Official discussion of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights' report is being postponed until after the election. And even though all 181 pages of it are available on the commission's website (pdf), readily accessible to any interested reporter before November 2, we aren't hearing about it in the news. So, as a public service, I'll try to try to look at a section every day leading up to the big dance. In honor of early voting opening today in Florida, America's Wang, here's how the USCCR answers the following question: Has President Bush Helped Repair Democracy?
Funding Delays: ... funding is an important part of presidential policymaking and also an indicator of government commitment to civil rights. However, prior to signing HAVA in October 2002, the administration had requested no money in its budget proposals for election reform. Worse, the President remained virtually silent about election reform when Congress became bogged down over the bill’s provisions and did not demand swift resolution. ... Most states passed legislation to enable those actions but, because of delayed funding, still lack the supporting infrastructure, equipment, and momentum that implementation requires.
Okay, so there were funding delays. But at least BushCo put the proper oversight boards in place, right?
Infrastructure Problems: Much of the delay in HAVA implementation owes to the fact that an oversight board, the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), responsible for the law’s execution was seated 11 months behind schedule. The President made no public statements during this time to push Congress to act any faster. Beset by this and other problems, 41 states asked the federal government to waive the 2004 deadline for new equipment and statewide registration rolls, and 24 states requested extensions for equipment replacement. Now, most states are not required to make these reforms until 2006.Encouraged by the prospect of federal funding, some states purchased new technology. 35 However, studies are proving that without appropriate safeguards and guidelines, some electronic systems can be rendered insecure and vulnerable to break-ins. 36 Foremost, technology experts assert that voting equipment that does not offer printed proof of a vote leaves room to escape from accountability. 37 In the 2000 elections, most Americans could not ascertain whether problems were more the fault of flawed equipment, missteps by poll workers and election officials, or a lack of voter education. Because EAC, and hence its technology panel, were seated late, national equipment standards were not developed in a timely manner, and states were not provided guidance as they purchased equipment.
Alright, he's 0 for 2. But at least he did something about voter intimidation:
Voter Intimidation: New evidence suggests that minority vote suppression continues to be a problem.
Damn. I'm willing to bet that the news will only get worse on that score as we get closer to Election Day. But really, people are horrible and disenfranchising minorites has been going on forever. Is that the president's fault? (emph mine)
Avoiding disenfranchisement requires effort and leadership by the Bush administration, particularly DOJ, which has authority to enforce HAVA and other voting rights law. The administration was passive; its failure to fight for reform funding during its first two years and absence of leadership in actions and public statements suggest indifference to its duty to protect voting rights and are counter to the President’s own promise to do so. For laws are of no use if they do not secure rights of the people they were enacted to protect. History offers myriad examples of using equipment, people, and processes to manipulate elections and disenfranchise voters. If measured by the pace at which it enacted and funded HAVA, or is promoting implementation, the administration appears unmotivated by political pressure, sense of duty, morality, law, or personal agenda to ensure that America has robust, well-designed election systems to preserve the vote, the bedrock of the nation’s democracy.
Oh.
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