View source for Commission on Federal Election Reform

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}
The '''Commission on Federal Election Reform''' was a private, bipartisan organization founded in 2004 by former US President [[Jimmy Carter]] and [[James A. Baker, III]], a top official under presidents [[Ronald Reagan]] and [[George H. W. Bush]], to overcome the flaws brought to light by the electoral uncertainty in Florida in the [[2000 United States presidential election]] and in [[2004 United States election voting controversies#Objection to certification of Ohio's electoral votes|Ohio in the 2004 election]]{{Broken anchor|date=2024-12-02|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=2004 United States election voting controversies#Objection to certification of Ohio's electoral votes|reason= The anchor (Objection to certification of Ohio's electoral votes) [[Special:Diff/1240307682|has been deleted]].}}.<ref name=NYT-Sep2005>{{cite news |last1=Rosenbaum |first1=David E. |title=Panel Proposes New Calendar for Primaries |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/19/politics/panel-proposes-new-calendar-for-primaries.html |accessdate=June 8, 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=September 18, 2005 |language=en}}</ref> The commission continued work begun by Carter and former President Ford in a previous commission that studied unusual features of the 2000 presidential race.<ref name="LATimes-Sep2005">{{cite news |last1=Gerstenzang |first1=James |title=Election Overhaul Is Urged |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-sep-19-na-election19-story.html |accessdate=June 8, 2020 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=September 19, 2005}}</ref>  Its mandate was to examine the electoral process in the United States, bringing together leaders from the major political parties, academia, and non-partisan civic groups to explore how to maximize both ballot access and ballot integrity.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Almond |first1=B.J. |title=Carter-Baker commission examines evidence for federal election reform |url=https://news.rice.edu/2005/07/28/carter-baker-commission-examines-evidence-for-federal-election-reform/ |accessdate=June 8, 2020 |work=Rice University News and Media Relations |date=July 28, 2005}}</ref>
The commission was set up with twenty-one members, including [[Lee H. Hamilton]], former Congressman and [[9/11 Commission]] vice-chair; [[Tom Daschle]], former Senate minority leader; [[Bob Michel]], former House Minority leader; and [[Betty Castor]], former Florida Superintendent of Public Instruction and 2004 Democratic Senate nominee.  It set out to spend six months examining the state of elections and to offer recommendations on improving it.
== Recommendations ==
The panel made 87 recommendations in all in its 91-page report. Implementation of all suggestions would require congressional action for some measures, as well as a total expected cost of $1.35 billion. A major point was the commission's call for nonpartisan professional and state oversight over elections. The panel noted that both the 2000 and 2004 elections were marred by partisan, campaign-affiliated officials who held roles in the Bush campaign and Florida and Ohio Secretary of State positions. Because the Secretary of State is responsible for certifying votes, these conflicts of interest were deemed by the panel as damaging to "confidence in elections".<ref name="LATimes-Sep2005" /><ref name=NYT-Sep2005/>
The panel made a variety of other recommendations, including:
*Absentee ballots remain the largest source of potential voter fraud.
* Developing a "universal voting registration system" led by states, rather than local jurisdictions<ref name="LATimes-Sep2005" /><ref name=NYT-Sep2005/>
* Increased voter registration efforts by the states,<ref name=NYT-Sep2005/> including an effort to allow ex-felons meeting certain conditions to vote<ref name="LATimes-Sep2005" />
* Creating a uniform photo identification method to match the voter to the voting roll, while establishing more offices to all non-drivers to more easily register and acquire photo IDs<ref name="LATimes-Sep2005" /><ref name=NYT-Sep2005/>
* Following the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primaries in presidential election years, states should hold four regional primaries and caucuses in place of the current schedule in order to reduce the influence of early states in choosing candidates<ref name=NYT-Sep2005/>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070620141618/http://www.american.edu/ia/cfer/ The Commission on Federal Election Reform homepage]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070405024313/http://www.american.edu/ia/cfer/members.htm Commission on Federal Election Reform member listing]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051123074225/http://www.carterbakerdissent.com/ Commissioner Spencer Overton's dissent]
[[Category:Federal elections of the United States]]
[[Category:2004 establishments in the United States]]
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