Heller asks congressional delegation to back funding for election reform

Secretary of State Dean Heller has asked Nevada's congressional delegation to back full funding for the Help America Vote Act.

The so-called HAVA legislation was signed by President Bush Oct. 29 but so far isn't backed by any money.

Heller said federal funding is critical to Nevada, especially in light of the state's budget crisis.

"Congress has taken the bold step of passing this important legislation that will go a long way in securing the confidence of American citizens in the voting process," he said. "But without the federal funding being available to the states to meet the new mandates established by HAVA, Nevada will be hard pressed to meet those requirements."

The state is scheduled to receive at least $5 million of the first section of the act and another $20.4 million in the second phase.

Nationwide, it will cost a total of $3.86 billion in federal money to implement the election reforms.

The legislation was prompted, in part, by the ballot-counting controversy in Florida during the 2000 presidential election.