[3] The commission was set up with twenty-one members, including Lee H. Hamilton, former Congressman and 9/11 Commission vice-chair; Tom Daschle, former Senate minority leader; Bob Michel, former House Minority leader; and Betty Castor, former Florida Superintendent of Public Instruction and 2004 Democratic Senate nominee.
Implementation of all suggestions would require congressional action for some measures, as well as a total expected cost of $1.35 billion.
A major point was the commission's call for nonpartisan professional and state oversight over elections.
The panel noted that both the 2000 and 2004 elections were marred by partisan, campaign-affiliated officials who held roles in the Bush campaign and Florida and Ohio Secretary of State positions.
Because the Secretary of State is responsible for certifying votes, these conflicts of interest were deemed by the panel as damaging to "confidence in elections".