Another Round of Mandates Could Muddle ’08 Elections

The nation’s counties fully support the goals of Rep. Rush Holt’s (D-N.J.) proposed “voter confidence

There is simply not enough time to enact state conforming legislation, do testing and procurement, develop training materials, and train election officials, pollworkers and voters in how to use equipment they have never used. If Congress wants to ensure public confidence in the next generation of voting equipment, please do not require counties across the nation to purchase another round of equipment when we don’t know what we’re buying and will probably have to junk it again before the next federal election.

We cannot afford to make the same mistakes that were made during the implementation of the Help America Vote Act. America deserves better.

Editor’s Note: Gail W. Mahoney is Commissioner of Jackson County, Michigan. She testified March 23 on behalf of the National Association of Counties before the House of Representatives’ House Administration Subcommittee on Elections.