Since November, the whole country has been pushing for election reform. Finally, a commission led by former Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter has come to the rescue.

It has set out a number of ideas, a big step toward improving the election process in the United States. Unfortunately, not everybody in Washington is excited about it. The report is a response to the election fiasco in November.

It suggests the federal government give states $300 million to $400 million a year to improve voting equipment, Election Day be made a national holiday and broadcasters not announce results until polls in the 48 continental states are closed.

A holiday would be very nice. Few people would likely complain to another day away from the office, but they might not take the opportunity to go to the polls instead.

If people really want to vote, they’ll vote. The polls are open early, and they close after most businesses let their employees go home. As it is now, it’s not difficult to vote, especially because it doesn’t have to be done every day.

Voter turnout is weak, showing many Americans don’t care or aren’t willing to make the effort to vote. It seems like there’s always something better to do, from a good TV show to a good nap.

It may be easier to find poll workers if the day is made a holiday, but a lack of workers doesn’t seem to have been a pressing problem lately.

What’s disturbing is an Associated Press story that reports Republicans are worried an election holiday might increase the turnout of labor groups, who are inclined to vote for Democrats. Keeping people away from the polls is underhanded and un-democratic.

The money recommended for state voting systems could potentially be money well-spent. If it can improve voter accuracy, it’s worth it. After November in the Citrus State, many are clamoring for a less confusing ballot.

The committee’s plan to hold off results until the polls are closed is also a good idea. Many voters could be dissuaded from doing so if they thought the election had already been decided. Plus, the early and faulty predictions didn’t help the media’s image at all.

Another part of the commission’s plan, which allows for provisional voting, would greatly help students at MSU.

Under the commission’s plan, voters who claim they are allowed to vote but don’t show up on registration polls would be allowed to vote and the validity of that vote would be determined later.

For MSU students, figuring out where to vote can be very confusing, especially when it changes every year. There are a number of precincts in East Lansing and yours could change depending on which dorm or neighborhood you live in.

If students were allowed to vote and then their votes were transferred to the correct precinct, it would make the process much more user-friendly. Getting turned away from the polls is not encouraging and our legislators should realize that, because we are the ones who vote for them.

The Bush administration should give serious weight to the commission’s report. Bush said he was going to work for election reform, and this is his chance to prove it.