Boxer Introduces Bill on Day One of the 113th Congress to Fight Long Election Lines

[xxxsdesdexxx]

Source: Press Release of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer

The “LINE Act” Would Set National Standards and Require Action by States Where Voters Waited in Line for Hours

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), on the first day of the 113th Congress, reintroduced her election reform bill – the LINE Act – which would help ensure that all American voters can cast a ballot in federal elections without enduring hours-long delays at their polling places.

Read more: http://www.boxer.senate.gov/en/press/releases/012213.cfm

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We must also do the following:

Election Reform

- Have minimum federal requirements that all states must meet in order to protect the right of all citizens to vote in a timely manner.
- Early voting must begin a minimum of 2 weeks prior to election day, and for a minimum over 8 hours a day, with everyone who is in line by the 7th hour being able to vote that day.
- Allow absentee ballots in all 50 states and require that they are issued to voters no later than 1 month prior to election day.
- Elect the president of the United States by the national popular vote, or require all states to award all of their state's electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins that state's popular vote.

Redistricting Reform

- Prevent partisan state officials from drawing congressional maps favorable to them or their party by creating independent commissions in all 50-states that are responsible for drawing congressional districts in a non partisan manner.

[dimbear]

1. Go Ms. Boxer! We do this right in California already, at least where I live. The

rest of the country should do it right too.

[Hekate]

2. My Senator!

[Left Coast2020]

9. My Senator Too

I love her for what she stands for. Can't say the same though, for Di-Fi.

[ISW]

3. Not bad...

But early voting should start 30 days prior to election day.

[JudyM]

10. Need to allow time for the October Surprise ... nt

[DreamGypsy]

4. The LINE act. I thought for a moment there...

that California was legalizing ... I guess not.

And everybody knows that it's now or never
Everybody knows that it's me or you
And everybody knows that you live forever
Ah when you've done a line or two

L. Cohen, Everybody Knows

Just in case you were wondering, as I did, what the FLA is:

The LINE Act (or the Lines Interfere with National Elections Act) – which Senator Boxer first introduced at the end of the 112th Congress – would require the Attorney General, in consultation with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), to issue new national standards by January 1, 2014 regarding the minimum number of voting machines, election workers, and other election resources that are necessary to conduct Federal elections on Election Day and during early voting periods. The bill explicitly states that the goal of minimum standards is to prevent a waiting time of more than one hour at any polling place.

[rhett o rick]

5. Well said. Is any organization following up on this? nm

[Cha]

6. Thank you, Babara Boxer!

Thanks xxxsdesdexxx

[bkkyosemite]

7. I like the redistricting reform too. A much needed end to

illegally getting the vote...the thiefs...Hoping this takes hold all of it.

[Retrograde]

32. Yeah, but look what happened when California did it

They set up an independent citizens' redistricting committee to redraw the congressional, assembly, and state senate districts and they ended up getting rid of some Republican "safe" seats. The current US House isn't going to stand for that.

BTW, it took a ballot proposition (they're occasionally good for something) to establish it, and a few court challenges to let it stay, but it did eventually break the log jam in Sacramento.

[Firebrand Gary]

8. Let's get this bill passed! Its common sense, should be no problem!

I also like the fact that it is simple, should be easy for the righties to understand.

[judesedit]

11. Thank you so much, Ms Boxer. It's time to set things right. You go girl

[Politicub]

12. Fantastic bill

Even though the gop controls the house, you have to start somewhere.

This could be a winning issue in 2014 if the republicans continue obstructing government.

[gademocrat7]

13. Thank you, Senator Boxer.

[octoberlib]

14. Yes!

They got right on it. Awesome!

[reACTIONary]

15. AND let's extend the voting rights act....

....to cover ALL states, not just those who historically needed a little "help" to do the right thing. Voting rights are important and can be violated anywhere.

[sakabatou]

18. +1

[freshwest]

34. +1

[PADemD]

16. Thank you, Senator Boxer!

[potatoslayer]

17. HOW ABOUT WE PETITION THE WHITE HOUSE TO GET RID OF ELECTORAL COLLEGE

Or the other things listed on this thread.

[mpcamb]

22. ...Getting rid of the Electoral College

I agree...Next would be belling the cat.
It starts with a proposal by Congress, then a ratification by 38 of the 50 states; at least that's the usual means.
Who'll sponsor it?
Time might be right for this.

[another_liberal]

19. All great ideas . . .

All of these are great ideas, both hers and (especially) yours. But it will be a one hell of a fight! This kind of reform would finish the Republican Party (except maybe in Idaho).

[samsingh]

20. kick

[alp227]

21. I thought the 113th congress started three weeks ago.

So why is Boxer's office only putting out this news now?

[Retrograde]

31. They're working on Reid Time

The Senate majority leader has somehow managed to extend the first day of the new Senate session from Jan. 3 to sometime this week - Rachel Maddow had a better explanation of how he could pull this off.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

23. Massively Important

To protect what we've won and to further our agenda, we need to make sure that elections are fair. While states may have the right to control state elections, these are federal elections and the Voting Rights Act should trump local partisanship.

[valerief]

24. A cool senator and a novelist to boot! nt

[IDemo]

25. This will get a bitter response from the Reich-wing

I'm all for it, given that alone.

[awake]

26. Great bill but how do we get it through the house?

[avaistheone1]

27. Great news!

Thanks Senator Boxer!!

[SunSeeker]

28. THAT is what democracy looks like!

Utterly reasonable, comprehensive bill. Thank you Senator Boxer!

[Bandit]

30. What US Democracy is like, is there will be an anonymous hold on that bill and it will NEVER see

a vote....Another common sense bill that will NEVER see the light of day because of Republican obstructionism...

[SunSeeker]

37. I meant the bill, not the Senate.

The terms of that bill describe what democracy looks like. I agree with you about its probable fate. That's why everyone needs to get out and vote in 2014 to get our House back and increase our seats in the Senate.

[merrily]

29. I vote in a blue town in a blue state.

I waited four hours in pouring rain in 2004 to vote.

In 2008, the weather was wonderful. However, they ran out of ballots in African American neighborhoods. (Gee, who could have predicted heavier than usual turnout in a African American neighborhoods in a blue state in 2008?). For some inexplicable reason, it took hours to get additional ballots to those neighborhoods.

So, if you think Republicans are the only ones who cause problems for voters, please think again.

[oldandhappy]

33. good woman!!

[brooklynite]

35. Bullet point four, while desireable, is Unconstitutional

The President is elected by Electoral Votes, and EV's are allocated by States as they see fit.

[truedelphi]

36. Boxer was the only Senator to stand with the Progressive Caucus in 2004

As a protest against the election involving George W being stolen for the second time. The House's Prrgressive Caucus and Boxer tried to prevent the certification of that election's results.

I do think she has Gate Keepers who keep her from knowing what number of people call her up about progressive causes. Which scares me. But she has long fought the good fight against the deplorable Uber Powers, including pesticide firms that were getting poor people to use "approved" pesticides in their homes, in exchange for free video cameras.

[Blue Owl]

38. Take that you fucking GOP cheatstains

n/t

[lindysalsagal]

39. Fabulous!! Do it, Do it,Do it