Reid proposes registering, voting at same time

Friday, Feb. 2, 2001 | 10:19 a.m.

Voters could register and cast their ballot at the same time and election day would fall on a weekend under legislation Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., introduced on Thursday.

Reid introduced a bill to streamline America's voting process after last year's contentious presidential race.

"The entire nation was disgusted by the presidential election of 2000," Reid said. "That election revealed the flaws in our election process to the entire world."

The Federal Election Commission would have authority to issue uniform federal rules for voter registration, polling access, voting machines and vote-counting procedures that bind states and local governments under Reid's bill.

Instead of voting on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, citizens would go to the polls on the previous Saturday and Sunday. People could register at the poll and then vote.

Instead of trying to count ballots with dimpled, pregnant or hanging chads, Reid's proposal would give the Federal Election Commission the authority to standardize the machinery used to cast and count votes.

The senator pointed out that some parts of the country are using vote-counting machines that are 70 years old.

"The reality is that votes cast in wealthier parts of the country frequently count more than votes cast in poorer areas, because wealthier districts have better, more accurate, more modern and less error-prone counting machines than poorer precincts and districts," Reid said. "In the wealthiest nation in the world, that is simply unacceptable."

The bill also provides $1 billion in grants over 10 years to help states and local governments improve their voting procedures. The funds would allow election departments to purchase new machines with uniform ballots.

Reid's bill is one about a dozen this year introduced in Congress after the November race.

Unlike other proposals, Reid's measure would be binding on states and local governments. The Federal Election Commission would have the authority to set deadlines for states, counties and cities to comply.

The FEC would monitor state progress under the bill.

"And I hope this will help restore some of the confidence in our election process that many Americans lost during the last election," Reid said.