The Carter-Baker Commission, 16 Years Later: Opportunities and Challenges of Election Reform

In 2005, former President Jimmy Carter and former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker, III, co-chaired the Commission on Federal Election Reform, which produced a report on the U.S. electoral process and recommendations on maximizing ballot access and election integrity.

The report indicated that “to minimize the chance of election meltdown and to build public trust in the electoral process, nonpartisan structures of election administration are very important, and election administrators should be neutral, professional and impartial.” In the 16 years since the commission issued its recommendations, the issue of nonpartisan election administration has remained a critical topic in election reform.

At this event, experts examined this issue with a special focus on public opinion and how it affects efforts to promote nonpartisanship in a highly-charged political landscape. They also considered how promoting nonpartisan structures of election administration can build confidence in U.S. elections.

This webinar was the last in a series of five virtual events co-sponsored by the Baker Institute Presidential Elections Program and The Carter Center that considered potential reforms for U.S. federal elections. Participants included experts on U.S. election administration, election administrators and other practitioners well-versed in election issues. Follow @BakerInstitute and @CarterCenter on Twitter, and join the conversation with #CarterBakerElection.