| 00:00:10 | GOOD AFTERNOON. |
| 00:00:11 | I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME YOU TO THIS FORUM. |
| 00:00:14 | MY NAME IS ROBERT PASTOR. |
| 00:00:16 | I'M A PROFESSOR HERE AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY AND I AM CO-DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR DEMOCRACY AND ELECTION MANAGEMENT. |
| 00:00:23 | I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND INTRODUCE MY CO-DIRECTOR ALSO OF THE CENTER, GEORGE GUESS. |
| 00:00:32 | ALLISON WAS RESPONSIBLE, TOGETHER WITH ANOTHER PERSON, IN COMPILING THE REPORT THAT LOOKS AT WHAT THE CARTER-BAKER COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS SAID AND WHAT HAS OCCURRED SINCE THE REPORT WAS ISSUED IN OCTOBER, 2005. |
| 00:01:01 | THE TITLE OF THE FOUR MAY SIMPLY BE A LITTLE TOO AMBITIOUS. |
| 00:01:05 | IT IS VERY HARD GIVEN THE ELECTRICITY OF THIS CAMPAIGN TO THINK MUCH FURTHER THAN ELECTION DAY OR TO THINK ABOUT THE ELECTORAL PROCESS. |
| 00:01:17 | THE CANDIDATES ARE DOING AN EXTRAORDINARY JOB OF GETTING US EXCITED ABOUT THE CHOICES THAT AMERICAN SPACE. |
| 00:01:25 | IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THE OUTCOME MIGHT BE SO ONE-SIDED THAT FEW PEOPLE WILL FOCUS ON THE ELECTORAL PROCESS. |
| 00:01:36 | I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT IF THE OUTCOME IS VERY CLOSE, THEY WILL. |
| 00:01:42 | ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE COME HERE FOR THESE PANELS TODAY WILL BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT IS GOING WRONG OR WHAT HAS GONE WRONG WITH THE ELECTORAL PROCESS. |
| 00:01:58 | THAT IS IF THE ELECTION IS CLOSE. |
| 00:02:01 | MOST OF THE COUNTRY WILL BE FOCUSING AS WELL. |
| 00:02:10 | AN OLD PARTY HACK ONCE SAID THAT MY PARTY LOSES ELECTIONS, BUT IT NEVER LOSES A CLOSE ELECTION. |
| 00:02:19 | BY THAT, THEY MEANT THAT THEY COULD FIND WAYS TO MANIPULATE THE PROCESS IN A MANNER THAT WOULD ALLOW ONE PARTY TO WIN. |
| 00:02:29 | INDEED, THERE IS ALWAYS A SUSPICION AMONG THE PARTY ELECTORATE THAT ONCE A VOTE MAY NOT BE COUNTED PROPERLY. |
| 00:02:38 | UP UNTIL THE YEAR 2000, SUCH CONCERNS WERE NEVER TAKEN THAT SERIOUSLY AND NEVER BECAME SUBJECT TO CLOSE SCRUTINY. |
| 00:02:49 | INDEED, THE ENTIRE FIELD OF THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATION UP UNTIL THE YEAR 2000 COULD FIT COMFORTABLY ON A SINGLE SHEET OF PAPER IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT THAT HAD BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT ELECTION ADMINISTRATION. |
| 00:03:06 | THE 2000 ELECTION CHANGED ALL OF THAT AND LEAD TO A NUMBER OF COMMISSIONS, NOTABLY, THE CARTER-FORD COMMISSION ON ELECTION REFORM, WHICH ISSUED A REPORT THAT BECAME THE BASIS OF THE HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT THAT WAS PASSED BY CONGRESS IN 2002. |
| 00:03:26 | IT IS WORTH KEEPING IN MIND THAT THAT LAW THAT PASSED IN 2002 WAS THE FIRST ELECTORAL LAW, THE FIRST LAW ON ELECTION ADMINISTRATION, IN AMERICAN HISTORY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. |
| 00:03:41 | UNTIL THAT MOMENT, WE HAVE NOT TAKEN IT SERIOUSLY. |
| 00:03:45 | IN THAT LAW, CONGRESS CROSSED THIS LINE SEPARATING THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STATE'S FOUR ELECTIONS WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO ASSURE SOME CERTAIN UNIFORM STANDARDS. |
| 00:03:59 | IT DID NOT GO VERY FAR. |
| 00:04:01 | IT'S SET UP AN ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION WITH NO TEETH AND HARDLY ANY REAL RESPONSIBILITY. |
| 00:04:10 | IT DID AUTHORIZE AND LATER APPROPRIATE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF FUNDS TO GO THROUGH THE ELECTORAL ASSISTANCE COMMISSION TO THE STATES TO HELP THE STATES BUILD UP THEIR REGISTRATION LISTS, TO PURCHASE A NEW AND HOPEFULLY BETTER MACHINES, BUT IT DID NOT GO MUCH FURTHER THAN THAT. |
| 00:04:33 | BY THE ELECTION OF 2004, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THERE WAS STILL A SUBSTANTIAL ROAD TO TRAVEL. |
| 00:04:40 | AS A RESULT, JIMMY CARTER AGAIN LOOKED TOWARDS THE COMMISSION AND ASKED JAMES BAKER TO JOIN HIM ON A BIPARTISAN COMMISSION. |
| 00:04:52 | THAT COMMISSION LOOKED AT THE STATE OF THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATION IN THE COUNTRY AND SAID, MUCH WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE. |
| 00:05:01 | IT PROPOSED 87 SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS ON WAYS TO IMPROVE THE SYSTEM. |
| 00:05:10 | THAT INCLUDED A PROPOSING AN INTERACTIVE VOTER REGISTRATION LISTS THAT WOULD BE RUN BY THE STATE THAT COULD BE INTEROPERABLE AMONG THE STATES, AN IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM THAT WOULD ENSURE THAT EACH PERSON COMING TO VOTE WAS THE SAME PERSON ON THE REGISTRATION LIST, AN ACTIVE ROLE BY STATE TO GO OUT AND REGISTER MORE VOTERS AND MAKE VOTING MUCH MORE ACCESSIBLE BY MAIL, BY VOTING CENTERS, FOR THE MILITARY AND OVERSEAS VOTERS, FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, FOR FELONS TO BE READ ENFRANCHISED. |
| 00:05:52 | THE COMMISSION ALSO RECOMMENDED STEPS WITH REGARD TO VOTE FOR TECHNOLOGY TO ENSURE THERE WOULD BE A PAPER AUDIT, THAT THE ELECTRONIC MACHINES THAT, LIKE ALL OF OUR COMPUTERS, SEAS OF FROM TIME TO TIME, WOULD NOT LOSE VOTES. |
| 00:06:11 | IT RECOMMENDED STEPS ON BALLOT INTEGRITY, ON ELECTION ADMINISTRATION, ON MEDIA ACCESS AND PROJECTIONS, ON ELECTION OBSERVATION. |
| 00:06:21 | IT MAY SURPRISE SOME OF YOU TO KNOW THAT WHILE THE U. |
| 00:06:26 | S. HAS BEEN PROMOTING ELECTION OBSERVATION ALL OVER THE WORLD AND INSISTING THAT ALL COUNTRIES EXCEPT ELECTION OBSERVERS, WE DO NOT ACCEPT ELECTION OBSERVERS INTERNATIONAL, OR EVEN DOMESTIC OBSERVERS COME IN THIS COUNTRY, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MISSOURI. |
| 00:06:43 | BEYOND THAT, YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN. |
| 00:06:45 | MANY STATES HAVE LET IT BE KNOWN THEY DO NOT BELIEVE WE NEED ELECTION OBSERVERS. |
| 00:06:53 | FINALLY, THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS ON PRIMARIES AND POST-ELECTION PERIOD SOME OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS FOUND THEIR LEGS AND MOVED IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION. |
| 00:07:04 | MOST OF THEM HAVE NOT. |
| 00:07:05 | THERE HAS REALLY BEEN NO FEDERAL WORK SINCE THAT COMMISSION OF A LEGISLATIVE NATURE. |
| 00:07:12 | THE ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION REMAINS AS WEAK AS BEFORE. |
| 00:07:16 | THE STATES, WITH SOME LEADERSHIP, HAVE WORKED MANY OF THESE DIFFERENT ISSUES. |
| 00:07:22 | THERE WERE PEOPLE IN CONGRESS THAT HAVE PRESSED FOR SOME REFORMS AS WELL. |
| 00:07:29 | BY AND LARGE, OUR COUNTRY'S SYSTEM REMAINS QUITE ARCHAIC. |
| 00:07:37 | THE COUNTRY PURPORTS TO BE THE LEADING DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD. |
| 00:07:42 | SO, AS I SAID BEFORE, IF THIS ELECTION IS CLOSE, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO PAY ATTENTION. |
| 00:07:49 | THEY WISH THEY HAD HEARD THE TWO PANELS THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US TODAY. |
| 00:07:53 | WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO BRING TOGETHER SOME OF THE VERY BEST PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING THESE ISSUES. |
| 00:08:02 | FIRST, WE WILL PRESENT THE PROBLEMS THAT REMAIN, AND SECONDLY, THE NEXT STEPS, THAT AND PRACTICES THAT OF ALREADY BEEN UNDERTAKEN AND THE NEXT STEPS WE NEED TO TAKE, WHETHER THE ELECTION IS) NOT. |
| 00:08:15 | WE STILL NEED TO TAKE THEM. |
| 00:08:18 | THE SHORT OF IT IS WE ARE STILL IN A DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION. |
| 00:08:26 | I AM REMINDED OF AN INTERVIEW THAT BORIS YELTSIN HAD. |
| 00:08:35 | A REPORTER CAME UP TO WIN AND SAID, IN ONE WORD, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION IN RUSSIA? |
| 00:08:44 | HE SAID, "GOOD. |
| 00:08:47 | " THE REPORTER SAID, IF YOU HAD TWO WORDS, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE IT? |
| 00:08:53 | HE SAID, "NOT GOOD. |
| 00:08:57 | " I THINK THOSE ANSWERS COULD APPLY VERY WELL TO THE UNITED STATES ELECTORAL SYSTEM AS WELL. |
| 00:09:04 | WITH NO FURTHER READ DO, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL ON ONE OF THE CARD AS BAKER COMMISSION MEMBERS, JACK NELSON, WHO, AS MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW, WAS THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BUREAU CHIEF HERE IN WASHINGTON, A PULITZER PRIZE- WINNING WRITER, A NEWSPAPERMAN FOR MANY YEARS, AND A TREMENDOUSLY VALUABLE MEMBER OF THE CARTER-BAKER COMMISSION. |
| 00:09:31 | IF HE WOULD SHARE THIS FIRST PANEL, PROBLEMS THAT REMAIN, ELECTION REFORM DELAYED. |
| 00:09:43 | JACK. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. |
| 00:09:47 | IN MY YOUNGER YEARS AS A REPORTER IN GEORGIA, I COVERED WIDESPREAD VOTER FRAUD. |
| 00:09:54 | I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE FAIRLY UNIQUE TO THE SOUTHERN STATES. |
| 00:09:59 | THERE WAS A LOT OF IT. |
| 00:10:01 | THE VOTER REGISTRATION ROLLS WERE LOADED WITH THE NAMES OF PEOPLE WHO WERE LONG DEAD. |
| 00:10:08 | WE CALLED IT TOMBSTONE VOTING. |
| 00:10:11 | THERE WAS A LATE NIGHT VOTE KIND THING -- VOTE COUNTING BY THOSE WHO HAD INTEREST IN THE OUTCOME. |
| 00:10:20 | THERE WAS DISQUALIFICATION OF VOTERS WHO VOTED AGAINST INCUMBENTS. |
| 00:10:28 | MINORITIES WERE KEPT FROM VOTING IF THERE WERE REGISTERED. |
| 00:10:31 | IT WAS NOT UNTIL I BEGAN REPORTING IN WASHINGTON THAT I CAME TO REALIZE HOW EXTENSIVE VOTER FRAUD WAS AND HOW VOTING IRREGULARITIES MARRED ELECTIONS THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTRY. |
| 00:10:45 | THE PROBLEMS CONTINUE TODAY. |
| 00:10:47 | WE HAVE SEEN IRREGULARITIES AND OUTRIGHT FRAUD IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. |
| 00:10:53 | THE CARTER-BIGGER COMMISSION HAS WORKED ON THE PROBLEM IN THE PAST FEW YEARS. |
| 00:10:59 | THE CRUCIAL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY AND WE HAVE AN IMMINENT PANEL OF SPEAKERS TO TALK ABOUT POTENTIAL PROBLEMS THAT COULD MAR THIS ELECTION. |
| 00:11:09 | TO TELL YOU WHAT THEIR ORGANIZATIONS ARE DOING ABOUT THE PROBLEMS. |
| 00:11:14 | WE HAD A PAGE-ONE STORY IN "THE NEW YORK TIMES" ABOUT VOTER PURGES IN SIX DIFFERENT SWING STATES AND HOW THEY MAY VOLLEY TO FEDERAL LAW. |
| 00:11:24 | THERE WAS ALSO AN EDITORIAL ABOUT VOTING MACHINES IN THIS COUNTRY AND HOW THEY ARE DROPPING BOATS THAT HAVE BEEN CAST. |
| 00:11:32 | THE OHIO SECRETARY OF STATE IS RAISING THE ALARM THROUGHOUT OTHER STATES ABOUT IT. |
| 00:11:38 | OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS DR. |
| 00:11:40 | GEORGE GUESS, CO-DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR DEMOCRACY AND ELECTION MANAGEMENT, AND A SCHOLAR HERE AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY. |
| 00:11:50 | HE HAS HAD EXTENSIVE OVERSEAS EXPERIENCE ON WORKING ON TRANSPARENCY AND GOVERNMENT REFORM. |
| 00:11:57 | HE WAS RESEARCH DIRECTOR AT THE OPEN SOCIETY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM INITIATIVE IN BUDAPEST. |
| 00:12:04 | HE HAS WORKED FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING TO REFORM CENTRAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEMS. |
| 00:12:11 | HE HAS SERVED AS A PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATIONS AT U. |
| 00:12:16 | S. UNIVERSITIES SUCH AS GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY, WHICH I ATTENDED MANY YEARS AGO. |
| 00:12:20 | HE PROVIDED EXPENDITURE TRAINING FOR THE IMF INSTITUTE AND THE JOINT BE AN INSTITUTE. |
| 00:12:29 | HE HAS BEEN A FELLOW TO COASTER RICA AND A FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR TWO DIFFERENT TIMES. |
| 00:12:35 | DR. GUEST. |
| 00:12:44 | >> THANKS, JACK. |
| 00:12:45 | IT IS A PLEASURE. |
| 00:12:46 | I NEVER MET HIM BEFORE. |
| 00:12:49 | I WAS NOT A STUDENT AT GEORGIA STATE, BUT WE PICKED OUT THAT WE KNEW SOME COMMON PEOPLE THERE. |
| 00:12:57 | I CAN SAY THAT I READ HIS ARTICLES IN "THE L. |
| 00:13:01 | A. TIMES" FOR MANY YEARS WHEN I WAS A GRADUATE STUDENT. |
| 00:13:04 | THOSE WERE SOME OF THE BEST THINGS I EVER READ. |
| 00:13:07 | I AM SAD HE IS NOT THERE STILL AND I AM SAD THE PAPERS NOT WHAT IT WAS WHEN HE WORKED THERE. |
| 00:13:15 | THE ELECTION REFORM IS REALLY -- THE ELECTION PROBLEMS ARE REALLY NOT RANDOM. |
| 00:13:21 | THESE ARE SYSTEMIC KINDS OF THINGS THAT HAVE AFFECTED DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT FROM THE PRECINCT TO THE STATE TO THE NATIONAL LEVEL AND JURISDICTIONALLY ACROSS 14,000 COUNTIES AND CITIES. |
| 00:13:37 | THESE ARE NOT RANDOM. |
| 00:13:39 | THESE ARE SYSTEMIC ISSUES. |
| 00:13:42 | A LOT OF THE REFORM PROPOSALS THAT I HAVE READ, SOME OF WHICH WE WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR HERE AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY, I THINK ARE GOING TO WORK. |
| 00:13:52 | I THINK THEY ARE SOLID REFORM PROPOSALS. |
| 00:13:56 | THE CARTER-BAKER COMMISSION IS PROBABLY IN THE FOREFRONT OF THAT. |
| 00:14:01 | THE 87 RECOMMENDATIONS ARE OVER SIX FUNCTIONAL AREAS. |
| 00:14:05 | THESE ARE VERY SOUND REFORM PROPOSALS. |
| 00:14:08 | THE ONLY QUESTION IS, AND I AM SURE YOU HAVE STAYED UP LATE AT NIGHT THINKING ABOUT THIS, IS WHETHER THEY WILL WORK IN THEORY. |
| 00:14:16 | SOMEONE COMES ACROSS AS, IF IT WILL NOT WORK IN THEORY, WHO CARES IF IT WORKS IN PRACTICE? |
| 00:14:21 | THAT IS MY INTEREST, THE THEORY OF THIS. |
| 00:14:25 | YOU MAY THINK THAT IS UNUSUAL, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF THEORIES THAT HAVE BEEN TROTTED OUT TO EXPLAIN AND DESCRIBE ELECTION PROBLEMS. |
| 00:14:33 | IN MY VIEW, AND I AM WORKING ON A REPORT THAT TRIES TO APPLY THEORY AND CRITIQUE THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN APPLIED. |
| 00:14:46 | WHAT YOU HAVE GOT HERE WITH THE ELECTION MANAGEMENT ISSUES AND PROBLEMS IS NOT, FOR EXAMPLE, A SET OF BASICALLY RAN THEM AND PREDICTABLE EXIT'S. |
| 00:15:01 | WHAT YOU HAVE IS NOT SIMPLY AN IMPLEMENTATION PROBLEM. |
| 00:15:07 | IT IS AN IMPLEMENTATION OF WHAT PROGRAM? |
| 00:15:10 | THERE WERE 50 DIFFERENT PROGRAMS IN 50 DIFFERENT STATES. |
| 00:15:13 | WHAT IS THE VALUE OF A THEORY LIKE THAT? |
| 00:15:15 | WHAT IS THE VALUE OF RANDOM ACCIDENTS? |
| 00:15:19 | OTHERS HAVE ARGUED THAT THE PRINCIPAL AGENT THEORY CAN BE USED TO EXPLAIN THE DEFECTS AND DEFICIENCIES OF ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT IN AN ELECTION SYSTEM. |
| 00:15:31 | IT CAN BE. |
| 00:15:32 | IT IS OBVIOUS THAT PRINCIPLES ARE LIABLE FOR THE ACTS OF THEIR AGENTS. |
| 00:15:37 | YOU MUST HAVE INCENTIVES FOR AGES TO COMPLY WITH THE ACTS -- WITH THE ORDERS OF THE PRINCIPAL. |
| 00:15:43 | WE KNEW THAT BEFORE WE STARTED. |
| 00:15:45 | SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE TIGHTENED UP. |
| 00:15:50 | THERE'S NETWORK. |
| 00:15:51 | PARTNERSHIP THEORY. |
| 00:15:52 | THOSE ARE IMPORTANT FOR GETTING AS MUCH INFORMATION AS YOU CAN FROM PARTNERS TO STRENGTHEN THE ELECTORAL SYSTEMS, MONITORING, MANAGING, CONTROLLING. |
| 00:16:09 | IT IS ALL-IMPORTANT. |
| 00:16:11 | WHICH PARTNERSHIPS AND WHY? |
| 00:16:12 | IS ALL INFORMATION GOOD? |
| 00:16:17 | WHAT INFORMATION IS NOT USEFUL? |
| 00:16:19 | THESE ARE THE THINGS YOU SEE. |
| 00:16:21 | BACK TO THE 1930'S, THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES THAT CAME OUT OF LUTHER GARLIC, THE PLANNING, ORGANIZING, DIRECTING, STAFFING COME ON AND ON. |
| 00:16:38 | -- STAFFING, ON AND ON. |
| 00:16:39 | IF ANY OF THESE SEVEN FUNCTIONS ARE WEAK, STRENGTHEN THEM COME AND YOU WILL HAVE A BETTER SYSTEM. |
| 00:16:45 | THAT IS GOOD THEORY. |
| 00:16:47 | THIS IS WHERE WE ARE WITH THE STANDARD PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION THEORY. |
| 00:16:52 | WHAT YOU HAVE GOT HERE ARE TWO PROBLEMS THAT SUGGEST TO FIT OTHER THEORIES. |
| 00:17:06 | YOU HAVE TWO PROBLEMS IN ELECTION MANAGEMENT. |
| 00:17:09 | ONE IS A LACK OF CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN BENEFIT DISTRICTS AND THE AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY THAT IS NEEDED. |
| 00:17:18 | THE FINANCING, THE RESPONSIBILITY TO ACTUALLY DELIVER THE BENEFITS TO THOSE DISTRICTS. |
| 00:17:24 | THAT IS THE FIRST PROBLEM. |
| 00:17:26 | THAT IS ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT THE THEORY LOOKS AT. |
| 00:17:31 | IT IS BASICALLY TALKING ABOUT THE EFFICIENCY OF BASICALLY THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM. |
| 00:17:40 | IF IT DOES NOT DELIVER, IF THEY DO NOT CONFORM TO RESPONSIBILITY, SERVICES ARE NOT PROVIDED AND YOU HAVE A LACK OF ELECTION PERFORMANCE. |
| 00:17:52 | YOU HAVE A LACK OF EFFICIENT PERFORMANCE. |
| 00:17:59 | THATDE-LIGITIMIZES THE SYSTEM. |
| 00:18:08 | WHERE THERE IS A LACK OF CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE ELECTORAL DISTRICTS AND THE AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY THAT IS WEAKENED. |
| 00:18:18 | THE OTHER COMPONENT IS SUBSIDIARY ITY. |
| 00:18:24 | YOU NEED TO HAVE A LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT -- THE MOST EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT AT THE LOWEST POSSIBLE LEVEL OF THE SYSTEM. |
| 00:18:33 | WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO IS INCREASE THE RESPONSIVENESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM. |
| 00:18:39 | THE WAY TO DO THAT IS TO HAVE MAXIMUM SUBSIDIARITY. |
| 00:18:48 | WE NEED A THEORY TO ALLOW YOU TO PUT THAT TOGETHER. |
| 00:18:51 | THESE TWO VARIABLES THAT EXACTLY A PROBLEM THAT CUTS ACROSS HORIZONTAL A 14,000 DISTRICTS WHERE YOU ARE TRYING TO MANAGE SERVICES EFFECTIVELY. |
| 00:19:02 | YOU ARE ALSO TRYING TO ASSIGN THE RESPONSIBILITIES NATIONALLY TO DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT. |
| 00:19:09 | THAT IS THE PROBLEM YOU HAVE IN THIS COUNTRY WITH THE ELECTION MANAGEMENT. |
| 00:19:13 | THIS IS WHY WE ARGUE THAT THIS THEORY FITS VERY NICELY WITH THE ELECTION MANAGEMENT. |
| 00:19:20 | SOME OF THE SPEAKERS THAT FOLLOW WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THE CARTER-BAKER COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS AND SO ON. |
| 00:19:28 | IF YOU COMPARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THAT COMMISSION WITH OUR OWN, THEY ARE CONSISTENT. |
| 00:19:32 | WE PRETTY MUCH HAVE THE SAME KIND OF RECOMMENDATIONS. |
| 00:19:36 | IN FACT, THE METHODOLOGY OF THE CARTER-BIGGER COMMISSION -- CARTER-BAKER COMMISSION, WAS ATHEORETIC. |
| 00:19:51 | USE A, YOU GOT HERE. |
| 00:19:53 | THIS IS THE PROBLEM. |
| 00:19:55 | THEY SAY, LET'S FIX IT. |
| 00:19:57 | 87 RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THAT KIND OF THEIR METHODOLOGY ACROSS SIX AREAS. |
| 00:20:03 | THEY WOULD NOT GET YOU TENURE AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY. |
| 00:20:07 | YOU WOULD NEVER GET TENURE BY NOT HAVING A GOOD THEORY TO BACK THAT UP. |
| 00:20:12 | THE FISCAL FEDERALISM IS ACTUALLY A GOOD THEORY. |
| 00:20:16 | IS A GOOD THEORY. FOR EXAMPLE, ONE PREDICTION FROM THIS KIND OF APPROACHES WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN IF THE DISTRICTS THAT ARE QUITE BROAD -- BENEFIT DISTRICTS THAT ARE QUITE BROAD. |
| 00:20:36 | THIS KIND OF ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING FINANCING, THERE YOU WANT TO CENTRALIZE. |
| 00:20:43 | YOU WANT TO CENTRALIZE SO THAT THE RESPONSIBILITY, THE AUTHORITY, AND THE FINANCING ARE ALL CONSISTENT. |
| 00:20:50 | THAT IS ONE PREDICTION FROM THIS THEORY. |
| 00:20:53 | ON THE OTHER SIDE, WHERE YOU HAVE NEVERNARROWER THINGS, THERE YOU DECENTRALIZE. |
| 00:21:09 | BY ASSIGNING THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND FUNCTIONS CONSISTENT WITH THIS THEORY, YOU COME UP WITH A NEAT DESCRIPTION OF THE SYSTEM, WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE SYSTEM, AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TO FIX IT IN THE AREAS OF FINANCE, IN REGULATION, AND MANAGE THE AUTHORITY. |
| 00:21:30 | PUT HALF IN OUR VIEW, THAT'S WHAT IS REALLY NEEDED. |
| 00:21:33 | -- IN OUR VIEW, THAT'S WHAT IS REALLY NEEDED. |
| 00:21:39 | THEY DO NOT REALLY HAVE ANY PREDICTABLE RESULTS, OTHER THAN GENERALITIES THAT YOU DO BEFORE YOU GET IN THERE. |
| 00:21:48 | WE THINK IS THERE IS MORE ROBUST AND COULD BE USED FOR THE AMERICAN ELECTION SYSTEM TO COME UP MORE EMPIRICAL HYPOTHESIS OF HOW TO IMPROVE THINGS IN THE FUTURE. |
| 00:21:59 | THAT IS BASICALLY ALL I HAVE TO SAY. |
| 00:22:02 | I WILL TURN IT OVER TO THE NEXT SPEAKER. |
| 00:22:04 | I WOULD BE GLAD TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS AFTER THE DISCUSSION. |
| 00:22:08 | THANK YOU. |
| 00:22:13 | >> THANK YOU, DR. |
| 00:22:19 | GUEST HOW. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NANCY TATE BUT. |
| 00:22:27 | AS -- OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NANCY TATE HOW HOW. |
| 00:22:42 | IT IS A NONPARTISAN ORGANIZATION CHARTERED BY CONGRESS TO IMPROVE GOVERNMENT AT ALL LEVELS. |
| 00:22:49 | PREVIOUSLY, SHE HELD A SENIOR POSITION IN A MANAGEMENT CONSULTING FIRM. |
| 00:22:54 | SHE HAD A DISTINGUISHED CAREER BEFORE THAT IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, EDUCATION, AND THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC OF CANDY. |
| 00:23:04 | SHE HAS A BA IN POLITICAL SCIENCE AND A MASTER'S DEGREE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. |
| 00:23:10 | MS. |
| 00:23:11 | TATE? |
| 00:23:20 | . >> THANK YOU. |
| 00:23:21 | THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING TIME TO BE TALKING ABOUT THIS SET OF TOPICS. |
| 00:23:26 | I DID LOOK BRIEFLY AT THE REPORT. |
| 00:23:28 | I DID THINK IT LOOKED VERY THOROUGH. |
| 00:23:30 | IT ANALYZED A LOT OF SPECIFIC DATA. |
| 00:23:33 | I FOUND THAT TO BE A VERY SOLID REPORT. |
| 00:23:37 | I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU ABOUT WHAT THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS HAS BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS IN THESE AREAS. |
| 00:23:43 | WE HAVE BEEN DOING A COMBINATION OF THINGS. |
| 00:23:46 | SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN WORKING TO REMOVE BARRIERS IN THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM. |
| 00:23:51 | SOME HAVE BEEN TRYING TO PUSH IMPROVEMENTS, WORKING WITH ELECTION OFFICERS AND WORKING WITH VOTERS DIRECTLY. |
| 00:23:56 | WE SEE THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF BARRIERS OF DIFFERENT TYPES, BUT ALWAYS IN THE CATEGORY OF VOTER REGISTRATION. |
| 00:24:04 | WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING AT THE STATE LEVEL AND AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, RESTRICTED VOTER IDENTIFICATION LAWS, INCLUDING ONES THAT ARE PHOTO ID. |
| 00:24:15 | OUR LEAGUES SUED OR HAD OTHER SUCCESSES IN MISSOURI, PENNSYLVANIA, AND WISCONSIN. |
| 00:24:20 | THERE WERE ALSO ACTIVE IN GEORGIA BUT DID NOT SUCCEED. |
| 00:24:24 | WE FILED AN AMICUS BRIEF AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL WEB -- AT THE SUPREME COURT. |
| 00:24:29 | SUPREME COURT IN THE RECENT INDIANA I CASED -- IN THE INDIANA CASE. |
| 00:24:39 | WE HAVE THE STATE THE BEST WORKING WITH THE STATE ELECTION OFFICES TRY TO MINIMIZE THE PROBLEMS OF PURGING AND MATCHING THAT ARE CAUSING QUITE A BIT OF A PROBLEM ACROSS THE COUNTRY. |
| 00:24:52 | ANOTHER AREA IS THE FACT THAT A LOT OF STATES ARE NOT FULLY COMPLYING WITH THE SECTION OF WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE MOTOR VOTER LAW, WHICH REQUIRES VOTER REGISTRATION TO HAPPEN AT PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AGENCIES. |
| 00:25:05 | MOST STATES TO NOT DO THAT VERY EFFECTIVELY. |
| 00:25:09 | WE'RE WORKING WITH STATE CHAPTERS TO WORK WITH THOSE AGENCIES TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE COMING IN FROM ONE SERVICE TO BE ABLE TO VOTE AS WELL. |
| 00:25:19 | WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING THE FACT THAT SEVERAL STATES, PERSONALLY FLORIDA, HAVE IMPOSED RESTRICTIONS ON THIRD-PARTYIES LIKE THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, WHO HAVE BEEN DOING THESE ACTIVITIES FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. |
| 00:25:35 | SOME OF THE STATES HAVE PLACED PENALTIES ON GROUPS SUCH AS OURS. |
| 00:25:42 | THE FLORIDA LEAGUE HAS SUCCESSFULLY FOUGHT THAT IN THAT STATE. |
| 00:25:47 | ON THE MORE POSITIVE SIDE, WE SIDE HALF850 STATE AND LOCAL LEAGUES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. |
| 00:25:54 | THEY WORK WITH LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIALS, PRIMARILY, RECENTLY, IN THE AREA OF CO WORKER RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING. |
| 00:26:02 | THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM OFTEN NOT DISCUSSED ENOUGH BECAUSE OF HIS MUNDANE COMPARED TO THE FLASHIER ISSUES SUCH AS MACHINES. |
| 00:26:12 | THERE ARE ENOUGH CO-WORKERS -- IF THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW TO USE THE MACHINES AND INTERACT WITH Td@@@@@@@ !, MOST OF THEM WORK THEIR LOCALLY. |
| 00:26:27 | WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF FOCUS GROUP WORK AND RESEARCH OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS FUNDED BY THE ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION, WHO HAS PRODUCED THAT IN A MANUAL FOR ELECTION OFFICERS ABOUT HOW TO DO PULL WORKER RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING. |
| 00:26:43 | WE HAVE ALSO REACHED OUT TO VOTERS. |
| 00:26:47 | WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW, THEY ASK A DIFFERENT SET OF QUESTIONS. |
| 00:26:51 | THE THREE QUESTIONS VOTERS ASK IS -- OUR, AM I REGISTERED? |
| 00:26:57 | WHAT IS ON THE BALLOT? |
| 00:26:59 | WHERE DO I GO TO VOTE? |
| 00:27:02 | I WILL TELL YOU MORE IN A MOMENT ON HOW WE ARE DEALING WITH THAT. |
| 00:27:06 | WHAT IS OUR FEELING ABOUT ELECTION DAY THIS YEAR? |
| 00:27:10 | WE AGREE THAT THINGS HAVE IMPROVED. |
| 00:27:14 | WE FEEL GOOD THAT IN SOME AREAS WHERE WE OF WORKS, SOME PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN MITIGATED. |
| 00:27:20 | WE DEFINITELY AGREE WITH THE COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS THAT A LOT OF BARRIERS REMAIN. |
| 00:27:25 | THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF INCONSISTENCY BETWEEN THE STATES, AND EVEN WITHIN STATES, AND A LOT OF IRREGULARITIES IN THE IMPLICATION OF A WIDE RANGE APOSTASIESOF PROPHECIES. |
| 00:27:40 | IT'S HARD TO SAY WHICH COMPONENTS MAY GO WRONG ON ELECTION DAY. |
| 00:27:44 | WE THINK IT IS SAFE TO SAY THAT THE MOST LIKELY PROBLEM IS A LACK OF CAPACITY AT INDIVIDUAL POLLING PLACES TO HANDLE THE LARGE VOTER TURNOUT. |
| 00:27:53 | THIS WILL BE TRUE WHERE THERE ARE A LARGE NUMBER OF FIRST-TIME VOTERS. |
| 00:27:57 | THE RESULTS OF CAPACITY PROBLEMS OR INADEQUATE PLANNING MANIFEST THEMSELVES MOST SIMPLY IN THE FACT OF LONG LINES. |
| 00:28:07 | THERE CAN BE A LOT OF REASONS FOR THAT. |
| 00:28:12 | OFTEN THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF CO- WORKERS. |
| 00:28:20 | THIS YEAR, I THINK THERE'S MORE OF A WORRY ABOUT THE INADEQUATE ALLOCATION OF CO-WORKERS AND MACHINES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY OR THROUGHOUT A STATE. |
| 00:28:33 | IN OTHER WORDS, AREAS THAT HAVE CHRONICALLY SEEN LOW TURNOUT MAY BE IMAGINING THEY WILL HAVE LOW TURNOUT AGAIN AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN TESTED OR MOVED THEIR RESOURCES INTO THOSE AREAS. |
| 00:28:45 | -- THEY OF NOT INVESTING OR MOVED THEIR RESOURCES INTO THOSE AREAS. |
| 00:28:55 | FOR EXAMPLE, COLLEGE CAMPUSES. |
| 00:28:58 | THERE WILL BE PROBLEMS ON THE VOTER I. |
| 00:29:01 | D. SIDE. |
| 00:29:03 | MANY OF THE STATE'S LAWS HAVE CHANGED IN THE LAST TWO YEARS. |
| 00:29:12 | THERE WILL BE PROBLEMS WITH PEOPLE COMING TO VOTE, THINKING THEY ARE ON THE VOTER REGISTRATION LIST, BUT THEY ARE NOT. |
| 00:29:23 | THEY MAY HAVE BEEN PURGED FOR DID NOT MEET A MATCH THAT THE SYSTEM WAS EVER GOING, OR FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. |
| 00:29:30 | IN THOSE CASES, THEY ARE ENTITLED TO A PROVISIONAL BALLOT, AND HOPEFULLY THEY WILL GET ONE, BUT IT WILL STILL SLOW DOWN THE MECHANICS OF THE ELECTION DAY AND CAUSED DELAYS. |
| 00:29:43 | THERE WILL ALWAYS BE VOTER CONFUSION IN USING NEW MACHINES. |
| 00:29:50 | SOMEBODY'S MACHINE WILL BREAK DOWN. |
| 00:29:55 | WHATEVER THE PROBLEM, IT IS NOT CLEAR NOW THAT ONE OF THESE PROBLEMS WILL BE MORE OBVIOUS THAN THE OTHER, OR THAT THERE WILL BE A MASSIVE TREND ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BUT ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE QUITE POSSIBLE IN VARIOUS COMBINATIONS, AND THE RESULT WILL BE LONG LINES. |
| 00:30:12 | THE IMPLICATION OF THE RESULT OF LONG LINES IS THE FIRST THING THAT SOME OF US MIGHT NOTICE. |
| 00:30:18 | IT IS JUST THE INCONVENIENCE OF STANDING IN LINE WHEN YOU NEED TO GET ON TO WORK FOR SOMETHING ELSE. |
| 00:30:26 | A MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM IS THE FACT THAT A NUMBER OF VOTERS WILL BE TURNED AWAY. |
| 00:30:31 | THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SPEND FOUR OR FIVE HOURS IN LINE BECAUSE THEY NEED TO GO TO WORK OR PICK UP THEIR CHILDREN. |
| 00:30:39 | IN ESSENCE, THEY WILL BE DISENFRANCHISED. |
| 00:30:43 | I'VE TOLD YOU A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT THE LEAGUE HAS BEEN DOING IN THE LAST TWO YEARS. |
| 00:30:49 | WHAT ARE WE DOING SPECIFICALLY FOR ELECTION DAY? |
| 00:30:53 | THE LOCAL LEAGUES HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH ELECTION OFFICIALS, WITH WHOM THEY WERE CLOSELY, TRYING TO ENGAGE THEM IN CONVERSATION ABOUT PLANNING FOR ELECTION DAY, DISCUSSIONS ABOUT CAPACITY, ARE YOU TRAINING PEOPLE, DOES THE PUBLIC KNOW YOU HAVE TO MACHINES? |
| 00:31:09 | -- THAT YOU HAVE NEW MACHINES? |
| 00:31:13 | THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN HELPING WITH CO-POLL WORKER RECRUITING AND TRAINING. |
| 00:31:28 | WE'RE ALSO HELPING THE VOTERS. |
| 00:31:32 | OUR EXPERIENCES THAT BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH VARIATION ACROSS THE COUNTRY BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT STATES, BECAUSE EVEN WITHIN STATES IT HAS CHANGED SO MUCH, IT IS VERY EASY FOR A VOTER TO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO EXPECT OR WHAT TO DO. |
| 00:31:49 | WE FOCUS ON IN POWER READ THE VOTER. |
| 00:31:52 | IN THIS CYCLE, WE HAVE DONE THIS PREDOMINATELY BY IN REACHING THE ONE STOP ELECTION WEBSITE CALLED VOTE411. |
| 00:32:04 | ORG. THIS IS THE ADDRESS ON THIS CARD. |
| 00:32:08 | WE ARE PARTNERING WITH YAHOO! ON THIS. |
| 00:32:13 | WE GET TREMENDOUS TRAFFIC. |
| 00:32:17 | IT ENABLES PEOPLE TO ANSWER A WIDE RANGE OF QUESTIONS ON THEIR OWN. |
| 00:32:27 | USUALLY THEY CAN FIND OUT IF THEY'RE ON THE STATE'S VOTER REGISTRATION LIST OF THE ADDRESS OF. |
| 00:32:32 | THEIR LIVES. IT HAS ALL THE RULES AND DEADLINES FOR EVERY STATE. |
| 00:32:36 | HOW DO I GET AN ABSENTEE BALLOT? |
| 00:32:40 | WHAT KIND OF IDENTIFICATION TO ANY TO BRING? |
| 00:32:46 | ONE OF THE ATTRACTIVE FEATURES IS THE POLLING PLACE LOCATOR FEATURE. |
| 00:32:52 | THIS IS THE ONLY ONLINE, NATIONAL POLLING PLACE FEATURE. |
| 00:33:01 | 50% OF ALL CALLS TO ELECTION DAY HOT LINES ARE SIMPLY WHERE DO I GO TO VOTE? |
| 00:33:11 | THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE WHO'VE MOVED TO A NEW AREA. |
| 00:33:17 | IT IS IMPORTANT FOR FIRST-TIME VOTERS. |
| 00:33:23 | IT CAN ALSO BE IMPORTANT FOR THE REST OF US. |
| 00:33:28 | MANY JURISDICTIONS HAVE SET UP ADDITIONAL POLLING PLACES. |
| 00:33:32 | IT MAY NOT BE THE SCHOOL THAT YOU'RE USED TO GOING. |
| 00:33:36 | IT BE GOOD IF YOU COULD FIND THAT OUT IN ADVANCE. |
| 00:33:41 | THIS FALL, AS WE WORK WITH STATE AND LOCAL NEEDSLEAGUES, WE WILL BE POPULATING VOTE411. |
| 00:33:57 | ORG WITH THAT INFORMATION. |
| 00:34:00 | WE FEEL GOOD ABOUT THESE THINGS. |
| 00:34:03 | THESE ARE ALL USEFUL TOOLS, BUT THEY WILL NOT BE SUFFICIENT. |
| 00:34:07 | WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THE WORRIES THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT WAYS THAT PEOPLE WILL BE PUSHED OUT OF THE ELECTION SYSTEM. |
| 00:34:15 | I WILL OFFER SOME OF OUR THOUGHTS ABOUT LONGER-TERM SOLUTIONS, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THE SECOND PANEL WILL GET INTO THAT MORE. |
| 00:34:24 | A HARD, WE FEEL A LOT OF THESE ISSUES ARE ABOUT THE MANAGEMENT OF THE ELECTION SYSTEM. |
| 00:34:30 | WE KNOW THAT ELECTION ADMINISTRATION IS NOT A VERY SEXY ISSUE. |
| 00:34:36 | LIKE A LOT OF THINGS, THIS IS THE CORE OF MAKING A LOT OF THINGS WORK. |
| 00:34:40 | WE LOOKED AT THIS IN FOUR WAYS. |
| 00:34:43 | ONE, THE IMPORTANCE OF PROFESSIONALIZING ELECTION MANAGEMENT. |
| 00:34:49 | WE PRIMARILY MEAN, WE BELIEVE WE DO NEED UNIFORM STANDARDS IN THIS COUNTRY, WHICH WE DO NOT HAVE NOW, AND THEN PEOPLE CAN BE TRAINED TO THOSE STANDARDS AND IT WILL BE EASIER TO HOLD THE PLAYERS ACCOUNTABLE IF YOU WHAT YOU WERE TRYING TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR. |
| 00:35:04 | WE THINK IS CRITICAL TO BRING UP THE NUMBER AND QUALIFICATIONS OF POLL WORKERS, WERE THE PRIMARY PHASE OF ELECTIONS FOR VOTERS. |
| 00:35:13 | WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE NEW IDEAS AND INNOVATIONS. |
| 00:35:18 | THE SECOND AREA FOR US IS OUR BELIEF THAT THERE DOES NEED TO BE MORE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, PRIMARILY IN VOTING TECHNOLOGIES, BUT ALSO VARIOUS ASPECTS OF PROCESS. |
| 00:35:29 | CLEARLY, THE STORY ON VOTING MACHINES HAS NOT ENDED. |
| 00:35:34 | THEY'RE A LOT OF ISSUES ABOUT THE INTERFACE BETWEEN THE VOTER AND THE MACHINE. |
| 00:35:41 | THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT. |
| 00:35:45 | IF VOTERS ARE UNCOMFORTABLE AND MAKE MISTAKES, YOU HAVE A BIG PROBLEM. |
| 00:35:49 | WE'RE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT BALLOT DESIGN. |
| 00:35:52 | THAT COMES UP IN A NUMBER OF JURISDICTIONS. |
| 00:35:55 | THIRD, IT WOULD BE MUCH BETTER IF MORE MANAGEMENT HAD A FOCUS ON THE VOTER. |
| 00:36:02 | AGAIN, LOOKING NOT JUST AT CONVENIENCES THAT WE ALL CARE ABOUT, BUT ALSO AT BARRIERS THAT ARE KEEPING PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE DISINCLINED FOR OTHER REASONS TO VOTE MORE OFTEN, THE MORE THE SYSTEM IS A HASSLE AND IMPOSES BARRIERS, THE HARDER IT WILL BE FOR THOSE PEOPLE. |
| 00:36:24 | WE THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE AMERICAN SYSTEM TO HAVE ALL PIECES OF THE POPULATION REPRESENTED IN THE ELECTORAL PROCESS. |
| 00:36:33 | IN CONCLUSION, WE HAVE WORKED HARD. |
| 00:36:37 | WE BELIEVE A LOT OF THESE ISSUES ARE SYSTEMIC ISSUES. |
| 00:36:40 | WE WORKED HARD WITH FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND STATE LEGISLATORS. |
| 00:36:44 | WE'RE WORKING HARD TO HELP VOTERS UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS AND MAKING SURE THEIR OWN RIGHTS ARE PROTECTED. |
| 00:36:50 | WE ARE VERY HEARTENED TO SEE WHAT WE BELIEVE WILL BE THE CASE, THAT WE WILL HAVE LARGE VOTER TURNOUT ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. |
| 00:36:59 | WE DO REMAIN CONCERNED THAT THERE COULD BE DOWN SIDES TO THAT. |
| 00:37:04 | THERE WILL BE SOME UNFORTUNATE RAMIFICATIONS OF A LOT OF PEOPLE SHOWING UP AT THE SAME PLACE AT THE SAME TIME. |
| 00:37:11 | IN SOME CASES, THE CAPACITY WILL NOT BE THERE TO PERFORM AS NECESSARY. |
| 00:37:17 | FOR FIRST-TIME VOTERS, WE WANT THIS TO BE AS INSPIRING AN EXPERIENCE AS POSSIBLE. |
| 00:37:24 | FOR YOUNGER VOTERS, THIS WILL BE SETTING THEIR NOTION OF THE VOTING EXPERIENCE FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. |
| 00:37:30 | IN SOME CASES, IT WILL BE MORE THAN JUST AN AGGRAVATION. |
| 00:37:34 | BOTH WILL ACTUALLY BE LOST. |
| 00:37:36 | THE SYSTEM WILL BREAK DOWN FOR ONE OR MORE OF THE REASONS I MENTIONED. |
| 00:37:42 | THE FEAR IS THAT NOT ONLY HAVE THOSE PEOPLE LOST THEIR SAKE, BUT IT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO A LOSS OF CONFIDENCE IN THIS KEY COMPONENT OF OUR DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM. |
| 00:37:52 | IF IT IS SIGNIFICANT IN NUMBERS, IT WILL UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMACY OF OUR ELECTED LEADERS. |
| 00:37:58 | WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE COMMISSION AND OTHER GROUPS TO KEEP MOVING HAD PASSED THE SELECTION TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE ASPECTS OF THE SYSTEM THAT NEED TO BE FIXED. |
| 00:38:10 | THANK YOU. |
| 00:38:16 | [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU. |
| 00:38:18 | I'M SURE WE'RE ALL PLEASED TO HEAR THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS WILL BE MONITORING THIS ELECTION. |
| 00:38:25 | OUR NEXT AND FINAL SPEAKER IS SOMEBODY WHO'S CAREER I HAVE FOLLOWED UNCOVERED FOR MANY YEARS, BACK IN THE WATERGATE SCANDALS OF THE 1970'S. |
| 00:38:36 | BOB EDGAR IS PRESIDENT AND CEO OF COMMON CAUSE, THE NON- PARTISAN CITIZEN LOBBY WORKING TO MAKE GOVERNMENT AT ALL LEVELS MORE HONEST, OPEN, AND ACCOUNTABLE. |
| 00:38:46 | HE HAS A LONG HISTORY OF PUBLIC SERVICE. |
| 00:38:49 | HE SERVED 12 YEARS. |
| 00:38:52 | IN. HE WAS FIRST ELECTED IN 1974. |
| 00:38:55 | -- HE SERVED 12 YEARS IN CONGRESS. |
| 00:38:58 | HE WAS PART OF THE CONGRESSIONAL GROUP NICKNAMED THE WATERGATE BABIES. |
| 00:39:04 | DURING SIX TERMS IN THE HOUSE, HE LED EFFORTS TO IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. |
| 00:39:11 | HE FOUGHT WASTEFUL WATER PROJECTS AND OFFERED THE COMMUNITY RIGHT TO KNOW LEGISLATION. |
| 00:39:20 | -- AUTHORED THE COMMUNITY RIGHT TO KNOW LEGISLATION. |
| 00:39:23 | HE WAS PART OF THE COMMISSION ON INVESTIGATING THE ASSASSINATIONS OF JOHN KENNEDY AND MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. |
| 00:39:35 | . HIS WORK ON ELECTION REFORMS TO MAKE VOTING MORE ACCURATE, AND SUCCESSFUL. |
| 00:39:48 | HE IS A MASTER'S DEGREE FROM DREW UNIVERSITY. |
| 00:39:54 | MR. |
| 00:39:55 | EDGAR. |
| 00:39:58 | >> GOOD AFTERNOON. |
| 00:40:02 | I NOTICED A THE END OF THE LAST SPEAKER, YOU CLAPPED A LITTLE. |
| 00:40:10 | I WONDER IF YOU CAN CLAP A LOT FOR THE CARTER-FIGURE COMMISSION AND ALL THE WORK THEY HAVE DONE -- CARTER-BAKER COMMISSION AND ALL THE WORK THEY HAVE DONE. |
| 00:40:21 | [APPLAUSE] AND ALSO FOR THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS. |
| 00:40:26 | WE PARTNER WITH THE LEAGUE'S ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. |
| 00:40:30 | FOR YEARS AND YEARS, THE LEAGUE HAS BEEN AT THE CENTER OF A TEACHER THE VOTING PROCESS IS RIGHT IN THE DEBATES ARE FAIR, OPEN, AND TRANSPARENT. |
| 00:40:43 | LET'S GIVE YOU A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. |
| 00:40:46 | I WANT TO TELL YOU A BAD JOKE. |
| 00:40:50 | THIS WAS SHARED BY MORRIS UDALL, A MEMBER OF CONGRESS THAT I STOOD NEXT TO IN 1975 AT AGE 31 WHEN I GOT ELECTED TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE OF BY ACCIDENT. |
| 00:41:07 | WE BECAME FRIENDS. |
| 00:41:09 | ONE DAY, TRAVELING WITH HIM IN ARIZONA, HE SAID, BOB, WHEN I DIE, I WANT TO BE BURIED IN CHICAGO. |
| 00:41:19 | MY VOTE COUNTS LONG AFTER I AM GONE. |
| 00:41:24 | IT IS A JOKE TO PREVIEW MY COMMENTS. |
| 00:41:29 | FINALLY, THIS IS ONE OTHER THOUGHT. |
| 00:41:32 | I WANT YOU TO CHANT THIS WITH ME. |
| 00:41:36 | WE ARE -- >> WE ARE. |
| 00:41:40 | >> THE LEADERS. |
| 00:41:41 | >> THE LEADERS. |
| 00:41:43 | >> WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. |
| 00:41:45 | >> WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. |
| 00:41:48 | >> MY FIRST VISIT TO WASHINGTON, D. |
| 00:41:52 | C., WAS IN 1968. I WAS INVITED BY A PREACHER TO COME TO NEW YORK AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AND TO LISTEN TO SPEAKERS CONNECT THE WAR IN VIETNAM AND POVERTY. |
| 00:42:04 | THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER WAS DR. |
| 00:42:06 | MARTIN LUTHER KING. |
| 00:42:08 | LATER, AS A MEMBER OR OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, I SERVED ON A SELECT COMMITTEE LOOKING INTO THE DEATH OF DR. |
| 00:42:17 | KING. HE SAID SOMETHING ON THAT DAY THAT HAS STUCK WITH ME THROUGHOUT MY CAREER. |
| 00:42:23 | HE SAID "WE ARE NOW FACED WITH THE FACT THAT TOMORROW IS TODAY AND THIS UNFOLDING CONUNDRUM OF LIFE AND HISTORY, THERE IS SUCH A THING AS BEING TOO LATE. |
| 00:42:34 | PROCRASTINATION IS STILL THE THIEF OF TIME. |
| 00:42:39 | WIFE OFTEN LEAVES US WITH LOST OPPORTUNITY -- LIFE OFTEN LEAVES US WITH OPPORTUNITY. |
| 00:42:46 | WE MAY CRY OUT DESPERATELY FOR TIME TO PAUSE, BUT TIME IS DEATH. |
| 00:42:54 | OVER THE BONES OF NUMEROUS CIVILIZATIONS ARE WRITTEN THE PROPHETIC WORDS TOO LATE. |
| 00:43:06 | " HE SAYS THAT WE HAVE NONVIOLENT CONSISTENT -- THIS MAY WELL BE HUMAN LIVES LAST CHANCE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN CHAOS AND COMMUNITY. |
| 00:43:19 | I WANT TO SUGGEST THAT OUR ELECTION PROCESS IN 2000 AND 2004 SHOWED ALL THE SIGNS THAT HAVE BEEN SPOKEN ABOUT BY THE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS. |
| 00:43:31 | THE ELECTIONS WERE CLOSE. |
| 00:43:35 | FIRST IN FLORIDA IN 2000, AND THEN IN 2004 IN OHIO. |
| 00:43:41 | NOW WE ARE APPROACHING THE 2008 ELECTION. |
| 00:43:47 | WE STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE CHAOS EXIST IN THE ELECTION PROCESS. |
| 00:43:53 | IT'S THIS ELECTION IS CLOSE, WE STILL HAVE MACHINES THAT DO NOT HAVE A PAPER TRAIL AND CANNOT BE RECOUNTED. |
| 00:43:59 | WE STILL HAVE VOTING MACHINES THAT CAN BE HACKED INTO, AS WAS DEMONSTRATED IN "THE NEW YORK TIMES" ARTICLE TODAY. |
| 00:44:09 | WE STILL HAVE SUPPRESSION OF VOTERS THAT GOES ON BY BOTH POLITICAL PARTIES. |
| 00:44:15 | IN THIS YEAR, WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY PERSONS OF COLOR WHO HAVE REGISTERED, WHEN THE REGISTRATION ROLLS ARE EXPANDING, THIS WILL EITHER BE A YEAR OF OPPORTUNITY FOR A YEAR OF CHAOS. |
| 00:44:34 | COMMON CAUSE, WHERE I AM PRESIDENT, IS WORKING VERY HARD IN THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS, IN FACT THERE ARE 27 DAYS BETWEEN NOW AND ELECTION. |
| 00:44:42 | WHAT I'M SHARING WITH MANY OF YOU ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO IN THE NEXT 27 DAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS ELECTION IS FAIR, TRANSPARENT, AND THAT THE VOTE COUNT. |
| 00:44:55 | THERE WAS A RECENT STUDY. |
| 00:45:01 | IT DISCOVERED A INTERESTING THING. |
| 00:45:03 | MOST PEOPLE DO NOT CARE. |
| 00:45:05 | WHEN THEY GO TO VOTE, THEY THINK. |
| 00:45:08 | THEIR VOTE. IF IT WORKS FOR THEM, THEY GO AWAY WAITING FOR THE NEXT TIME TO VOTE. |
| 00:45:14 | -- MOST PEOPLE DO NOT CARE BECAUSE WHEN THEY GO TO VOTE, THEY THINK THE VOTE COUNTS. |
| 00:45:19 | IT IS ONLY THOSE WHO STOOD IN LINE IN OHIO AND COULD NOT COUNT, OR THOSE WHO STOOD IN LINE IN FLORIDA AND BOATS WERE LOST, WHERE THE PASSIONS OF RICE -- VOTES WERE LOST, THIS IS WHERE PASSION RISES. |
| 00:45:39 | I'M FORTUNATE TO BE PART OF A GROUP THAT CARES ABOUT GETTING THE ELECTION RIGHT. |
| 00:45:44 | THEY JUST PUT UP A STEADY, VOTING IN 2010 SWING STATES. |
| 00:45:49 | NEXT WEEK WE WILL DO ALL 50 STATES. |
| 00:45:54 | WE BRUSHED THIS REPORT OUT BECAUSE THESE ARE THE 10 STATES THAT HAVE THE MOST PROBLEMS. |
| 00:46:00 | -- WE'VE RUSHED THIS BECAUSE WE THOUGHT THESE WERE THE STATES FOR THE MOST PROBLEMS. |
| 00:46:05 | GEORGIA, FLORIDA, MISSOURI, COLORADO, NEW MEXICO, VA. |
| 00:46:15 | . THESE STATES ARE DOCUMENTED. |
| 00:46:17 | IT HAS STATE-BY-STATE CALCULATIONS, AND THEN A THE END, IT HAS RECOMMENDATIONS. |
| 00:46:23 | YOU CAN FIND THIS REPORT ON OUR WEB SITE, COMMONCAUSE. |
| 00:46:32 | ORG, OR YOU CAN ASK FOR A HARD COPY. |
| 00:46:35 | LET ME SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE FINDINGS THAT AND MAKE US NERVOUS AND DID TALK ABOUT RECOMMENDATIONS. |
| 00:46:41 | THE FIRST HAS BEEN MENTIONED, THE ISSUE OF ID. |
| 00:46:44 | A LOT OF POOR PEOPLE AND A LOT OF STUDENTS DO NOT OFTEN HAVE THE PROPER ID WHEN THEY GO TO THE VOTING BOOTH AND THEY GET TURNED AWAY. |
| 00:46:53 | IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THERE'S ONE NUMBER WRONG IN YOUR ADDRESS, OR ONE LETTER OFF, YOU WILL BE TURNED AWAY. |
| 00:47:05 | IN SOME AREAS, THEY'RE USING THE ID ISSUE TO TRY TO RESTRICT VOTING. |
| 00:47:15 | I HAVE CRAZY IDEAS. |
| 00:47:17 | I THINK EVERY INFANT BORN IN THE UNITED STATES SHOULD AUTOMATICALLY BE REGISTERED TO VOTE. |
| 00:47:23 | AT AGE 18, WE SHOULD HAVE A RIGHT OF PASSAGE FOR 18-YEAR-OLD FOR THE SAME WAY WE HAVE A RIGHT OF PASSAGE FOR IMMIGRANTS WHO COME TO THE COUNTRY. |
| 00:47:31 | WE SHOULD HAVE 80%, 90% OF OUR PEOPLE VOTING. |
| 00:47:35 | WE OUGHT TO ENCOURAGE VOTING AGGRESSIVELY. |
| 00:47:40 | WE OUGHT NOT BE USING THE REQUIREMENTS OF ID TO WITHHOLD BUILD THE. |
| 00:47:46 | CERTAIN TYPES OF IDENTIFICATION ARE NEEDED AT THE POLLS. |
| 00:47:52 | THIS OFTEN DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT POOR, MINORITIES, AND YOUNG PEOPLE. |
| 00:47:57 | MANY STATES HAVE PASSED STRICT ID LAWS IN THE NAME OF STOPPING FRAUD. |
| 00:48:05 | WE HAVE LOOKED AT THIS VERY HARD. |
| 00:48:08 | THERE IS VERY, VERY BRUTAL FRAUD THAT GOES ON IN ELECTIONS. |
| 00:48:12 | THAT IS, FRAUD OF SOMEBODY COMING WHO IS NOT QUALIFIED TO VOTE. |
| 00:48:20 | WOULD THERE BE MORE PEOPLE WHO WERE EAGER TO VOTE, THE INCIDENCE OF FRAUD ARE VERY SMALL. |
| 00:48:28 | YOU OFTEN HAVE ULTRACONSERVATIVES USE THE ID ISSUE TO TURN PEOPLE AWAY, MAKING IT A BIG ISSUE, AND TURNING INTO THE SUPREME COURT. |
| 00:48:38 | THERE ARE MANY CASES IN INDIANA AND GEORGIA AND OTHER CASES WHERE FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY IS TAKING PLACE. |
| 00:48:45 | WE FIND VERY FEW EXAMPLES OF THAT AND WE ARE WORKING TO TRY TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE INCIDENCE OF IN PERSON POLLING PLACE FRAUD, THE ONLY TYPE OF FRAUD AND ID REQUIREMENT WOULD ADDRESS, ARE INCREDIBLY RARE. |
| 00:49:01 | THIS IS A SOLUTION IN SEARCH OF A PROBLEM THAT SIMPLY SERVES TO DISENFRANCHISE CERTAIN GROUPS OF VOTERS. |
| 00:49:09 | THE SECOND ISSUES DECEPTIVE PRACTICES. |
| 00:49:12 | THIS IS VERY INTERESTING. |
| 00:49:15 | JUST THIS WEEK, THERE WERE PRESS REPORTS IN PHILADELPHIA, WHERE A FLIER WAS SENT OUT IN THE MINORITY COMMUNITIES TELLING PEOPLE THAT IF YOU SHOW UP TO VOTE AND YOU HAVE AN OUTSTANDING TRAFFIC TICKET OR YOU HAVE NOT PAID ALIMONY OR CHILD SUPPORT, YOU'LL BE ARRESTED. |
| 00:49:35 | ALL OF THAT TO KEEP MINORITIES AWAY FROM THE POLLING PLACES. |
| 00:49:39 | WE HAVE AN EXAMPLE IN 2004 IN ONE AREA WHERE THEY SENT OUT FLIERS THAT SAID THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE VOTING, REPUBLICANS, ON TUESDAY, DEMOCRATS, ON WEDNESDAY. |
| 00:49:53 | THERE ARE RULES VOTE CALLS TELLING PEOPLE THEIR POLLING PLACE HAS BEEN CHANGED. |
| 00:49:59 | THAT DISRUPTS PEOPLE'S OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE. |
| 00:50:05 | WE HAVE EVERY REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THESE SORTS OF TACTICS WILL BE USED AGAINS THIS YEAR. |
| 00:50:13 | WE'RE WORKING TO TRY TO EDUCATE THE VOTERS SO THAT THESE DECEPTIVE PRACTICES DO NOT CONTINUE. |
| 00:50:19 | THE THIRD ISSUE IS VOTER CHALLENGES. |
| 00:50:22 | THIS IS DONE IN A MORE FACE TO FACE, INTO MIDWAY. |
| 00:50:27 | IT IS DONE IN DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN AREAS. |
| 00:50:31 | -- IS A MORE FACE-TO-FACE WAY. |
| 00:50:36 | OFTEN, PEOPLE WILL GO IN AND TRY TO TAKE PEOPLE OFF OF THE ROLES LS. |
| 00:50:44 | WE LEARNED THIS WEEK THAT 30,000 PEOPLE IN NEW YORK RECEIVED A LETTER SAYING THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE REGISTRATION, RESPOND IN TWO WEEKS OR WE WILL TAKE YOUR NAME OFF THE ROLLS. |
| 00:51:01 | 3000 PEOPLE RESPONDED. |
| 00:51:04 | 20,000 PEOPLE DID NOT RESPOND. |
| 00:51:07 | WHEN THEY GO TO VOTE, THEIR VOTE WILL NOT COUNT. |
| 00:51:11 | WE'RE ALSO DISCOVERING THAT BECAUSE OF THE HIGH LEVEL OF FORECLOSURES, MANY PEOPLE ARE BEING TOLD THAT IF THEY ARE IN FORECLOSURE, THEY DO NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE. |
| 00:51:25 | VOTER CHALLENGES ARE IMPORTANT TO WATCH. |
| 00:51:28 | THIS IS IMPORTANT. |
| 00:51:31 | ALLOCATION OF VOTING MACHINES. |
| 00:51:33 | THE KENNEDY LIBRARY GIVES OUT A PROFILES IN COURAGE AWARD EACH YEAR. |
| 00:51:39 | THIS YEAR IT GAVE A PROFILES IN COURAGE AWARD TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE IN CALIFORNIA AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE IN OHIO, BOTH OF WHOM ARE NEW, BUT BOTH OF WHOM DECERTIFIED MACHINES THAT COULD BE HACKED INTO OR BROKEN, AND BOTH OF WHOM ARE WORKING HARD IN BOTH STATES TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROPER ALLOCATION OF VOTING MACHINES TAKES PLACE THIS YEAR, BECAUSE OF THE ENERGY AROUND THE VOTING, I HOPE THAT LOCAL OFFICIALS HAVE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE NEED TO HAVE ADEQUATE VOTING MACHINES, BUT ALSO, ADEQUATE PAPER BALLOTS IN CASE THOSE MACHINES FAIL. |
| 00:52:23 | VOTER REGISTRATION IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM. |
| 00:52:26 | WE DO NOT HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT AT THIS POINT BECAUSE IN MOST STATES, REGISTRATION HAS PASSED. |
| 00:52:32 | THERE ARE A FEW STATES THAT YOU CAN REGISTER ON THE DAY OF VOTING. |
| 00:52:36 | WE CELEBRATE THAT AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LOT OF STATES DOING THAT. |
| 00:52:39 | THE FINAL ISSUE THAT HAS NOT YET BEEN RAISED IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF AMERICAN UNIVERSITY POSTING THIS FORUM. |
| 00:52:50 | I URGE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO HELP US GET THE WORD OUT THAT STUDENTS HAVE A RIGHT TO VOTE. |
| 00:53:01 | HERE IN VIRGINIA, WE ARE CONCERNED BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME VOTING DISTRICTS IN VIRGINIA CLOSE TO UNIVERSITIES WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO TRY TO SUPPRESS THE VOTE BY SAYING THAT IF YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE ADDRESS IS THAT YOUR HOME, AND YOU'RE A VOTER REGISTRATION IS AT YOUR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY, YOU CANNOT VOTE. |
| 00:53:23 | HOGWASH. |
| 00:53:25 | YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE. |
| 00:53:29 | WE WANT TO SPREAD THE NEWS THAT STUDENTS NOT ONLY HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE, BUT NEED TO BE ENCOURAGED TO THE WORKERS AT THE POLLS. |
| 00:53:38 | WE HEARD FROM THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS THAT TRAINING OF POLL WORKERS, ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS IS THAT A LOT OF THESE MACHINES ARE COMPUTERS. |
| 00:53:50 | MANY OF THE POL WORKERS ARE 65- 95 YEAR OLD PERSONS WHO HAVE WORKED FOR GENERATIONS AT THE POLLS. |
| 00:54:00 | WE LOVE THAT. |
| 00:54:04 | MANY OF THEM, WHEN THE MACHINE BREAKS, YOU HAVE TO BRING IN AN IBM REPAIRMEN ARE SOME -- FOR SOMEONE FROM THE COMPANY AND HAS MADE THE MACHINE TO FIX IT. |
| 00:54:17 | OFTEN, THERE ARE POLL WORKERS THAT DO NOT KNOW HOW THE MACHINES WORK. |
| 00:54:23 | IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO PAY ATTENTION. |
| 00:54:27 | LET ME SHARE WITH YOU THREE WORDS. |
| 00:54:30 | REFORM. |
| 00:54:33 | WE NEED TO REFORM OUR VOTING PROCESS. |
| 00:54:36 | WE NEED FEDERAL STANDARDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. |
| 00:54:39 | SECOND, WE NEED ELECTION REGULATIONS THAT ARE FAIR AND TRANSPARENT ACROSS THE COUNTRY. |
| 00:54:45 | FINALLY, WE NEED A REASONABLE AND RATIONAL APPROACH IS TO OUR ELECTION. |
| 00:54:53 | RATIONAL, PRAGMATIC, REASONABLE, AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS IS WHERE PEOPLE, WHEN THEY GO TO VOTE, THEIR VOTE COUNTS. |
| 00:55:01 | IF YOU WANT A COPY OF A REPORT, YOU CAN FIND IT ON OUR WEBSITE, COMMONCAUSE. |
| 00:55:11 | ORG. IN 1966, BOBBY KENNEDY IN SOUTH AFRICA LOOKED AT THE TRAUMA OF SOUTH AFRICA AND SOME OF THE DISASTERS. |
| 00:55:18 | HE CAME AWAY SAYING THIS, "LET NO ONE BE DISCOURAGED BY THE BELIEF THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT ONE MAN OR ONE WOMAN CAN DO AGAINST THE ENORMOUS ARRAY OF THE WORLD'S ILLS, AND AGAINST MISERY, AND JUSTICE, OR VIOLENCE. |
| 00:55:36 | EACH OF US CAN WORK TO CHANGE A SMALL PORTION OF EVENTS SO THE AND THE TOTAL OF ALL THOSE ACTS WILL BE WRITTEN THE HISTORY OF OUR GENERATION. |
| 00:55:46 | " THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN MY LIFETIME, AND I THINK IN YOUR LIFETIME. |
| 00:55:53 | LET'S GET IT STRAIGHT IN 2008. |
| 00:56:00 | [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. |
| 00:56:02 | EDGAR. |
| 00:56:04 | IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT IN MY LIFETIME, AND THAT IS LONGER THAN YOURS. |
| 00:56:13 | I WENT TO -- I JUST WANT TO ASK YOU SOMETHING ABOUT PET THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS, AND WHAT IS COMMON CAUSE IN THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, FOR THAT MATTER BE AND WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING TO DO TO HELP OF VOTERS WHO ARE GOING TO SHOW UP AND AND MAYBE IN A LINE THAT IS EIGHT HOURS LONG OR SOMETHING? |
| 00:56:38 | ANY THING YOU INTENDED TO DO ABOUT IT? |
| 00:56:41 | >> WELL, ONE THING VOTERS CAN DO IS TRY TO GO IN THE OFF HOURS, SO WHEREVER WE HAVE LEADS THE PRESENT, WE TRY TO HAVE THEM TELL THE PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY THAT. |
| 00:56:51 | OF COURSE, THE BIG PEAK TIMES ARE RIPE FOR WORK AND RIGHT AFTER WORK. |
| 00:56:55 | ALSO, AT LEAST ONE-THIRD OF THE STATES NOW ALLOW EARLY VOTING OR VARIOUS VERSIONS OF ABSENTEE VOTING, AND THOUGH NOT EVERYBODY LIKES THAT, A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE TO GO TO THE POLLS AND HAVE THAT VOTING EXPERIENCE, CERTAINLY THAT WILL KEEP YOU OUT OF THE LONG LINE IF YOU APPLY FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT AND YOU EITHER GO IN PERSON, SOME ARE EARLY ABSENTEE, WHERE MAYBE YOU MAIL YOUR BALLOT BACK IN, SO THAT WOULD BE A WAY, PARTICULARLY FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE ELDERLY, OR WHERE THE PROSPECT OF STANDING FOR A LONG TIME TO BE A PROBLEM. |
| 00:57:31 | I WOULD CERTAINLY ENCOURAGE ABSENTEE, SO THOSE THINGS, USING OUR4 WEBSITE, 411, AND MAKING SURE YOU GO TO THE RIGHT PLACE. |
| 00:57:42 | -- USING OUR WEBSITE, A VOTE -- THE VOTE411. |
| 00:57:52 | -- VOTE411. |
| 00:57:54 | YOU CAN BE GIVEN A PROVISIONAL BALLOT, BUT IT IS NOT AS SATISFYING AS HAVING A REGULAR BALLOT, SO THOSE ARE AT LEAST A FEW OF THE TIPS, BUT IT IS EXCITING THAT IT WOULD BE SUCH A HIGH TURNOUT IN MOST COMMUNITIES, BUT, OBVIOUSLY, PEOPLE SHOULD THINK OF WAYS MANAGE THEIR OWN TIME. |
| 00:58:11 | >> I ASKED UNANIMOUS CONSENT TO AGREE WITH EVERYTHING SHE JUST SAID, BUT I WOULD LIKE AT SOME OTHER POSSIBILITIES -- THIS IS FOR YOUR NEXT PANEL AND THE DAY AFTER THE ELECTION WHICH I THINK, NOVEMBER 5 BEGINS TO HARD WORK. |
| 00:58:25 | NOT ONLY HARD WORK IN TERMS OF GETTING A FUTURE ELECTION PROCESS RIGHT, BUT GETTING GOVERNMENT RIGHT. |
| 00:58:32 | WE HAVE SEEN THE FINANCIAL TSUNAMI WE HAVE, HEALTH CARE CHALLENGES, THE INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGES WE HAVE -- WE HAVE TO GET DEMOCRACY RIGHT MOVING FORWARD. |
| 00:58:43 | I WOULD JUST ADD TO THINK WHAT NANCY SAID. |
| 00:58:45 | WE SHOULD HAVE 24-HOUR VOTING. |
| 00:58:48 | IT SHOULD START AND END AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME SO THAT WHAT STARTS IN NEW YORK AND ENDS IN HAWAII AT THE SAME MINUTE SO THAT YOU HAVE THAT 24 HOURS. |
| 00:59:00 | SECOND, I THINK WE SHOULD GIVE A DAY OFF FOR BOATING, ESPECIALLY ON MAJOR FEDERAL ELECTIONS. |
| 00:59:06 | I DON'T THINK -- WE SHOULD TAKE A DAY OFF FOR COLUMBUS DAY OR NATIVE AMERICAN DAY -- WE TAKE A DAY OFF FOR HOLIDAYS. |
| 00:59:17 | WHY CAN WE NOT TAKE A DAY OFF IF WE THINK BOATING IS THAT IMPORTANT? |
| 00:59:23 | -- VOTING IS THAT IMPORTANT. |
| 00:59:26 | GIVE PEOPLE ACCESS TO VOTING AND CELEBRATE THESE THINGS LIKE A SAME-DAY REGISTRATION AND WHENEVER WE CAN DO TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE. |
| 00:59:32 | IF WE THINK DEMOCRACY WORKS BECAUSE WE GET SOME SENSE OF WHAT THE MAJORITY THINGS, THERE SHOULD BE A MAJORITY VOTE. |
| 00:59:42 | >> YES? |
| 00:59:46 | >> [INAUDIBLE] IF WE COULD FEDERALIZE WALL STREET AND THE BANKS, WHAT IS THE RESISTANCE, WHERE IS THE POLITICAL RESISTANCE COMING FROM FROM FEDERALIZING FEDERAL ELECTIONS? |
| 00:59:58 | >> IS MOSTLY COMING FROM THE STATES. |
| 01:00:01 | THIS IS A BIG STATE'S RIGHTS ISSUE AND GOES BACK TO THE CONSTITUTION. |
| 01:00:06 | CLEARLY THERE WOULD BE A LOT OF ADVANTAGES EVEN IF YOU DID NOT FEDERALIZE IT, AND UP UNTIL TWO WEEKS AGO IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NO NO WORD. |
| 01:00:14 | IT IS NOW ACCEPTABLE. |
| 01:00:16 | CLEARLY, UNIFORMITY WOULD BE A TREMENDOUS ADVANTAGE AND MINIMIZE PROBLEMS THAT WE SEE. |
| 01:00:23 | COMMON CAUSE, AND OURSELVES, WE WORKED ON HELP AMERICA BOAT ACT. |
| 01:00:26 | SOME OF THE BIGGEST PUSH BACK CAME FROM THE STATE'S NOT WANTING TO GIVE UP THEIR OWN AUTHORITIES. |
| 01:00:34 | -- HELP AMERICA VOTE PACT. |
| 01:00:36 | >> WE NEED TO REVISIT THE ISSUE IN THE LEGISLATION THAT WAS PASSED, IT IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THERE WAS A FEDERAL SHAPE OR PRINCIPAL PUT IN PLACE FOR ELECTIONS. |
| 01:00:50 | I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP AND THAT IS FOR FEDERAL ELECTIONS, WE NEED FEDERAL STANDARDS, WE NEED FEDERAL PROCESSES, AND WE NEED TO INVEST IN HAVING AN ELECTION THAT IS THE SAME IN TENNESSEE AS IT IS IN ALASKA. |
| 01:01:07 | WE OUGHT NOT TO SEE THE PROLIFERATION. |
| 01:01:11 | IF WE CAN FEDERALIZE FREDDIE MAC AND FANNIE MAE AND AIG, I THINK WE CAN INTRUDE IF THE STATES AND LOCALITIES WANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE CONTROL OVER THEIR VOTING PROCESSES, LET'S CELEBRATE THAT AND LET THEM HAVE THEM. |
| 01:01:29 | BUT IF THIS IS A FEDERAL ELECTION FOR A FEDERAL OFFICE, IT OUGHT TO HAVE FEDERAL STANDARDS. |
| 01:01:41 | >> THIS IS WHAT THE ISSUE IS -- ALL TRUCKEE CENTRALIZATION. |
| 01:01:46 | THE ISSUE OF OVERCOMING -- AN ULTRA DE CENTRALIZATION. |
| 01:01:52 | MANY OF THE FUNCTIONS WHERE YOU NEED ALARMS AT THE CENTRAL LEVEL, I'VE TALKED TO MANY OF MY WIFE'S FRIENDS AND FRIENDS IN GERMANY AND SWITZERLAND AND THEY ARE AMAZED WE DO NOT -- DON'T HAVE A COMMON BALANCE THE WHOLE COUNTRY. |
| 01:02:07 | WE DO NOT HAVE AN ELECTION MANAGEMENT BODY. |
| 01:02:10 | THAT WE DO NOT HAVE CAMPAIGN FINANCING RULES THAT ARE MORE TIGHTLY ENFORCED FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. |
| 01:02:18 | THEY ARE AMAZED WE HAVE THAT. |
| 01:02:21 | WE CAN BE, BUT IN THEORY AS AMERICANS WE KNOW THAT 50 STATES ARE 50 STATES AND MANY HAVE 13,000 JURISDICTIONS THAT ARE VERY JEALOUS ABOUT WHAT THEY DO. |
| 01:02:31 | THEY DO NOT WANT, AND BALANCE. |
| 01:02:33 | THEY SAY IT'S A GREAT IDEA BUT WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO IT. |
| 01:02:37 | IF YOU DO THAT, YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT SPENDING MONEY FOR NATIONALIZATION OF THE ELECTION SYSTEM WHICH SOUNDS BAD, BUT IT IS RATIONAL, LOGICAL AND IT SHOULD BE. |
| 01:02:48 | IT IS WHAT SHOULD BE DONE. |
| 01:02:50 | >> WITH ME JUST ADD AN ADDITIONAL WORD -- I MEANT TO SAY THIS IN MY LONG COMMENTS. |
| 01:02:56 | AT COMMON CAUSE, WE ARE WORKING WITH AN ISSUE CALLED NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE AND THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS IS STUDYING THAT ISSUE. |
| 01:03:04 | WHAT I DO NOT THINK A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE KNOW TODAY -- IT IS POSSIBLE IN THIS ELECTION, ONE CANDIDATE COULD WIN THE POPULAR VOTE BY 5 MILLION VOTES AND LOSE THE ELECTION BECAUSE OF THE BATTLEGROUND STATES AND GETTING 271 ELECTORAL VOTES. |
| 01:03:24 | I AM PLEASED SO MANY STATES ARE NOW LOOKING AT VOTING AN INTERSTATE-COMPACT THAT WOULD HOPEFULLY BY THE YEAR 2012, THE PERSON WHO WINS THE NATIONAL VOTE WILL IN FACT BECOME THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. |
| 01:03:46 | WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A DIFFICULT TIMES ON OUR HANDS IF ONE CANDIDATE WINS THE POPULAR VOTE AND YET BECAUSE OF THE TARGETED EFFORTS AND IN PLACES LIKE FLORIDA, PENNSYLVANIA, OHIO AND NEW MEXICO -- THERE ARE FEW MORE BATTLEGROUND STATES THIS YEAR -- THAT ELECTION IS TAKEN AWAY FROM THE POPULAR VOTE. |
| 01:04:09 | IT IS ONE THING IN 2000 TO HAVE IT BE A VERY CLOSE VOTE, BUT THIS IS A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, AND THEY'RE VOTING FOR A CANDIDATE, THEY WILL FEEL AS THOUGH THEIR BOAT DOES NOT COUNT. |
| 01:04:25 | THAT'S GOING TO GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK STATE-BY- STATE ABOUT NATIONAL ELECTIONS, PRESIDENT POPULARITY, AND GIVE US SOME CHANCES TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT. |
| 01:04:40 | MANY STATE LEGISLATURES HAVE ALREADY VOTED TO SUPPORT NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE. |
| 01:04:45 | IT HAS PASSED IN FOUR STATES AND IS PENDING IN THE 11 OTHERS. |
| 01:04:50 | ONCE THE INTERSTATE COMPACT PASSES IN IN THE STATE'S, IT COVERS 271 ELECTORAL VOTES, IT BECOMES LAW OF THE LAND AND YOU DO NOT HAVE TO CHANGE THE CONSTITUTION TO DO THAT. |
| 01:05:04 | >> YES? |
| 01:05:10 | >> THANK YOU. |
| 01:05:13 | IF THE PAST IS PROLOGUE, I THINK MOST OF BRIDGET MUCH OF THE DISTRUST IN THE SYSTEM IS BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN NO RATIONAL EXPLANATION ABOUT EXIT POLLING DATA IN 2004 AND THE ACTUAL VOTE COUNT, PARTICULARLY IN 11 SPRING STATES -- 11 SWING STATES, IF NOT MORE. |
| 01:05:37 | PERHAPS THAT INFORMATION'S IS AVAILABLE, BUT CAN YOU OFFER ANY BASIC IN -- A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE DISPARITY REPRESENTED AND WHY IS IT THAT IN OTHER COUNTRIES LIKE UKRAINE WE THROW OUT AN ELECTION ON THE BASIS OF THAT DISPARITY. |
| 01:05:53 | IN THIS COUNTRY, IT GOES RELATIVELY UNNOTICED IN THE ACADEMIC OR IN THE MEDIA? |
| 01:06:02 | >> LET ME SAY QUICK WORD -- ON TUESDAY NIGHT IN THE NEW YORK, I WAS A PARTICIPANT AND A COMMON CAUSE BOOK PARTY FOR AN AUTHOR, MARK MILLER, WHO HAS WRITTEN A BOOK AND IF YOU GOOGLE HIS NAME, BUT IT IS ONLY ON THE ISSUE OF FLORIDA AND OHIO -- HE BELIEVES IT IS ABOUT ELECTIONS DEALING THAT TOOK PLACE. |
| 01:06:34 | I'M NOT SURE OF ALL HIS FACTS AND FIGURES, BUT IT IS A HELPFUL REVIEW OF THE ACTUAL DETAILS. |
| 01:06:40 | I WOULD HOPE IF THAT OCCURS EITHER AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, CONGRESSIONAL LEVEL, THE SENATE, OR THE PRESIDENTIAL LEVEL, THAT THE PERSON WHO LOSES THAT CLOSE ELECTION WOULD CAUSE BEFORE THEY STAND BEFORE THE CAMERAS AND CONCEDE. |
| 01:06:58 | I THINK NOT ONLY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT ONE VOTE IS COUNTED AND EVERY VOTE IS COUNTED, BUT IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT FOR US TO SEE WHERE POSSIBLE MANIPULATION COULD TAKE PLACE. |
| 01:07:16 | BECAUSE SENATOR JOHN KERRY CONCEDED SO QUICKLY, IT WAS NOT UNTIL YEARS AFTER THE 2004 ELECTION THAT A CAREFUL ANALYSIS COULD TAKE PLACE. |
| 01:07:26 | IN SOME INSTANCES, BECAUSE OF THE CONCESSION, THE BALLOTS WERE DESTROYED QUICKLY AND YOU COULD NOT MONITOR THE ISSUES. |
| 01:07:37 | SO YOU RAISE AN IMPORTANT ISSUE. |
| 01:07:39 | I AM TROUBLED WE'RE NOT MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, AND OTHER COUNTRIES THEY ARE OBVIOUSLY MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE MANIPULATION OF THE VOTE. |
| 01:07:50 | COMMON CAUSE AND THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE WE GET IT STRAIGHT IN 2008. |
| 01:07:57 | >> WHAT I RECALL AS THE EXPLANATION FOR SOME OF THAT WAS FAULTY STATISTICAL PRACTICE. |
| 01:08:05 | THEY WERE PULLING PEOPLE COMING OUT THAT TURNED OUT LATER TO BE TOO HEAVILY WEIGHTED TOWARD THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE AND THAT THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE LARGER SAMPLE. |
| 01:08:15 | I CANNOT SPEAK TO THAT IN DETAIL, THAT THE EXPLANATION THE GAME AGAINST THE ACCEPTED THAT. |
| 01:08:20 | ON OUR END, -- AS THE EXPLANATION HE GAVE. |
| 01:08:25 | ON OUR END, WE WOULD BE INCLINED TO THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER IF THEY DID NOT RELEASE THE POLLS BECAUSE IT INFLUENCES BOATERS ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, WHETHER IT'S ACCURATE OR NOT. |
| 01:08:35 | -- IT INFLUENCES OF VOTERS. |
| 01:08:38 | THEY SAID A CANDIDATE IS TOO FAR BEHIND I DON'T HAVE TO GO. |
| 01:08:41 | IT UNDERMINES THE ONE PERSON-ONE VOTE IDEA. |
| 01:08:44 | WE ARE ALSO NOT CRAZY ABOUT THE IDEA OF CALLING THE ELECTION WHEN PEOPLE IN CALIFORNIA AND HAWAII HAVE NOT VOTED YET. |
| 01:08:51 | EVEN WHEN THE DATE IS CORRECT, -- EVEN WHEN THE DATE IS CORRECT, IT CAN HAVE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACTS. |
| 01:08:58 | WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE AND THE NUMBERS DO MATTER, WHETHER IT IS CLOSED OR LARGE, YOU FEEL BETTER PARTICIPATING AND KNOW THAT YOU PARTICIPATED AND EVERYONE ELSE WILL KNOW AND THE SYSTEM WILL BE BETTER FOR IT. |
| 01:09:14 | >> YES? |
| 01:09:16 | >> YOU ALL POINTED TO A LARGE VARIETY OF PROBLEMS WE ARE TO EXPECT IN THE NEXT ELECTION AND PROBABLY IN FUTURE ELECTIONS, BUT IF YOU TO PINPOINT A FEW PROBLEM AREAS FOR THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION THAT NEED URGENT ATTENTION, WHAT WOULD THOSE AREAS BE AND WHAT IS YOUR CRITERIA FOR SELECTING? |
| 01:09:36 | >> AS I INDICATED, IN THE SHORT TERM THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS GOING TO BE AT THE POLLING PLACE WAS NOT ENOUGH POLL WORKERS OR NOT ENOUGH PULL WORKERS EQUIPPED TO HANDLE THE MACHINES. |
| 01:09:50 | I LIVE IN VIRGINIA AND I KNOW THERE ARE GOING -- THEY ARE GOING TO BE PUTTING IN NEW MACHINES NONE OF US HAVE USED BEFORE IN MANY PLACES. |
| 01:09:57 | ALL THAT, PLUS COMBINED WITH HIGH TURNOUT WILL MAKE FOR VERY LONG LINES AND WE HAVE SEEN AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT A LOT PEOPLE CANNOT WAIT MORE THAN ONE HOUR. |
| 01:10:06 | AND THEN THEY GO AND OFTEN CANNOT COME BACK AND THAT MEANS THEY DID NOT GET TO VOTE AT ALL. |
| 01:10:13 | SO THE LABOR SIDE OF THIS, THE WORKFORCE ISSUES ARE SO UNDER PLAYED AND WE BELIEVE THEY HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY UNDER PLAYED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS WHEN ALL THE ATTENTION HAS BEEN ON THE MACHINES. |
| 01:10:24 | SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS COULD DEFINITELY OCCUR WITH MACHINES BUT WE SEE ALL THE TIME PROBLEMS DO OCCUR THAT NOT ALL POLL WORKERS KNOW THE CORRECT RULES, THEY TURN PEOPLE AWAY WHEN THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING ELSE. |
| 01:10:36 | THEY SHOULD FIND A WAY FOR THEM TO VOTE. |
| 01:10:39 | BUT AT THIS POINT, EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A CHANCE TO VOTE, YOU SHOULD NEVER BE TURNED AWAY. |
| 01:10:43 | IT MIGHT BE THAT AFTER VOTING A PROVISIONAL BALLOT IT CANNOT BE COUNTED BECAUSE YOU WERE NOT REGISTERED, BUT THERE SHOULD BE NO ONE TURNED AWAY BUT PEOPLE GET TURNED AWAY BECAUSE THE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND AT THE MOMENT AND TIME ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO DO THE JOB. |
| 01:11:00 | >> MY NUMBER ONE THING IS TO WORK ON SOMETHING CONGRESSMAN RUSH POLLED HAS BEEN A LEADER ON. |
| 01:11:06 | HE HAS BEEN -- @@@@@@@@)2B2K4@ @ H2g B2@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ H2@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AND THERE ARE SOME COMPANIES THAT MAKE ACTUAL MACHINES. |
| 01:11:23 | WE HAVE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE PARTICULAR COMPANIES ARE FREE OF ANY BIAS AND FULLY TRANSPARENT, AND ONE OF THE WAYS TO DO THAT, NUMBER ONE, WE NEED TO WORK ON MAKING SURE THAT WE GET ELECTION MACHINES THAT ARE STANDARDIZED OR HAVE A PAPER TRAIL AND WORK, AND CONGRESS CAN HELP PUT SOME MONEY BEHIND IT. |
| 01:11:54 | WITH THESE BAILOUTS, WE COULD FIND $1 BILLION TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS A MACHINE THAT COULD BE ABLE TO HAVE A RECOUNT DONE AND THAT HAS A PAPER TRAIL. |
| 01:12:08 | TO REINVENT CIVIC EDUCATION. |
| 01:12:10 | THERE ARE A NUMBER PEOPLE GOING TO THE POLLS THAT HAVE EITHER SKIPPED OVER OR HAVE AVOIDED ANY KIND OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT DEMOCRACY MEANS. |
| 01:12:18 | ONE OF THE REASONS I WANT TO HAVE A RIGHT OF PASSAGE AT AGE 18 IS TO GIVE SOMEBODY A CONSTITUTION AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO READ IT SO THEY KNOW WHAT THE CONSTITUTION SAYS AND WHAT IT IS ABOUT. |
| 01:12:29 | THEY KNOW WHAT DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT. |
| 01:12:31 | IF WE THINK VOTING IS IMPORTANT AND OTHER NATIONS, WE SHOULD GET IT STRAIGHT HERE. |
| 01:12:37 | CIVIC EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT. |
| 01:12:39 | AND FINALLY, WHICH RELATES TO MY FIRST POINT, I WOULD LIKE EVERYONE TO TAKE A LOOK PUBLIC FINANCING. |
| 01:12:45 | NOT JUST AT THE PRESIDENTIAL LEVEL WHICH IS BROKEN AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED, BUT WE'RE SUPPORTING SOMETHING CALLED THE DURBAN-SPECTER BILL -- THE LARSEN BILL IN THE HOUSE ON PUBLIC FINANCING FOR HOUSE AND SENATE RACES. |
| 01:12:57 | BUT EQUALLY IMPORTANT, WE WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN CONNECTICUT THIS YEAR, 80% OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN CONNECTICUT IS VOLUNTARILY ACCEPTING PUBLIC FINANCING AND WE WANT TO LOOK AT THE MODEL OF HOW THAT HELPS TO ELECT TO OFFICE WHO ARE COMMITTED -- WHO ARE NOT COMMITTED TO A SPECIAL INTEREST CONCERN. |
| 01:13:20 | FINALLY, WE'RE TRYING TO SPEND -- TRY -- TRYING TO SPREAD THE VIRUS CITY BY CITY AND COUNTY BY COUNTY. |
| 01:13:27 | IN ALBUQUERQUE, THERE IS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER AND THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS ON THE FRONT PAGES, BUT THERE IS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WHO SITS ON CITY COUNCIL BECAUSE OF PUBLIC FINANCING. |
| 01:13:38 | IN MAINE, THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF THE MAINE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IS A 31 YEAR OLD WOMAN THAT -- AND THAT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED WITHOUT PUBLIC FINANCING. |
| 01:13:50 | WHERE IT RELATES TO THE ELECTION PROCESS, YOU SHOULD CHECK MUCH MONEY SOME OF THE ELECTION MACHINERY COMPANIES HAVE FUNNELED INTO MAKING SURE THEIR MACHINES ARE ACTUALLY USED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. |
| 01:14:06 | IT IS VERY HARD TO KNOW HOW MANY LOCAL OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN SUPPORTED WITH MONEY FOR THEIR ELECTIONS OR MONEY FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES IF THEY TAKE PARTICULAR KINDS OF MACHINES. |
| 01:14:23 | IF YOU HAD PUBLIC FINANCING IN FULL TRANSPARENCY OF THE PURCHASE OF THOSE MACHINES, MAYBE WE GET TO A POINT WHERE IT WORKS. |
| 01:14:30 | MY STAFF DOES NOT WANT TO USE THIS ILLUSTRATION, BUT WHEN YOU GUYS GO TO THE ATM AND GET $200 OUT OR $100 OUT, YOU GET A PIECE OF PAPER. |
| 01:14:41 | THAT LITTLE PIECE OF PAPER TELLS YOU THAT HAS BEEN DEDUCTED FROM YOUR ACCOUNT. |
| 01:14:46 | IT DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK, IT'S NOT ALWAYS COMPLETELY PERFECT, BUT IT WORKS BETTER THAN SOME OF THE VOTING MACHINES. |
| 01:14:53 | SO WE HAVE TO GET THE VOTING TECHNOLOGY RIGHT AND WE HAVE TO GET MONEY OUT OF POLITICS. |
| 01:15:01 | >> I THINK THE MOST OBVIOUS PROBLEM FOR THE NEXT PRESIDENT IS THE LACK OF PREDICTED A MANAGEMENT THEORY. |
| 01:15:11 | I'M JUST KIDDING. |
| 01:15:15 | LAUGH. >> THERE IS A THEORY ABOUT THAT. |
| 01:15:20 | >> I THINK ONE THING THAT SEEMS TO BE MISSING AND THAT IS THE TRAINING OF POLL WORKERS. |
| 01:15:30 | EAC HAS GRACE INITIALLY GIVING AS GRANTS AND WE ARE CURRENTLY -- HAS GRACIOUSLY GIVEN US AGAIN -- GRACIOUSLY GIVEN US A GRANTS. |
| 01:15:41 | BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE MONEY FOR THIS. |
| 01:15:43 | THEY HAND OUT A FEW GRANTS A YEAR AND IT IS PITIFULLY SMALL. |
| 01:15:46 | BUT THESE GRANTS ARE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE AND THEY ARE HELPING TO RECRUIT AND TRAIN A NUMBER OF COLLEGE POLL WORKERS ACROSS A LARGE BENEFIT DISTRICT, IF YOU WILL. |
| 01:15:58 | SO THE NEXT PRESIDENT SHOULD VERY SIMPLY SAY MORE MONEY FOR EAC, MAYBE 100 TIMES MORE MONEY BECAUSE THAT'S FOR POLL WORKERS COME FROM AND THAT'S WHERE THE ELECTION SYSTEM WILL GET BETTER AND OR THE LEGITIMACY WILL BE IMPROVED BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE POLL WORKERS THAT CAN READ AND WRITE AND THEN OPERATE THE VOTING MACHINES. |
| 01:16:16 | IT WILL BE MORE LEGITIMATE. |
| 01:16:20 | >> YOU BASICALLY ANSWERED MY QUESTION. |
| 01:16:23 | ALL THREE HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT THE MANAGEMENT AS AN ISSUE FOR WHY THE ELECTION SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK. |
| 01:16:30 | MY QUESTION IS, IS IT A LACK OF ADEQUATE FUNDING, OBVIOUSLY TRAINING IS NECESSARY, BUT PERHAPS WE HAVE NOT LOOKED INTO THE ADEQUATE FUNDING TO PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT MANAGEMENT LEVELS THAT CAN ALLOW ELECTION SYSTEMS WITHIN STATES TO WORK. |
| 01:16:55 | IS THAT SOMETHING YOU CAN ADDRESS? |
| 01:16:58 | >> I WOULD SAY ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES FOR A LOT OF THESE THINGS IS THAT THE SYSTEM IS SO DECENTRALIZED, AS YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD. |
| 01:17:07 | THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PLAYS A MINIMAL ROLE. |
| 01:17:09 | THE AGENCY WE ARE SPEAKING OF THE SMALL AND DOESN'T HAVE MUCH CLOUT OR MONEY. |
| 01:17:13 | MOST ELECTIONS HISTORICALLY AND NOW ARE RUN BY THE STATES WITH MUCH OF THE REAL THINGS IN THE LOCALITIES. |
| 01:17:24 | BUT A TINY SPREAD DOWN THE LINE, THERE IS A LACK TO PUSH BEST PRACTICES THROUGH ALL THOSE PEOPLE. |
| 01:17:30 | THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS AND THE POLL WORKERS AND ELECTION PEOPLE WITHOUT A GOOD WAY OF GETTING TRAIN OR HEARING ABOUT BEST PRACTICES TYPICALLY IN MANY COUNTY GOVERNMENTS WHICH ARE THE ENTITIES THAT RUN ELECTIONS, THEY ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FOOD CHAIN IN THE FUNDING OF THEIR OWN COMMUNITY BECAUSE COMPARED TO THE GARBAGE AND SCHOOLS AND SO FORTH, PEOPLE'S PERCEPTION, AND ONLY COMES UP EVERY FEW YEARS. |
| 01:17:52 | IF THE WHOLE COUNTRY OF PEOPLE AND THIS MAY BE RICHER. |
| 01:17:56 | , -- THE CADRE OF PEOPLE WERE IN TO MANAGE THE WAY OF THINKING IT WOULD BE A BIG ADVANTAGE. |
| 01:18:03 | IT'S HOW TO SPREAD IDEAS, A SIMPLER -- A SIMPLE WORD DISSEMINATION SYSTEM. |
| 01:18:10 | THEY'RE ALL DIFFICULT WHEN EVERYBODY IS SPREAD OUT ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND WHEN MONEY IS SHORT AT EVERY LEVEL. |
| 01:18:16 | IT JUST COMPOUNDS THE PROBLEM. |
| 01:18:18 | >> I WOULD SAY THE ECONOMIC TSUNAMI THAT OCCURRED TWO WEEKS AGO IS GOING TO HAVE A MASS OF THE FACT AND COUNTY GOVERNMENTS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE AT THE THING -- AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FOOD CHAIN. |
| 01:18:33 | THEY WILL BE LET GO OR MINIMIZED OR OFFICES ARE GOING TO SHRINK. |
| 01:18:39 | I WOULD JUST ADD ONE OTHER THING. |
| 01:18:41 | I KNOW I SPEAK TO MUCH ABOUT PUBLIC FINANCING, BUT GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER SIGNED INTO LAW THIS WEEK ONE OF THREE BILLS THAT COMMON CAUSE WAS WORKING ON. |
| 01:18:51 | THE ONE HE SIGNED, HE SIGNED TWO OF THE THREE -- BUT THE ONE HE SIGNED I AM MOST PLEASED ABOUT IS A TEST TO USE PUBLIC FINANCING TO ELECT THE SECRETARY OF STATE IN CALIFORNIA IN 2010. |
| 01:19:06 | SO THAT THAT PERSON DOES NOT HAVE TO GO OUT AND RAISE MONEY FROM CORPORATIONS AND COMPANIES AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES. |
| 01:19:14 | SOME OF THE BIAS GETS OUT OF THE ELECTION THAT WAY. |
| 01:19:19 | I WAS ELECTED IN THE MOST REPUBLICAN DISTRICTS IN THE NATION. |
| 01:19:24 | MY DISTRICT HAD NOT ELECTED A DEMOCRAT SINCE 1858. |
| 01:19:28 | IT WAS USED AS THE REPUBLICAN EXAMPLE OF THE OLD MAYOR DALEY'S CHICAGO. |
| 01:19:35 | PATRONAGE. |
| 01:19:36 | THE WAY PEOPLE KEPT CONTROL, BOTH IN DEMOCRATIC-CONTROLLED AREAS AND REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED AREAS WAS USING PARTY WORKERS WHO WERE COUNTY WORKERS TO MANAGE THE POLLING PLACES. |
| 01:19:52 | WE HAD ONE SETTING IN THIS CITY OF CHESTER WHICH RANKED THIRD IN LEVEL OF STRESS. |
| 01:19:57 | THERE WAS A HIGH RISE SENIOR CITIZEN APARTMENT AND THE VOTING MACHINES WERE AT THE BASE OF THE ELEVATOR. |
| 01:20:04 | THE OTHER PARTY HAD A CHICKEN DINNER OVER LUNCH FOR EVERYBODY WHO LIVED IN THE SENIOR CITIZEN HIGH-RISE AT THE BASE OF THE ELEVATORS. |
| 01:20:15 | BUT THE OPPOSITE PARTY HAD TO STAY OUTSIDE DOOR BECAUSE YOU HAD SO MANY FEET FROM A POLLING PLACE THERE. |
| 01:20:25 | THERE ARE A LOT OF PARTISAN- SHAPING OF THE ELECTION MANAGEMENT AND WITH THE FINANCIAL EXIGENCY, IT WILL GET EVEN WORSE. |
| 01:20:37 | >> YES? |
| 01:20:38 | >> I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE PANEL. |
| 01:20:42 | PARTICULARLY THE LEADERSHIP OF NANCY AND BOB AND THEIR ORGANIZATIONS. |
| 01:20:46 | THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS AND COMMON CAUSE ARE TWO OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS IN AMERICA. |
| 01:20:52 | THAT IS KEY TO DEMOCRACY. |
| 01:20:54 | LET ME RESPOND TO THE QUESTION ABOUT EXIT POLLING. |
| 01:20:58 | EXIT POLLING IS NOT VERY RELIABLE. |
| 01:21:01 | THE TRAGEDY IS NOT ONLY DO THE NETWORKS USE IT, BUT OUR ELECTION OFFICIALS PREVIOUSLY USED IT TO PUT UP THE INITIAL RESULTS. |
| 01:21:11 | WHAT HAPPENS IN THE UKRAINE AND OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD IN WHICH YOU HEAR IT BE OVERTURNED IS NOT BECAUSE OF EXIT POLLING. |
| 01:21:20 | IT IS BECAUSE OF A TECHNIQUE CALLED A QUICK COUNT. |
| 01:21:24 | THAT'S A RANDOM SAMPLE OF ELECTION RESULTS. |
| 01:21:27 | AFTER THE VOTES ARE COUNTED LOCAL AREAS, THEY DO A RANDOM SAMPLE OF THE AREAS AND BASED ON THAT, THEY CAN PREDICT WITH A CERTAIN MARGIN OF ERROR THE FINAL RESULT. |
| 01:21:39 | IN MEXICO, THEY DID A QUICK COUNT, THE BEST I'VE SEEN IN THE WORLD, AND WHICH THE MARGIN OF ERA WAS DOWN TO -- MARCH OF ERROR WAS FOUND TO 0. |
| 01:21:48 | 3% AND SO WAS RESULT AS IT TURNED OUT. |
| 01:21:50 | BUT THEY DID AN EXCELLENT JOB. |
| 01:21:52 | THE TRAGEDY IN AMERICA IS THAT WE RELY ON EXIT POLLING TO MUCH, NOT ONLY FOR THE NEWS, BUT FOR OFFICIAL RESULTS. |
| 01:22:06 | [INAUDIBLE] ] >> WE DON'T HAVE AS WE HAVE HEARD FROM ALL THE PANELS, A GOVERNMENT IN CHARGE OF OUR ELECTIONS. |
| 01:22:13 | WE HAVE 13,000 GOVERNMENTS IN CHARGE OF THE ELECTION. |
| 01:22:17 | THEREFORE, THERE IS NO UNIFORMITY IN A DIMENSION, LET ALONE IN DOING A QUICK COUNT. |
| 01:22:25 | MY QUESTION IS ACTUALLY FOR BOB -- IN THE CARTER-ACRE COMMISSION, PERHAPS THE MOST -- CARTER-BAKER COMMISSION, THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE DEALT WITH WITH IDENTIFICATION. |
| 01:22:38 | WE JUDGED IT -- 18 OUT OF 21 MEMBERS -- THAT BOTH THE CONCERNS OF REPUBLICANS WHICH WAS ABOUT BALLOT INTEGRITY AND CONCERN ABOUT DEMOCRATS, WHICH WAS ABOUT BALLOT ACCESS WERE LEGITIMATE. |
| 01:22:52 | INDEED, YOU CANNOT HAVE AN ELECTION THAT DOES NOT TAKE BOTH INTO ACCOUNT. |
| 01:22:57 | EVEN THOUGH THE EVIDENCE OF FRAUD WAS VERY SMALL, EVEN A LITTLE BIT, OR EVEN THE FEAR OF IT, THE PERCEPTION OF IT WAS SUFFICIENTLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU NEED TO FIND WAYS TO ADDRESS IT. |
| 01:23:09 | SO WE CAME UP WITH A COMPROMISE WHICH SAID, IT WAS BASED PARTLY ON OUR READING THAT IDENTIFICATION WAS GOING TO BE MOVING AHEAD ANYWAY. |
| 01:23:20 | AS INDEED THEY DID. |
| 01:23:25 | TIME WE FINISHED OUR REPORT, TO 28 STATES TODAY. |
| 01:23:30 | AS WE LATER FOUND, MOST PEOPLE DO FEEL IT IS PROPER TO SHOW A PHOTO IDENTIFICATION WHEN THEY GO THE. |
| 01:23:46 | -- WHEN THEY GO VOTE. |
| 01:23:48 | AS A COMPROMISE WITH THIS -- IDEAS ARE LEGITIMATE, BUT IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STATE TO GO OUT AND MAKE SURE DOES NOT USE IN A WAY THAT WILL DISENFRANCHISE. |
| 01:23:58 | INDEED, IT SHOULD USE IN A WAY THAT EXPANDS THE BASE. |
| 01:24:03 | THE MOBILE UNIT REGISTRATION AND OTHERS. |
| 01:24:07 | UNFORTUNATELY, THE COMPROMISE WE PROPOSE HAS NOT REALLY BEEN APPROVED ANYWHERE. |
| 01:24:11 | AS A RESULT, ABOUT ONE YEAR AGO, THEY WENT OUT AND TRY TO STEADY THREE STATES IN THEIR POLLING. |
| 01:24:18 | WHAT WE FOUND SURPRISED US. |
| 01:24:20 | THE FIRST THING WE FOUND WAS THAT MOST PEOPLE WHO HAVE REGISTERED ALMOST EVERYBODY WHO HAS REGISTERED HAVE A PHOTO ID. |
| 01:24:32 | ALMOST EVERYBODY. IN INDIANA, IT WAS 1. |
| 01:24:35 | 2% IT DID NOT. |
| 01:24:36 | SO THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS PROBLEM. |
| 01:24:38 | SECOND, TWO-THIRDS OF THE PEOPLE WE PULLED IN THREE STATES SAID THEY HAD GREATER CONFIDENCE IN THE SYSTEM IF THEIR PHOTO I. |
| 01:24:48 | D. WAS REQUESTED. IF THAT WAS PART OF IT. |
| 01:24:50 | SO THE QUESTION FOR YOU AND FOR BOTH OF YOU IS THAT -- IF THAT IS IN FACT THE CASE, GIVEN WHAT HE SAID ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF UNIFORMITY OF STANDARDS, INDEED AFFECT THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED MAY BE A SOURCE OF DISCRIMINATION. |
| 01:25:08 | WOULD YOU BE IN FAVOR OF A BROADER UNIFORM STANDARD THAT INVOLVED THE PHOTO ID THAT COULD IN FACT EVEN MOVE TO THE POINT OF HAVING A NATIONAL ID THAT COULD BE USED FOR MANY OTHER PURPOSES INSTEAD OF THE MANY DIFFERENT ONES THAT EXISTED, THAT EXIST RIGHT NOW. |
| 01:25:28 | AND, WHEN A PERSON TURNS THE DEBATE TEAM, THEY REGISTER FOR LIFE WITH THIS PHOTO ID. |
| 01:25:34 | THEREFORE THEY CAN USE IT VERY EASILY WHEN THEY MOVE FROM ONE DISTRICT TO ANOTHER. |
| 01:25:41 | >> IT'S INTERESTING THAT 18- YEAR-OLD PICTURES WOULD NOT CHANGE WHEN THEY BECOME 65. |
| 01:25:47 | >> THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF IT. |
| 01:25:50 | [LAUGHTER] I HAVE WATCHED THE A OBITUARY PAGES AT MY AGE AND I HAVE SEEN PEOPLE USE PICTURES THAT ARE DIFFERENT THAN THEIR AGE. |
| 01:26:00 | FOR NOW, I SUPPORT THE VOTER I. |
| 01:26:07 | D. REQUIREMENTS THE DAY AFTER THIS ELECTION, I THINK IT IS A LEGITIMATE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT MAKES SENSE. |
| 01:26:20 | I WOULD NOT WANT TO SEE US RETURN TO A POLL TAX. |
| 01:26:24 | I WOULD WANT US TO FIND WAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE REQUIREMENTS WERE BROAD ENOUGH SO THAT MY ELDERLY MOTHER, WHO LIVES IN NEW -- WHO LIVES IN NEW JERSEY, WHO DOES NOT DRIVE, WHO HAS A DIFFICULT TIME TAKING AN AIRPLANE RIDE BECAUSE SHE DOES NOT HAVE A PHOTO I. |
| 01:26:45 | D., CAN STILL VOTE, AND THAT PERSON THAT LIVES IN NORTH PHILADELPHIA, THAT AREA IN THE CITY THAT IS THE POOREST OF THE POOR, HAS ACCESS TO THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE, AND BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE SO MOBILE, IT HAS TO BE EASY IN TERMS OF HOW THEY CAN HAVE SOME ABILITY TO CHANGE IT OR CORRECT IT OR IN PRIVATE, BECAUSE THEY MOVE FROM PLACE TO PLACE TO PLACE. |
| 01:27:11 | SO MY ANSWER IS, YES, FOR THE REQUIREMENTS NOW, BUT AFTER THE ELECTION, LET'S HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, AND LET'S MAKE SURE WE STEADY IN SO THAT THE LEAST OF THESE OF OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS HAVE ACCESS TO VOTING AND THAT WE DO NOT REVERT TO SOMETHING LIKE THE POLL TAX. |
| 01:27:32 | >> IN OUR CASE, I THINK WE WOULD -- IT'S A FAIR QUESTION TO ASKED COMPANY'S MUTUAL GOALS BE ATTAINED? |
| 01:27:42 | CURRENTLY, WE DON'T THINK CAN USUALLY ATTAIN THEM, SO WE ARE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE DISCRIMINATORY ASPECT OF IDENTIFICATION. |
| 01:27:52 | HOWEVER, WE ARE INTERESTED IN EXPLORING SAME DAY VOTER REGISTRATION ISSUES WHERE THE ID ISSUE WOULD HAVE TO BE RESOLVED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. |
| 01:28:04 | WE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN PILOTS, MAYBE SOME STATES COULD PILOT THE IDEA IF THERE WAS SUCH A SYSTEM FOR ACCESS WAS EASY AND THERE IS NO UNDUE BURDEN ON THEM BECAUSE OF AN INCOME LEVEL OR LACK OF TRANSPORTATION. |
| 01:28:19 | WE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SEEING THAT. |
| 01:28:21 | CLEARLY THERE IS A LOT PRESSURE AND IF THERE WERE A SOLUTION THAT THOSE GOALS, WE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THAT. |
| 01:28:28 | I SEPARATE THAT FROM A NATIONAL ID. |
| 01:28:32 | THAT WOULD TAKE A LOT OF TALKING TO GET US TO GO DOWN THAT ROAD. |
| 01:28:37 | >> I THINK IT MUST RECEIVE FINAL QUESTION WE WILL CLOSE THE DISCUSSION. |
| 01:28:42 | I THINK IT HAS BEEN A FASCINATING DISCUSSION ABOUT THE ELECTION PROBLEMS WE WILL BE FACING AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS, CERTAINLY IN MY LIFETIME. |
| 01:28:53 | THANK YOU VERY MUCH. |
| 01:34:15 | [APPLAUSE] SINCE |
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