WASHINGTON – President Bush yesterday signed an election-reform yesterday that aims to avoid a repeat of the 2000 Florida fiasco.
The law gives states $3.9 billion to improve equipment, voter education and poll-worker training.
By 2004, it requires all newly registered voters to provide a driver’s license, Social Security card or voter ID at the polls, and requires states to have voter databases to ease registration and help detect fraud.
The new law won’t have any effect on the congressional midterm elections next week, but it will play a role in 2004, when Bush is expected to run for re-election.
“Every registered voter deserves to have confidence that the system is fair and elections are honest, that every vote is recorded, and that the rules are consistently applied,” Bush said at a White House signing ceremony.
He said the new law “will add to the nation’s confidence.”