A federal election agency, stung by criticism that it altered research finding on voter fraud to reflect partisan considerations, asked for an inspector general review of the agency’s conduct. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) asked their inspector general (link to PDF) to investigate twelve points surrounding the Commission’s handling of both the voter fraud report and a recent voter ID research report (link to previous blog posting).
Stories in the New York Times and Roll Call on changes to the Commission’s voter fraud report triggered critical letters and statements from Senators Diane Feinstein and Richard Durbin, Representative Zoe Lofgren, and Representatives Jose Serrano and Maurice Hinchey. All have oversight responsibilities for the EAC.
The EAC’s request for an investigation by its inspector general is a good first step to reassure election officials, let alone the public, that the Commission’s research is not beholden to a partisan agenda. Next, the Commission should take a hard look at its decision-making process, including procedures used to draft, review and approve letters that provide legal or policy guidance to states. More on that soon.