To Assure Pride and Confidence in the Electoral Process: Report of the National Commission on Federal Election Reform

In 2000 the American electoral system was tested by a political ordeal unlike any in living memory. Not since 1876-77 has the outcome of a national election remained so unsettled for so long. The past election¡¯s recount conundrum shook the nation¡¯s faith in the mechanisms that support the democratic process. Led by former Presidents Ford and Carter, the National Commission on Federal Election Reform undertook a study of the American electoral system. The resulting report describes where and what went wrong during the 2000 election, and makes clear and specific recommendations for reform, directed at state government, Congress, news organizations, and others. This volume also includes the full text of the Task Force Reports from the Commission.

Jimmy Carter was the 39th president of the United States and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He authored several bestselling books, including White House Diary and Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. Raised on a peanut farm in Plains, Georgia, he graduated from the Naval Academy in 1946 and served in the Navy for seven years before entering politics, becoming governor in 1971. Elected president in 1976, he championed human rights and achieved significant milestones, including the Israel-Egypt peace treaty and the Panama Canal treaties. After his presidency, he and his wife Rosalynn co-founded the Carter Center, a nonpartisan organization working to advance human rights and democracy, resolve conflicts, and relieve suffering from disease and hunger around the world. He lived in Plains, Georgia, until his death in 2024 at age 100.