Election Administration Reform essays

Election Administration Reform essays The election of 2000 is one that we will all remember, not because the candidates but because of the state of Florida. The chaos of the 2000 election in Florida has shown that our electoral system is in definite need of immediate reform. Not necessarily our voting system but more the means that we cast our votes. Some of the main problems in the 2000 election were the actual machines that we used to cast our votes. Other major issues were confusing ballots, inaccurate voter eligibility lists, lack of access for people with disabilities and the chaos surrounding the absentee ballot. The election of 2000 was a wake up call to the government and to the people of the U.S. that our election methods are long over due for a reform. In Florida, during the 2000 presidential elections one word that the citizens heard over and over for 2 weeks straight every news channel was chads. The word Chads refers the little piece of paper that pops out of the when the voter casts their vote. The problems surrounding the chads are that sometimes they do not fully pop out and are left dangling on the ballot resulting in that persons vote not getting cast. The reason we have this problem is because of the voting machines that we use. The pull lever machine that a majority of our voting polls use is very outdated and needs to be replaced with more advanced equipment. Another major concern with these machines is that many of the oldest, clumsiest ones tend to find their way into the poorest, minority neighborhoods. (League of woman voters) Another problem with the voting system that we have right now is that there is no consideration for people that have a disability of any kind. It is hard enough for them to get to the polling places and then when they do there is not a machine that many of them would be able to use and there is no way for them to have any real privacy. If they can not operate the voting machines by th...