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.
Famous quotes containing the words national, commission, federal, election and/or reform:
“While I do not think it was so intended I have always been of the opinion that this turned out to be much the best for me. I had no national experience. What I have ever been able to do has been the result of first learning how to do it. I am not gifted with intuition. I need not only hard work but experience to be ready to solve problems. The Presidents who have gone to Washington without first having held some national office have been at great disadvantage.”
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)
“The Church seems to totter to its fall, almost all life extinct. On this occasion, any complaisance would be criminal which told you, whose hope and commission it is to preach the faith of Christ, that the faith of Christ is preached.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“I am willing to pledge myself that if the time should ever come that the voluntary agencies of the country together with the local and state governments are unable to find resources with which to prevent hunger and suffering ... I will ask the aid of every resource of the Federal Government.... I have the faith in the American people that such a day will not come.”
—Herbert Hoover (1874–1964)
“What a glorious time they must have in that wilderness, far from mankind and election day!”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Undoubtedly if we were to reform this outward life truly and thoroughly, we should find no duty of the inner omitted. It would be employment for our whole nature.... But a moral reform must take place first, and then the necessity of the other will be superseded, and we shall sail and plow by its force alone.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)