Center for Democracy & Election Management

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  • Center for Democracy & Election Management
    (202) 885-1527
    Fax: (202) 885-1366
    cdem@american.edu

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Carter-Baker Commission: Federal Election Reform

Carter-Baker Report

The Commission on Federal Election Reform, co-chaired by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker, III, issued its report with 87 recommendations on September 19, 2005. The Commission was organized by the Center for Democracy and Election Management (CDEM) and remains an ongoing project of CDEM to make sure that future elections are an improvement on the past ones. The project will focus on evaluating the impact of the Help America Vote Act and will bring the Commission's recommendations to the attention of the executive and legislative branches of federal and state governments and to the public.


"Building Confidence in U.S. Elections"

Download the Full Report

Court TV Interviews

Carter Interview

Former President Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James A. Baker III were interviewed by Court TV on the proposals of the Commission on Federal Election Reform.

Carter Interview


Baker Interview

Non-Partisan Legislation

At the current time, U.S. elections are managed at the municipal and county levels, and the principal authority at the state-level is a Secretary of State, who is almost always a very partisan individual with aspirations for higher office.

To correct this chronic problem, the Carter-Baker Commission has recommended a set of reforms aimed at making election administration non-partisan, professional, and impartial.

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