Rep. Clay Urges Voter-Challenged Senator to Join in Voter Reform

Dear Editor:

I was sorry (but not entirely surprised) to read that Senator Christopher Bond found that his name was not listed on the eligible voter rolls when he attempted to vote in the August 3 primary election.?

I have absolutely no doubt that the Senator is a qualified, registered voter. However, it is abundantly clear that the State of Missouri continues to have serious problems maintaining accurate eligible voter rolls.

Perhaps the Senator's recent experience will help him understand a little of the frustration that St. Louis voters felt in November 2000 when they were turned away from the polls. Those eligible voters---who came to the polls, waited in long lines and then found the polls closed despite our best efforts to keep them open a few extra hours---will never forget the Senator's anger directed toward the disenfranchised St. Louis voters, rather than a broken voting system.

Senator Bond and his son had difficulties voting in the primary election.?Now we have hope that the Senator might be more sensitive to the rights of those eligible voters who were unfairly disenfranchised by an antiquated, inefficient voter registration system.?Like Senator Bond, many voters in the 2000 election were not found in the active voter logs.?Unlike Senator Bond, however, those voters were turned away and denied their right to vote.?

Senator Bond's incident serves as evidence of a much larger problem that I have been speaking about over the last 4 years.?In addition, St. Louis City, the second largest voting district in Missouri, had mathematical errors in the primary election that delayed city vote tallies.

Maybe this will encourage the Senator to join me in advocating for early voting, so all eligible voters will have access to the polls.?Early voting could allow individuals to vote when it is convenient for them.?Senior citizens with transportation problems or disabilities will have greater access to the polls and it will give election officials an adequate amount of time to rectify any mistakes with their voter logs.?

Early voting is a necessary effort to remove errors from the voting system.?Senator Bond had the resources that many voters lack.?He knew how to navigate the system and ensure his ability to vote.?Voters without that knowledge may leave the polls in frustration and never return again.?

Unless elected officials in Missouri feel a sense of urgency to improve our voting system so that no vote goes uncounted, we can expect another train wreck resembling the 2000 election that will embarrass our state.

We must get this right before the November 2 general election.?Too much is at stake.?

Sincerely,

Wm. Lacy Clay
Member of Congress