Report
The Help America Vote Act at 5
- Election Initiatives
- Contact Stephanie Bosh 202.540.6741
- November 29, 2007
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Quick Summary
A 2007 report finds that in the five years since HAVA's passage, election administration in this country has undergone profound change but has not necessarily raised the confidence of the American public.
From voter registration to voting systems to safeguards at the polls, the Act designed to address the ills of voting in 2000 has, in some respects, accomplished its objectives.
Citizens who arrive at polling places believing themselves to be registered can cast provisional ballots if their names are not on precinct rosters. Voting machines accessible for people with disabilities are deployed nationwide, while polling places have also become more accessible. Registration databases are state-controlled, with more effective links to state agencies for faster record updating and wired between jurisdictions for vastly improved tracking of voters.
But concerns about America’s voting system persist, despite the passage of HAVA, and despite the largest federal investment in elections in history.
Citizens who arrive at polling places believing themselves to be registered can cast provisional ballots if their names are not on precinct rosters. Voting machines accessible for people with disabilities are deployed nationwide, while polling places have also become more accessible. Registration databases are state-controlled, with more effective links to state agencies for faster record updating and wired between jurisdictions for vastly improved tracking of voters.
But concerns about America’s voting system persist, despite the passage of HAVA, and despite the largest federal investment in elections in history.
Report Assets
- Date:
- November 29, 2007
- Contacts:
- Stephanie Bosh | 202.540.6741
- Project:
- Election Initiatives
- Issues:
- Election Administration
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