Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and John Kerry (D-MA), aligned with Senator Barbara Boxer (D-MA) and Representative Sheila Tubbs Jones (D-OH), introduced a voting reform bill yesterday in an attempt to make sure that every American is able to vote and that every vote is counted. The Count Every Vote Act of 2005 gives voters the right to register and vote on Election Day itself, makes Election Day a federal holiday, requires states to reduce the waiting times at polling locations, and requires paper ballots for every vote cast in an electronic voting machine.
“We cannot let another Election Day go by without doing everything we can to make sure the voters have confidence in our voting system,” said Senator Clinton. “This shouldn’t be a Republican or Democratic issue. This is a voter issue, plain and simple.”
“Our democracy is the centerpiece of who we are as a nation,” said Senator Boxer, “and we must take action to ensure that the American people have full confidence in our electoral system.” The Count Every Vote Act is a response to the many irregularities of the 2004 presidential election, especially in the state of Ohio. In order to bring attention to the need for election reform, Senator Boxer joined with Democratic members of the US House in challenging the Ohio presidential election.
The Feminist Majority Foundation was one of several groups that documented the irregularities in the 2004 election. FMF President Eleanor Smeal testified before the Congressional Forum on Election Irregularities in Ohio in December, stating that an analysis of the 2004 Ohio voting data revealed many concerns about voting equipment and long lines at select wards and college campuses.
LEARN MORE about the election irregularities in Ohio
