Political Quotes

“as a cosponsor of the Help America Vote Act, I rise in strong support of this landmark bipartisan legislation. My home state of Virginia was one of the few states to hold an election this year. Thankfully, there appear to have been no major problems revealed in the administration of that election. But, the memories of the 2000 election are still fresh in the American mind and it is clear that we as a society must address the flaws that were revealed in that election cycle. The Help America Vote Act is a fair and reasonable compromise on an issue that is still being hotly debated and considered in states across the nation. It provides $400 million in federal funds for a buy-out of the infamous punch card ballot machines. Great and honest minds can disagree about whether these machines have a substantially higher rate of error than other systems. But, one thing is absolutely clear: The American people have no faith in punch card ballots. There are strong alternatives available, and this federal funding will enable communities large and small to afford those alternatives. The bill also provides a mechanism for getting more people involved in the civics of elections. We all agree that voting is an important civic duty. But, our responsibility as citizens does not end there. Voting only works when good people step forward and participate as electoral officers at polling places.”