Committee on House Administration Reviews Recommendations of the Presidential Commission on Election Administration

Democrats Urge Immediate Implementation

July 23, 2014 (Washington, D.C.) Today, the Committee on House Administration held a hearing to review the recommendations of the Presidential Commission on Election Administration. Committee Democrats were pleased when President Obama announced the creation of the Commission in his 2013 State of the Union Address in response to the unacceptably long lines at polling places across the country in the 2012 elections.

Upon release of the bipartisan report, Committee on House Administration Ranking Member, Robert A. Brady, agreed with many of the recommendations and noted that many of the issues raised would be addressed by the Voter Empowerment Act. This comprehensive voting legislation would modernize voter registration, expand early voting, and ensure military and overseas ballots are counted.

Although House Republicans have refused to consider the Voter Empowerment Act, this hearing is a positive step toward addressing serious deficiencies in our country’s election administration. Committee Democrats would like to see all States implement these changes, and believe federal resources must be made available to ensure their success.

“I greatly appreciate Chairman Miller’s willingness to hold this hearing. The need for election reform was made clear in 2012, and this Committee should be doing all it can to assist state and local election officials to run fair, efficient, and accurate elections,” said Brady. “While I wish we could have heard from Mr. Bauer and Mr. Ginsberg when the report was released in January, I still believe that their recommendations can play an important part in preventing repeat problems in future elections.”