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Public Policy

The goal of the Disability Policy Collaboration is to impact national public policy for people with developmental disabilities, including those with cerebral palsy and intellectual disability, and their friends, families and loved ones.

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Voter Rights

Nonpartisan Election Reform Legislation

January 29, 2001

Dear Senator/Representative:

The 2000 election highlighted the need to improve the way that ballots are cast and counted in many areas of the country. The election also called attention to the fact that the federal government makes no meaningful financial contribution to defray the costs of federal elections.

We, the undersigned concerned organizations, urge you to work to develop and pass truly nonpartisan election reform legislation early in the 107th Congress that will garner majority support from members of both political parties. Many members have already introduced reform legislation, and others are developing proposals.

We believe that several key elements must be included in any bill aimed at reforming election administration. While many of us believe that more is needed, these essential elements may provide a basis for avoiding partisan controversy and moving quickly ahead. We support legislation that:

  1. Creates a substantial, multi-year federal grants program to upgrade election technologies, including
    • improved voting equipment and associated counting mechanisms, and
    • state-wide technologies on a uniform basis, such as computerized voter registration lists,
  2. Protects the Voting Rights Act and the National Voter Registration Act while ensuring that any activities under the new legislation are consistent with these existing laws,
  3. Sets federally-approved "best practices" for grant-eligible technologies that include standards that ensure
    • accessibility and convenience for the voter, including voters with disabilities,
    • accuracy, and
    • nondiscrimination, including full participation for language, racial, and ethnic minorities and people with disabilities, and
  4. Includes criteria to ensure that jurisdictions with the most significant problems receive needed funding.

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to discussing these important issues with you and your staff as the 107th Congress commences.

Sincerely,

League of Women Voters of the United States
National Council of La Raza
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
United Cerebral Palsy Assocs. Inc.
The Interfaith Alliance
American Foundation for the Blind
Paralyzed Veterans of America
U.S. Public Interest Research Group
National Organization on Disability
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
Community Service Society of New York
Public Campaign
People For the American Way