* A greater role for states in registering potential voters. In addition, states should make it easier for ex-felons who have met their sentencing and parole requirements to register to vote, with the exception of registered sex offenders.
* Implementation of a uniformly accepted photo identification system to ensure that a would-be voter is the person on a voting list. States should establish more offices, including mobile facilities, to make it easier for non-drivers to register and receive photo IDs.
The report reflects the tensions among Democrats, Republicans, civil liberties groups and others interested in the election system. For instance, civil libertarians have expressed concern that a voter registration card could lead to establishment of a national ID card. But the panel contends that discrimination against minorities could be reduced if poll workers were not permitted to apply a variety of standards and were instead required to recognize one card.
Robert A. Pastor, the panel's executive director, said in a telephone interview that Carter and Baker conducted "a very intensive dialogue" before reaching agreement on some of the proposals and managed to advance each party's positions.
Whether the report sits on shelves with other reform efforts or induces significant change in the electoral system depends to some extent on whether Carter and Baker can generate momentum among national political leaders. Another factor will be whether individual states -- 24 already use some form of photo identification at the polls, and 12 others are considering it -- enact new electoral laws. (California requires a photo ID for first-time voters who register by mail without providing photo identification with their application.)
At the heart of the effort is a concern that many Americans don't believe that their votes will be counted.
Several polls shortly before the 2004 election found a lack of confidence in the integrity of the vote count. The CBS News/New York Times Poll found that only 35% of those surveyed had "a lot" of confidence that the votes would be properly counted.
"Absent this report," Pastor said, looking ahead to the 2008 election, "the prospects for any serious election reform at the national level were quite slim."
The report prepared by Carter and Ford after the 2000 election led to legislation in 2002 that provided states with nearly $4 billion to replace the sort of outdated punch-card ballots that led to some of the confusion in Florida.
