Chris Dodd: “Let me say to my colleague and to others on the Roberts amendment--my concern about it. We worked on this bill with…”

“Let me say to my colleague and to others on the Roberts amendment--my concern about it. We worked on this bill with provisional balloting which is a very important and significant part of this bill. People who go in to vote are going to cast a ballot even when there is a debate about whether or not they have a right to be there. Setting aside that provisional ballot, if in fact there is that debate, if the voter is correct, that ballot will be counted; if not, it will not be counted. We will never again be faced with a system, once this provision becomes part of the law in 2004, where a person will be thrown out of line without casting a provisional ballot. In a sense, all eligible voters will be able to exercise your franchise.”