May 12, 2017
Washington, D.C. -- Yesterday, President Donald Trump announced the formation of a bipartisan Presidential Commission on Election Integrity chaired by Vice President Mike Pence. Six other members were named to the commission including former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell who also serves as Senior Fellow for Human Rights and Constitutional Governance at the Family Research Council.
Ken Blackwell is internationally recognized for his work on election integrity and serves as Chairman of the Board of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), a bipartisan organization that receives funding from USAID, the UN, and several other nations. He has also served as Co-Chairman of the U.S. Census Monitoring Board from 1999-2001. In 2009, Ken Blackwell co-authored an article published in the Yale Law and Policy Review entitled "Protecting Every Citizen's Vote by Safeguarding the Integrity of the Ballot Box."
The White House announcement states that the commission will "study vulnerabilities in voting systems used for federal elections that could lead to improper voter registrations, improper voting, fraudulent voter registrations, and fraudulent voting. The Commission will also study concerns about voter suppression, as well as other voting irregularities. The Commission will utilize all available data, including state and federal databases."
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins offered the following congratulatory remarks:
"For many years, I have known and worked with Ken Blackwell on some of the toughest issues facing our nation. From the lowest levels of city government to the international level of monitoring elections overseas, I can't think of anyone better prepared to help ensure that our democratic system is a fair and honest one. I am fully confident that our electoral process will be well-served by this dedicated public servant.
"While the voting booth opens the door to many opportunities, corruption and manipulation should not be one of them. That's why I am encouraged to see the president moving to fulfill his campaign promise to strengthen the integrity of our elections.
"Every American, whether Republican or Democrat, have a stake in election integrity -- something that never should be taken for granted," concluded Perkins.
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