Putting Chads to Rest.

• Author: Drage, Jennie
• Position: Election reform

Election reform proved to be a hot item on legislative agendas this year. Here are a few ideas states are hoping will make a difference.

In the wake of the election debacle that unfolded in Florida last year, legislators all over the country were asking, "Could it happen here?" The controversy spawned a flood of election reform bills.

Every legislature opened up its election code and went over it with the proverbial fine-tooth comb. Many legislators found that their state was just lucky. They could easily have been in the same quagmire as their counterparts in the Sunshine State. They discovered that the way U.S. elections are run is in dire need of attention. Many states conducted the first presidential election of the 21st century using 19th century technology.

More than 1,500 bills have been introduced this year to try and solve the problem. Some states opted for a cautious approach, appointing an interim committee or commission to study the issue and recommend legislation for next year. Others attacked the issue with gusto and produced a comprehensive list of reforms.

It's no surprise that the most ambitious package enacted so far this year comes from Florida where the infamous hanging, swinging, dimpled and pregnant chads have now disappeared forever.

The sweeping set of reforms, estimated to cost $32 million over the next two years to upgrade voting equipment, educate voters, recruit and train poll workers, and create a statewide voter registration database, passed in early May.

"Our goal was to make sure Florida voters have confidence that their votes will be counted, that the election process is fair and that the standards for review are consistent," says Representative J. Dudley Goodlette, who chairs the House Committee on Rules, Ethics and Elections.

By the 2002 elections, all of Florida's 67 counties must use voting equipment certified by the secretary of state (26 counties already use an approved system). So far, the only certified equipment is optical scan technology, but the new law leaves the door open for counties to seek certification for other electronic equipment as well. Regardless of which system they choose, all counties will have to use machines that give voters a chance to correct errors.

Gone too is the much maligned butterfly ballot. The secretary of state will design a ballot to be used statewide. And lawmakers also created a way to evaluate the effectiveness of the new system after next year's elections by requiring data on "undervotes" and "overvotes." Reports of voter error will allow election officials to pinpoint potential difficulties with a particular design or technology.

Not all problems with elections cost a lot of money to fix. For instance, under their new law, Florida will now:

* Permit any voter to vote absentee for any reason.

* Allow provisional ballots, permitting a voter who claims to be registered but whose eligibility cannot be determined at the polls on Election Day, to cast a ballot.

* Create uniform recount provisions and standards for voting by overseas citizens.

* Require the secretary of state to develop rules for determining voter intent and set standards for voter...