LETTER: Jimmy Carter’s forgotten advice

One of President Jimmy Carter’s most significant contributions is often overlooked, even ignored, unfortunately: his recommendations as leader of two bipartisan commissions on federal election reform following the 2000 and 2004 elections. Those elections were viewed with suspicion after the 2000 Florida election controversy (Remember hanging chads?) and reports of unreliable voting machines in Ohio in the 2004 elections.

“Absentee ballots remain the largest source of potential voter fraud” was one of the conclusions of the bipartisan report of the Commission on Federal Election Reform, chaired by Mr. Carter and former Secretary of State James Baker III in 2005. Another recommendation was to institute a uniform system of photo IDs for voters based on Real ID.

Today, many states, including Nevada, send unsolicited mail-in ballots to almost anyone, and voter ID is often branded as “voter suppression.” It’s a pity we haven’t followed the guidance of such a beloved and respected statesman as Mr. Carter. If taken seriously, his advice would go a long way toward restoring faith and confidence in our national elections and giving the late president an even greater legacy.