Carter-Baker commission to hold hearing at Rice

Carter-Baker commission to hold hearing at Rice

BY B.J. ALMOND
Rice News staff

The Carter-Baker Commission on Federal Election Reform will hold an all-day hearing at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy June 30.

The private, bipartisan 21-member commission, headed by former President Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, is examining the state of America’s federal elections so that it can propose recommendations to improve the electoral process. Rice President David Leebron is a member of the commission.

“America’s democracy is the backbone of our society, and only through fair elections can we guarantee that our system remains healthy,” said Baker, honorary chair of Rice’s Baker Institute.

A prior commission that Carter co-chaired with former President Gerald Ford made recommendations that resulted in significant changes for the 2004 election, such as the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002. “But more can be done to guarantee the integrity and accuracy of our elections,” Baker said.

Despite the previous efforts to reform, problems involving inclusion and integrity have occurred. The commission will look at these and other voting problems and examine the implementation of HAVA.

The commission held its first hearing at American University in Washington in April. The second hearing will be the event at Rice. In August, the commission will meet privately at the Carter Center in Atlanta to review research and draft a report of its findings and recommendations. The commission’s final report is scheduled for release in September after Congress returns from its Labor Day recess.

Robert Pastor, director of the Center for Democracy and Election Management and vice president of international affairs at American University, serves as the commission’s executive director. Other members include former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, former House Minority Leader Bob Michel, former U.S. Reps. Lee Hamilton and Susan Molinary and other distinguished civic and political leaders.

The American University Center for Democracy and Election Management is organizing the work of the Carter-Baker Commission, in association with the Baker Institute, The Carter Center and electionline.org. Sponsors include the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Ford Foundation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Additional assistance is provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts through its support of electionline.org.

Questions and comments for the commission to consider can be e-mailed to <cdem@american.edu> or mailed to Carter-Baker Commission on Federal Election Reform, c/o AU Center for Democracy and Election Management, 3201 New Mexico Ave. NW, Suite 265, Washington, D.C. 20016-8026.