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demonstrate the need for early and effective action by Congress.

And as in so many other situations, the burden of our complex and capricious registration system weighs especially heavily on disadvantaged groups in our society.

Only 66 percent of the Nation's black citizens were registered in 1968, while the future was 76 percent for the white population.

Only 53 percent of those in families with incomes of less than $3,000 were registered in 1968, while 82 percent of those in families with incomes between $10,000 and $15,000 were registered.

Only 69 percent of the Nation's manual workers were registered to vote, while 83 percent of the Nation's white collar workers were registered.

Only 49 percent of those with a formal education of 1 to 4 years were registered in 1968, while 87 percent of those with a [illegible?] degree were registered.

The prelimianary Census data for 1972 indicate that essentially the same pattern was followed last November, with two additional groups at a serious disadvantage - 18 to 21 year olds, only about 40 percent of whom went to the polls, and Mexican-Americans, of whom only about [20?] percent voted.

Clearly, on the basis of statistics like these, the burden of our present registration system falls mostly heavily on the poor, the black, the less-educated, the blue collar worker, the young, and the Spanish speaking.

But it is not just the disadvantaged who are caught by the exisiting system. The chaos and the defects of the system are not confined to any single population group or geographic region. They trap us all - the businessman in his office, the housewife in her suburb, the worker in his factoy, the doctor in his clinic. Rarely, in fact, has any movement for reform so clearly cut across all political, economic, social, and geographic lines.

Left to individual State action, the comprehensive reforms we need will never happen. Registration is a national problem and it demands a national solution. Without legislation at the Federal level, the inertia of nearly a century of past and present practice will continue, and we shall lose this timely and fertile opportunity to make government more responsive to the people.

Now, with the passions of an election year behind us. Congress has the opportunity to breathe new life into the political process in America. There is perhaps no more important step we can now take to make our democracy responsive to all the people. If we act to end the [illegible?] of voter registration, we can revitalize all our public institutions and build a stronger nation to meet the many difficult challenges we face at home and overseas.

Thanks to the leadership of Senator [illegible?] McGEE and the Senate Post Office Committee in the Senate, and of Congressman CHARLES WILSON and his Postal [illegible?] committee in the House, Congress has already compiled an outstanding record of bipartisan support for reform, and I am confident that the 93d Congress will enact the measures we need, and end the [illegible?] of America's lost voters.

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Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill may be printed in the RECORD, together with the following additional materials: Table I, giving a State by State summary of the voter turnout in the November 1972 Presidential election: table II, giving a summary of voter turnout in Presidential elections in the United States since 1824; table III, giving a summary of voter turnout in recent elections in certain foreign democratic nations; and the 1972 report of the League of Women Voters Education Fund, entitled "Administrative Obstacles to Voting."

There being no objection, the bill and material were ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:

S. 472
A bill to amend title 13. United States Code, to establish within the Bureau of the Census a Voter Registration Administration to carry out a program of financial assistance to encourage and assist the States and local governments in registered voters

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "Voter Registration Assistance Act of 1973".

SEC. 2. (a) Title 13, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new chapter:
"Chapter 11 -- VOTER REGISTRATION
"Sec.
"401. Definitions
"402. Establishment of Voter Registration Administration
"403. Functions of the Administration
"404. Grants to defray costs of voter registration
"405. Grants to increase voter registration activities
"406. Grants to modernize voter registration
"407. Grants for voter registration by mail
"408. Technical assistance and fraud prevention
"409. Applications for grants
"410. Regulations
"411. Authorization of Appropriations

" 401. DEFINITIONS
"As used in this chapter --
"(1) 'Administration' means the Voter Registration Administration;
"(2) 'State' means each State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession of the United States; and
"(3) 'grant' means grant, contract, or other appropriate financial arrangement.

" 402 ESTABLISHMENT OF VOTER REGISTRATION ADMINISTRATION
"(a) There is established within the Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce, the Voter Registration Administration, hereafter referred to in this chapter as 'Administration.'

"(b) The Administration shall consist of an Administrator and two Associate Administrators, who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Administrator and Associate Administrators shall serve for terms of four years each, and may continue in office until a successor is qualified. An individual appointed to fill a vancancy shall serve the remainder of the term to which his predecessor was appointed. The Associate Administrators shall not be members of the same political party.

"(c) Except as otherwise provided, the Director of the Bureau of the Census, until such time as the members of the Administration are appointed, is authorized to exercise the duties and powers of the Administration created and established by this chapter.

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"403. Functions of the Administration.
" (a) The Administration shall-
"(1) make grants, in accord with the provisions of this chapter, upon the request of State and local officals, to States and political subdivisions thereof to carry out programs of voter registration:
"(2) collect, analyze, and arrange for the publication and sale by the Government Printing Office of information concerning elections in the United States:
"(3) obtain such facilities and supplies, and appoint and fix the pay of such officers and employees, as may be necessary to carry out the purpose of this chapter:
"(4) provide technical assistance, upon their request, to officials of States and political subdivisions thereof concerning voter registration:
"(5) prepare and submit to the President and the Congress on March 31 following each biennial general Federal election a report on the activities of the Administration and on voter registration procedures in the States and political subdivisions thereof, including recommendations for such additional legislation as may be appropriate: and
"(6) take such other actions as it deems necessary and proper to carry out its functions under this chapter.

"(b) The Administration shall not publish or disclose any informaton which permits the identification of individual voters.

"404. GRANTS TO DEFRAY COSTS OF VOTER REGISTRATION ACTIVITIES
The Administration is authorized to make grants to any State or political subdivision thereof for the purpose of carrying out voter registration activities. A grant made under this section shall not be in excess of 10 cents for each eligible voter in the State or political subdivision receiving the grant.

"405. GRANTS TO INCREASE VOTER REGISTRATION
"(a) The Administration is authorized to make grants to any State or political subdivision thereof to establish and carry out programs to increase the number of registered voters. Such a program may include --
"(1) expanded registration hours and locations:
"(2) mobile registration facilities:
"(3) employment of deputy registrars:
"(4) door-to-door canvass procedures:
"(5) absentee registration procedures:
"(6) reregistration programs:
"(7) public information activities: and
"(8) other activites designed to increase voter registration and approved by the Administration.

"(b) A grant made under this subsection shall be equal to 50 percent of the fair and reasonable cost, as determined by the Administration, of establishing and carrying out such a program. A grant made under this section shall not be in excess of 10 cents for each eligible voter in the State or political subdivision receiving the grant.

"406. GRANTS TO MODERNIZE VOTER REGISTRATION
The Administration is authorized to make grants to any State or political subdivision thereof for planning, evaluating, and designing the use of electronic data processing or other appropriate procedures to modernize voter registration. A grant made under this section shall not be in excess of one-half cent for each eligible voter in the State or subdivision receiving the grant, or $15,000, whichever is greater.

"407. GRANTS FOR VOTER REGISTRATION BY MAIL
"The Administration is authorized to make grants to any State or political subdivision thereof to carry out a program of voter registration by mail. A grant made under this section shall be equal to the fair and reasonable cost, as determined by the Administration, of establishing and operating a registration