January 05, 2005
“Mr. Speaker I rise to object to the certification of Ohio’s electoral vote.
“This is not Deja-vu. The Supreme Court did not appoint President Bush this time as it did in 2000. But again, in 2004 the Democratic process was thwarted.
“It is a fact that hundreds of thousands of minority voters were disenfranchised before and on Election Day.
“The misallocation of voting machines, the restriction of provisional ballots, the improper purging of voter rolls, the delays in mailing absentee ballots, the malfunctioning of electronic machines, and the widely reported incidents of intimidation and misinformation in violation of the Voting Rights Act are but only a few examples of the widespread efforts to disenfranchise and suppress Ohio voters.
“This challenge is about ensuring free and fair and transparent elections; just as we insist in other nations we must also insist here at home.
“We must pass federal standards to require a paper trail, insist on non-partisan election officials and pass real election reform by strengthening the Help America Vote Act.
“Our goal is to make the democratic process work for all.
“My constituents in the 9th Congressional District of California want democracy to work.
We must honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers, and all of those who died for the right to vote, by making our democracy legitimate for all.
STATEMENT FROM BARBARA LEE ON ELECTION REFORM AND THE CHALLENGE OF OHIO ELECTORS
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) joined with Representatives John Conyers (D-MI), Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH) and Senator Barbara Boxer in formally challenging the certification of the electoral votes of Ohio and gave the following statement on the floor of the House:“Mr. Speaker I rise to object to the certification of Ohio’s electoral vote.
“This is not Deja-vu. The Supreme Court did not appoint President Bush this time as it did in 2000. But again, in 2004 the Democratic process was thwarted.
“It is a fact that hundreds of thousands of minority voters were disenfranchised before and on Election Day.
“The misallocation of voting machines, the restriction of provisional ballots, the improper purging of voter rolls, the delays in mailing absentee ballots, the malfunctioning of electronic machines, and the widely reported incidents of intimidation and misinformation in violation of the Voting Rights Act are but only a few examples of the widespread efforts to disenfranchise and suppress Ohio voters.
“This challenge is about ensuring free and fair and transparent elections; just as we insist in other nations we must also insist here at home.
“We must pass federal standards to require a paper trail, insist on non-partisan election officials and pass real election reform by strengthening the Help America Vote Act.
“Our goal is to make the democratic process work for all.
“My constituents in the 9th Congressional District of California want democracy to work.
We must honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers, and all of those who died for the right to vote, by making our democracy legitimate for all.