Election Reform Requirements

Yesterday, as Rep. John Conyers led a forum of Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee on voting problems and possible fraud, Progressive Democrats of America released a detailed list of electoral reforms that must be taken to restore democracy to America:

• A Constitutional amendment confirming the right to vote, as advocated by Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
• Required paper reports for all electronic and electronically tabulated voting systems.
• Same-day registration for all Americans.
• The creation of unified federal standards for national elections.
• Meaningful equal protection of voting rights by such means as equal voting systems, equal numbers of machines, and equal time to vote.
• An end to partisan oversight of the electoral process.
• Extended voting periods to allow all voters a meaningful opportunity to vote.
• Instant Run-off Voting and Proportional Representation.
• Publicly financed elections for federal offices.

PDA is supported by Democracy for America and DFNM, and is working to create progressive caucuses in all 50 states. To learn more, click on the link above.

Truthout has an excellent blog on the Conyer's hearing.

is another organization dedicated to achieving election reform nationally and here in NM, starting with the 90-day session of the NM Legislature that begins in January.

New Mexico Democratic Friends, a citizen action group created by Eric and Sonja Elison, are now working on plans to support election reform at the 2005 NM Legislative Session. You can read about this group's mission here, and download an information sheet here to fill out if you'd like to become a member. (Both of these are Word documents.) You can reach the Elisons at selison22@comcast.net.

Imagine how different the nation and the world would be today if these reasonable and fair recommendations had been adopted before the 2000 election. Can we let another election pass without these protections?