The 99-1 passage of the bill capped a months-long argument between Republicans and Democrats over how much power the federal government should wield over states and whether tough anti-fraud standards would cost poor voters their ballots.
In the end, both sides got a little of what they wanted. As Democrats sought, states would get $3.5 billion in grants to upgrade equipment and procedures in exchange for meeting increased federal standards. In a concession to Republicans, voters who register by mail would have to show identification the first time they vote.
The deal isn't final.
Senate negotiators must still resolve differences with the House, which passed its own $2.6 billion version in December. Both bills spend the money over five years.
"This has been a marathon," said Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., one of the measure's authors. "While we aren't at the finish yet, meaningful election reform took an important step forward today and the real winners are the American people."
Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the bill's Republican sponsor, said the bill makes the nation's election systems "more accurate, more accessible and more honest."
Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., the only lawmaker to vote against the bill, complained that it was "a one-size-fits-all solution that failed to serve a rural state like Montana."
The bill is intended to prevent a recurrence of the balloting problems in Florida that marred the 2000 election between George W. Bush and Al Gore, delaying a decision in the presidential race until 36 days after Election Day.
The identification requirements stem from fraud allegations that cropped up in places like Missouri, where a dead alderman and a dog were registered to vote.
Under the bill, first-time voters who registered by mail can prove their identities with photo IDs, utility bills or some other documents. Voters in Oregon and Washington state, which have mail-in voting, could write their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number on forms when they initially register to vote. No further documentation would be needed for mail-in voting.
Both the House and Senate bills establish things like statewide registration lists and provisional voting to improve election systems. Under provisional voting, people who do not appear on election rolls but say they are eligible to vote could vote. Election officials later would determine whether the ballots were valid.
In a key difference, the House version establishes voluntary standards and gives states the leeway to craft their own improvements. The Senate version mandates that states make certain changes.
Civil rights groups have lobbied heavily for the Senate version, but state and local governments prefer the House bill.
Thursday, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said she would push for the Senate version of the bill.
"Hopefully we are on our way to the final end of this so every American voter can feel they are part of a real democracy," Johnson, D-Texas, said.
The White House has already signaled its support for some sort of election overhaul bill. President Bush included a $400 million down payment in his budget proposal for next year to go toward an eventual $1.2 billion fund for state and local governments to use.
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