The ability to vote is the most important right as it is the right through which citizens secure all other rights. In recent years doubts about whether every vote counts and is counted have grown to a high level. Rush Holt has led the effort in Congress to restore that confidence, which is the very foundation of our democratic republic.

In February 2007, Rush Holt reintroduced the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2007 (H.R. 811), comprehensive legislation requiring a voter-verified paper ballot for every vote cast and routine random audits.  The bill, which was reported out of committee but failed to get a vote in the House, would require all states to meet federal standards of ballot verifications and audits.

In an effort to protect the integrity of the 2008 elections, Rush Holt introduced the Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act (H.R. 5036), a plan to allow state and local jurisdictions to opt-in to receive reimbursements from the federal government if they convert to a paper ballot voting system, offer emergency paper ballots, and/or conduct audits by hand counts. Rep. Holt’s bill was brought to the floor of the House for a vote in April 2008, but unfortunately enough Republicans prevented the bill from receiving the super-majority required for passage. 

Rush Holt will continue to fight for elections that are independently auditable, but his interest in election reform is much broader.  Rep. Holt also has:

*Cosponsored legislation, the Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act, to prohibit the knowing communication of false election-related information with intent to prevent another person from exercising the right to vote in that election.

*Cosponsored House-passed legislation, the Veteran Voting Support Act, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs to be designated as voter registration agencies.

*Cosponsored the Universal Right to Vote by Mail Act, which would allow all eligible voters to vote by mail without an excuse. 

*Wrote legislation to require that provisional ballots cast in the correct Congressional District be counted for Congressional elections, and provisional ballots cast in the correct state be counted for Senate and Gubernatorial elections.