Bipartisan Policy Center to Continue Work of Presidential Commission on Election Administration
Washington, D.C. – Building on the successful efforts of the Presidential Commission on Election Administration, the Bipartisan Policy Center’s (BPC) Democracy Project today announced that it will work to implement the commission’s recommendations.
Tammy Patrick, a former member of the commission and former Maricopa County election official, and Secretary of the Virginia Board of Elections Don Palmer have joined BPC to support this effort. The commission, led by Bob Bauer and Ben Ginsberg, released its report in January 2014. All former commissioners will advise BPC during the implementation phase.
“We are pleased with the positive reception the commission’s report has received in recent months,” said former Presidential Commission on Election Administration co-chair Bob Bauer. “However, implementation of the recommendations is key and we are we are eager to work with the Bipartisan Policy Center on this next chapter.”
Working with the commissioners, BPC will work with state and local election officials to educate the public and other stakeholders about the commission’s recommendations. BPC will also assess the states where there are opportunities and obstacles to implementing the commission’s recommendations and develop a plan to move discrete reforms in those jurisdictions.
”We are proud of the bipartisan and unanimous work of the commission,” said Ben Ginsberg, former Presidential Commission on Election Administration co-chair. “Our goal moving forward is to get the recommendations and best practices implemented by states and localities where there is a need.”
BPC will focus on these key recommendations in the year ahead: reducing polling place lines, addressing the imminent voting machine technology crisis; online registration; cross-state data sharing efforts; improving the Department of Motor Vehicles registration process; ensuring that schools can be used as polling places; and creating opportunities for voting before Election Day.
“We welcome the presidential commission’s work into our fold and will build on its recommendations to improve the voting process,” said John Fortier, director of BPC’s Democracy Project. “The Bipartisan Policy Center is well-situated to bridge the policy gap between election officials, legislators, academics and advocates as we have shown through our work with the separate Commission on Political Reform.”