Reply #8: Progress Since 2000 Voting Debacles Questioned

[livvy]

MSNBC.com

Progress since 2000 voting debacles questioned
Will reforms instituted since the Florida recount six years ago work?
By Huma Zaidi
NBC News
Updated: 4:16 p.m. ET March 30, 2006

WASHINGTON - Almost six years after the numerous recounts, hanging chads, and legal challenges that marred the 2000 presidential race, voters and lawmakers will soon see if reforms enacted as a result of the infamous election have been effective. While much progress has been made, some experts worry that it could get worse before it gets better.

The Help America Vote Act (HAVA), passed by the federal government in 2002 in reaction to the Florida 2000 recount, has changed the way voting and vote-counting takes place in America.

On Wednesday, more than two dozen experts in election management and reform gathered at American University here for a conference -- hosted by the Carter-Baker Commission on Federal Election Reform -- to examine whether or not HAVA is working. The answer to the question is... good question.

Since Jan. 1 marked the deadline for states to meet all of HAVA's requirements, the first real test of whether it has made any difference in the efficiency and accuracy of elections will be seen in this year's contests. But many are worried -- and with cause.

>more

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12083134/from/RSS/

Unfortunately they forgot to mention the issue of transparency in elections, and voter confidence in election results. But, it is a MSNBC piece, so what more could one expect?