The United States presidential election, 2000 was one of the most controversial ever. Legal challenges were taken all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States before Al Gore conceded the election to President George W. Bush.
As a result of this contentious election, the National Commission on Federal Election Reform was formed by the University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs and The Century Foundation. Its goal was to evaluate election reform, review policy proposals, and offer a bipartisan analysis to the United States Congress, the US Executive Branch, and the American people. The Commission was cochaired by former Presidents Jimmy Carter (honorary), Gerald Ford (honorary), Robert H. Michel and Lloyd N. Cutler, and included distinguished public leaders from across the political spectrum
The Commission held four public hearings and organized task forces on the federal election system, election administration, and constitutional and federal election law issues.
They released its final report to Congress and the White House on July 31, 2001.
In 2002, the bipartisan Help America Vote Act (HAVA) was passed by the Congress and signed into law by President Bush. The law was in part based on recommendations found in the report.
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—George Orwell (1903–1950)