Will this Commission tackle the issue of campaign finance reform?

No. Others have already done most of the needed analysis to inform debate on that subject.

Will there be any attention to barriers to ballot access?

Yes. We will examine those issues in the public hearings.

How can you avoid a refight of the presidential race in Florida? Aren't there lessons to be learned from what happened there and in other states throughout the country?

The Commission will look forward.

Many other organizations (non-governmental ones like the National Association of Secretaries of State, National Conference of State Legislatures, League of Women Voters, just to name a few, and Congress) have established study groups and commissions to analyze this issue. Some have even already issued reports and findings. Why is this Commission different? How can it add value in this crowded field?

We listed six special attributes in our press statement. They were:

• The breadth of talent from the citizens of our commission
• The exceptional scope of our agenda
• Our task forces that draw from expertise in politics, law and history
• A national program for public hearings across the country
• Our private funding
• The rapid timetable and flexibility of our planned work.

Many bills are pending to provide states with funding to modernize election systems. Isn't money what is most needed?

The big problem is that the analysis of what is to be done has not yet caught up with the willingness to do it. Addressing problems with voting machines and the need to update voting mechanisms is only one part of the Commission's assignment.

It seems the Commission is predisposed to come up with federal solutions. Aren't elections state matters? How can such recommendation be politically viable?

There are elections for federal positions, jobs where every part of the country has a stake. Article 1, Section 4 of the Constitution gives the federal government jurisdiction over Congressional elections. One task force will look specifically into the legal questions related to federal/state responsibilities.