At Long Last, Election Reform

Congress' solution for monumental problems in the voting system that plagued the 2000 presidential election was given final approval in the Senate on Tuesday.

The $3.8 billion bill passed overwhelmingly on a 92-2 vote, reports CBS News Correspondent Bob Fuss. The measure would overhaul the voting system by sending the states billions of dollars to implement improvements.

The compromise legislation now heads to the White House, where the president has promised to sign it.

Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the chief Republican negotiator, called the bill a "historic consensus" that "will help make all elections more accurate, more accessible and more honest."

"Election Day 2000 was not a proud day for our democracy, but that day was also a gift," said Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn. "Had there never been a contested election, the problems likely would never have been addressed."

Dodd, who as chairman of the Senate Rules Committee led the negotiations, said the legislation "goes a long way toward righting those wrongs."

The House passed the measure last week in a 357-48 vote.

Congress still must approve spending the money the new legislation would require. All sides have said they are committed to getting that done.

The bill requires states to computerize their registration lists, let voters fix mistakes on their ballots and cast provisional ballots if there is any doubt about their eligibility to vote.

Perhaps most importantly, it provides almost four billion dollars for local communities to replace out-of-date voting machines.

States also would have to ensure that at least one voting machine at a polling place is accessible to the disabled.

Civil rights groups and many Democrats have opposed identification requirements included in the bill. Those provisions would require voters who registered by mail to show identification the first time they vote. Photo IDs, utility bills or other documents would be allowed.

Activists have complained that the identification provisions discriminate against the poor and minorities who may lack all the acceptable documentation.