On April 11, 2002, the U.S. Senate passed S. 565, the election reform bill sponsored by Senators Dodd (D-Ct.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky), by a vote of 99-1. The Senate adopted an amendment sponsored by Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan) by a vote of 56-43 that eliminates the requirement that states notify provisional voters by mail of the disposition of their ballots. It rejected, by a vote of 48-52, an amendment by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) that would have required states to reduce voter errors to a federally established minimum. The Senate amended the House companion bill (H.R. 3295) to S. 565 and called for a conference on the bill with the House. As the House and Senate bills diverge in many respects, a final version must be negotiated and voted on before it is presented to the President for signature. The bill reflects many of the recommendations of the National Commission on Federal Election Reform, including the provisions on a statewide voter registration system, provisional ballots, and the establishment of voting system standards.

The full-text of the bill is available here in pdf as well as some related documents.

Related Items

In The News: April 10, 2002
Congressional Record of Debate on the Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 (S565)

In The News: April 11, 2002
Full-text of Amendments to S565

In The News: April 11, 2002
Roll Call Vote Record of S565