Letter: Help save the Election Assistance Commission
To the editor,
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002, is an independent, bipartisan commission that develops guidance for state and local election officials to ensure the integrity of the voting system and serves as a national clearinghouse for information on election administration. The EAC accredits testing laboratories, certifies voting systems, sets standards for voting machines, and ensures accessibility at the polls for voters with disabilities. Local election officials, including ours in San Luis Obispo County, rely on the EAC to provide “best practices” on election administration.
Despite providing these essential services, and amid the continuing controversy surrounding the last election, there is a movement in Congress to terminate the EAC – the only federal entity devoted exclusively to improving election administration on a bi-partisan basis.
The League of Women Voters urges Congress to provide the EAC with the resources it needs to protect our voting system from manipulation and corruption and ensure that state and local officials have the information they need to conduct elections locally.
Elections are the lifeblood of a democracy. We urge all concerned citizens and our Representative in Washington, Salud Carbajal to actively oppose H.R. 634, the Election Assistance Commission Termination Act.
Marguerite Bader
President
League of Women Voters of San Luis Obispo County
