House passes voting overhaul plan

WASHINGTON -- Exactly one year after the U.S. Supreme Court halted the Florida recount, the House of Representatives passed legislation Wednesday to overhaul voting procedures and technology around the country.

The legislation, which passed by a vote of 362-63 and now goes to the Senate, allocates more than $2.6-billion to replace punch card voting machines, hire more poll workers and improve voter identification lists.

If fully adopted, the reforms would be the most sweeping federal changes in the election system since the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Sponsors hope to have at least $650-million distributed to states by the November elections.

To be eligible for the grants, states would have to adopt a set of election standards including uniform statewide vote-counting procedures and provisional ballots, which are special ballots made available to those who wish to contest their exclusion from voter registration lists, or who have recently changed addresses.

It is not known how soon the Senate will act. Senators are at odds over the same sticking points of money and mandatory standards that plagued the House in its yearlong consideration of election reform, as supporters pushed for, and states resisted, federal oversight of funded remedies.

Those election reform supporters said Wednesday's victory was a needed jump start.

"We did not feel that we would ever hear from Congress," said Rep. Carrie Meek, D-Miami.

Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Bartow, was the only member of the Florida delegation to vote against the bill, and did so because it does not require people to prove their U.S. citizenship when they register to vote.

The payout package comes in two forms. Congress will give the states $400-million, $6,000 per precinct, that will be used specifically to replace punch card machines.

States and counties then will be able to apply for a piece of the $2.25-billion set aside by the legislation for a variety of initiatives such as improving access for disabled voters and updating voter verification databases. Some Democrats argued Wednesday that the bill gives the money away without ensuring that voting reforms will be enacted.

A new bureaucracy, the Federal Election Assistance Commission -- not to be confused with the Federal Election Commission -- will be responsible for distributing the money.

The commission's four members, appointed by the president, will oversee a $10-million operating budget and have additional authority to issue $20-million grants to improve voting technology. Each will be paid $30,000 a year and allowed to hold other jobs.

Rep. Jim Davis, D-Tampa, a member of the House Administration Committee that crafted the legislation, said the Federal Election Commission is a "lightning rod" for party politics and would likely cause complaints from both sides if it was allowed to distribute the money.

He said that starting with a fresh group is a better alternative.

Pinellas County is in the middle of replacing its punch card machines and has struggled to find cash to pay for the $14-million upgrade.

Deborah Clark, elections supervisor for the county, said about the possibility of federal help: "We'll apply for everything we can."

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