A movement afoot in the U.S. Congress would terminate the Election Assistance Commission, the only federal entity devoted exclusively to improving the administration of American elections. Given lingering controversies surrounding our elections, abolishing this bipartisan agency makes no sense.
The EAC works to improve our nation's election systems by offering assistance to states on a voluntary, nonregulatory basis. Forty-seven states depend on the agency's oversight of the federal voting system certification program, which sets standards for maintaining and upgrading voting machines across the country. Local election officials also rely on the EAC to provide best practices on voting and election administration, including accessibility to the polls for more than 37 million voters with disabilities.
While questions about the accuracy and conduct of elections discourage voter turnout, the EAC bolsters confidence in elections by providing state and local officials with tools to safeguard the system.
Unfortunately, this positive, uncontroversial, bipartisan agency draws little attention and could be dismantled without much notice or objection. Passage of the Election Commission Assistance Termination Act would be both irrational and irresponsible. We need to hold our members of Congress accountable.
Jane Lord
president
League of Women Voters of Sussex County
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