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Official NCSL Policy on Federal Election Reform Legislation

1. NCSL acknowledges that a national debate on election reform has begun and that any Congressionally mandated changes in election processes necessarily will impact state and local elections. The NCSL Task Force recognizes that state law controls the processes and the administration of matters pertaining to federal, state, and local elections. It logically follows that NCSL, as the national voice of the various state legislatures, should be at the center of this national debate.
2. NCSL finds that most of the significant federal legislation introduced in the 107^th Congress contains guidelines for the formation of an election commission or task force to examine election issues and to develop guidelines or mandates for federal elections which necessarily will affect state and local elections. NCSL recognizes Congress' desire to have a voice in the national debate on election reform and understands the formation of a federal commission or task force to provide such a voice may be inevitable. NCSL believes that it must be an equal partner within any such federal commission or task force because this effort must be a partnership among federal, state, and local officials.

Should Congress move forward with election reform legislation that requires the formation of a federal commission or task force to examine election reform issues in the states, NCSL will lend its support to such effort only if state legislators are included in the composition of any such commission or task force.

3. NCSL acknowledges that, due to events surrounding the last presidential election, public confidence in the election process must be restored. NCSL recognizes that states may need federal block grant funding to assist in the implementation of new and innovative election reform procedures. NCSL also believes that such funding should be based on broad principles, not upon specific mandates which would lead to a "one size fits all" approach to elections. Therefore, NCSL supports a block grant formula which awards money to states for broad-based purposes dealing with election reform, and opposes any funding mechanism, which seeks to mandate specific requirements on the states.
4. NCSL is of the opinion that the creation of another new agency to administer these block grants is unnecessary, believing that the Federal Elections Commission may be the most appropriate federal agency to administer any such federal block grant program.
5. NCSL supports federal block grant funding to states for the following broad purposes:

• Improving election technology, systems and ballot design;
• Facilitating voter registration, verification and maintenance of voter rolls;
• Improving the accuracy and security of election procedures and vote counts;
• Educating citizens on representative democracy and election processes and systems;
• Providing greater access to voter registration and polling places especially for rural and disabled voters; and
• Providing training and education opportunities for elections personnel.

1. NCSL encourages Congress to consider whether states should be given greater latitude under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) to remove ineligible voters from voter rolls.
2. NCSL supports increased funding for the FEC Office of Election Administration for the development of voluntary equipment standards and the dissemination of election-related statistics and information.