Recognizing and Supporting Efforts to Promote Greater Civic Awareness Among People of United States

RECOGNIZING AND SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO PROMOTE GREATER CIVIC AWARENESS AMONG PEOPLE OF UNITED STATES -- (House of Representatives - October 06, 2004)

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 796) recognizing and supporting all efforts to promote greater civic awareness among the people of the United States.

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Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to concur with the chairman of our distinguished committee, and thank the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Ross) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall) for bringing forth this most important piece of legislation, and from the bottom of my heart I want to thank especially those members who worked tirelessly for us in the Clerk's office and recognize Mr. Trandahl and Gigi Kelaher and the distinguished Mr. Paul Hayes and so many members who come here day in and day out and carry on these duties, considering the lateness of the hour.

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Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of a resolution that aims to support the very core of our democracy: voting. The resolution, H. Res. 796, recognizes efforts to promote greater civic awareness in this country.

With this in mind, it is important to reference the words that embody our democratic right that are written in the Constitution. This document establishes that "citizens of the United States shall not be denied or abridged their right to vote on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude; on account of sex; by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax; and on account of age for those 18 years of age and older."

This election is arguably one of the most important in our Nation's history. It is too important to sit on the sidelines. I call on all citizens to participate in our democracy by casting a ballot on November second. I would also urge citizens to think about other ways they can use their civic spirit to assist their communities. For example, maybe they could volunteer to drive other voters to the polls or donate their time to assist at local polling places. The friendly, dedicated individuals that help us as we head to the polling booth are often taken for granted. However, the pool of these volunteers has been severely reduced over the years. This year, millions of poll workers are needed on Election Day.

These volunteers are the backbone of the election process, sometimes working up to 16-hour days with little, if any pay. In most cases, volunteers are needed for such long hours simply because there are not enough of them. In addition, the majority of those who do volunteer to be poll workers continue to be older citizens. We need to inspire a younger generation of poll workers to continue to carry the torch of democracy.

I call on colleges and universities to offer college credit to students who serve as poll workers, and corporations to offer paid leave to employees who volunteer as poll workers. Voters should go to the Election Assistance Commission's Web site at www.eac.gov, to learn how they can become poll workers in their state.

Yesterday, I sent a letter to 43 presidents of public and private higher education institutions in my home state of Connecticut. I reminded these academic leaders that the Higher Education Act Amendments of 1998 require that they make a good-faith effort to distribute voter-registration materials to their students prior to elections. I urged them to review their compliance with this federal law.

For many students, the first time they have the opportunity to vote is during their college career. Therefore, it is imperative that institutions of higher learning do all they can to help young people get into the habit of voting while they are young.

States can do their part by offering better training to poll workers. Many of the problems associated with this year's primaries have been attributed to poor poll worker training. I hope we do not see a repeat of these mistakes during the general election.

Several newspapers have reported that there are a record number of new voters registered for this coming election. I urge election officials to be mindful of these first-time voters so they will have the opportunity to participate in the election process without a repeat of past frustrations, or misinterpretation of voting laws, including the Help America Vote Act.

I am extremely concerned about voter intimidation, and I ask all citizens to be mindful of voters who may be denied their right to vote at the polls. Should an eligible voter be afraid to cast a ballot, I urge them to call the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division or civil rights groups to ensure these circumstances are documented.

These concerns are not unwarranted. In South Dakota's June 2004 special election, Native American voters were prevented from voting after they were challenged to provide photo IDs, which they were not required to present under State or Federal law. In 2003 in Philadelphia, voters in African-American areas were systematically challenged by men carrying clipboards, driving a fleet of some 300 sedans with magnetic signs designed to look like law enforcement insignia. These are just two examples in a report by the NAACP and the People for the American Way Foundation.

Our Nation has certainly tried to respect the democratic wishes of the framers of our Constitution through ongoing efforts to ensure that all citizens are inspired to vote. Voting is a powerful act. The simple act of pulling a lever, or checking a box or touching a screen indicates to policy makers that the voices of those they represent must not be ignored. It also gives citizens an instant sense of community, and that alone is certainly worth recognizing and supporting.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and to continue to expand voter participation.

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Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I just want to again thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Ross) for their introduction and support of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 796.

The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.

A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.