsall-Stipek, president of the National Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and Clerks, expressed her concern in a letter to the bill’s sponsors about the delays and lack of progress in passing a bill. “We urge you to find a compromise and reach agreement on the few remaining issues in S.565 and send the bill to a House-Senate conference committee.”
The House had passed its election reform bill (H.R. 3295) in December by a vote of 362 to 63. NACo strongly supported the House bill.
The $3.5 billion Senate measure would upgrade voting equipment and registration by 2004 and implement, by 2006, new national election standards, such as permitting people to check ballots and correct errors before their votes were counted.
The measure had been in jeopardy of unraveling because of the anti-fraud provision, which would require first-time voters who register by mail to produce a photo identification or other specified identification, such as a pay stub or utility bill.
Under pressure from Republicans, Democrats withdrew a proposed amendment to ease the provision by permitting these voters to simply provide a verifiable signature.
Sen. Christopher Bond (R-Mo.), the author of the bill’s voter identification provision, lifted his filibuster threat once a deal was reached. But Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said he would not let the bill proceed to a final vote until he was satisfied that his state would not have to demand more identification from new voters.
Oregon voters cast ballots entirely by mail. In Washington, more than 60 percent of voters cast mail-in ballots in the 2000 elections. Both states use verifiable signatures to prevent fraudulent voting.
Key Democratic and Republican senators on the bill held a joint news conference after last week’s cloture vote to declare their desire to finalize a compromise.
“We’re very, very close,” said Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), the chief Democratic sponsor of the bill.
“All of us want to pass a bill,” said Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the measure’s lead Republican sponsor.
