SENATOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
January 6, 2005
I commend Senator Boxer from California for joining with members of the House, most particularly Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, in raising the objection because it does permit us to air some of these issues, something that I believe is necessary for the smooth functioning of our democracy and the integrity of the most precious right of any citizen, namely, the right to vote.
As we look at our election system, I think it's fair to say that there are many legitimate questions about its accuracy, about its integrity, and they are not confined to the state of Ohio. They are questions that have arisen throughout our country and certainly because of the election of 2000 have been given high relief in the last four years. And then questions were raised additionally with respect to this election, which deepened the concern of many people about whether or not we can assure the continuity of our democratic process by ensuring the consent of the governed and the acceptance of the results of elections.
Several weeks ago, we stood in great admiration as a nation behind the people of Ukraine as they took to the streets to demand that they be given the right to an election where every vote was counted. In a few weeks, we're going to see an election in Iraq. And we know that there are people literally dying in Iraq for the right to cast a free vote. I am very proud of our country that we have stood with Ukrainians, Iraqis and others around the world, but increasingly, I worry that if this body, this Congress, doesn't stand up on a bipartisan basis for the right to vote here at home, our moral authority will be weakened. I take that very seriously.
This year, we will celebrate the anniversary of the voting rights act, and it will be an opportunity for us to take a look at this landmark legislation and determine how we're going to move it into the 21st century so that it really stands for what it was intended to do when it was first passed. I would be standing here saying this no matter what the outcome of the election because I still think the best rule in the politics is the golden rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I worry whether it's a Democratic or Republican administration or a local, county, state or federal election that we are on a slippery slope as a nation.
My colleagues, Senator Boxer, and I along with former Senator Bob Graham of Florida introduced legislation last year to try to assure a verifiable paper audit. We didn't get anywhere with that. We didn't get a hearing before the rules committee. I would hope that the distinguished chair of the rules committee would hold such a hearing this year. Because if we can go buy a lottery ticket or go to a bank and get an ATM deposit, then we know we can use an electronic transfer mechanism that gives us a record.
Last spring, India had an election and 550 million or so people voted from the dot-com billionaire to the poor, illiterate peasant. They all voted. Mr. President, they voted on electronic voting machines. They voted in a way that guaranteed the safety and security and accuracy of their vote. They had uniform standards. They had a nonpartisan board that oversaw that election. The result was shocking-they threw out the existing government. Nobody predicted that. Yet they did it with integrity. Surely, we should be setting the standards. I would hope that this body, and thanks to the objection of my friend from California, this debate which has started today will continue.
