Chris Dodd: “these funds will enable the states to establish temporary polling places, secure generators for running the electronic…”

“these funds will enable the states to establish temporary polling places, secure generators for running the electronic voting machines, provide basic sanitation services for poll workers and voters, such as water and portable restroom facilities. Congress has taken great efforts to address the immediate needs of those affected by the hurricanes. Now Congress must take additional steps to assist the long-term needs of these communities as they rebuild and move forward. Ensuring the integrity of federal elections in these states by guaranteeing that the people of the Gulf Coast have access to a polling place is the very least this Congress can do. Senator Lott and I first brought these anticipated needs to the attention of the Senate last October. At that time we noted the loss of polling places, election equipment, and election records in the impacted states. While we did not have reliable cost estimates at that time, we served notice that as the committee of jurisdiction over federal elections, we would come back to the Senate as the full extent of the damage and its potential impact on the 2006 federal elections became clear. Well, by last December it had become clear that the states could not reconstruct the infrastructure to conduct federal elections without assistance.…”