Al Sharpton on Government Reform Reverend; Civil Rights Activist; Democratic Candidate for President

Need to monitor touch-screen voting machines

A: I do not know how safe it is. We intend to really monitor that. A hard copy backup sounds like a step in the right direction. What the Sharpton campaign ultimately will propose we have not finalized.

Count the DC primary like other primaries

A: It would say that we start with a momentum and it would also be a statement to the nation that DC residents cannot be ignored: they want DC to vote like everyone else in other early primary states. A Sharpton victory would not only define my campaign, but would define how may DC residents see the country differently than other early primary states. Other candidates that ignore DC-I think are being contradictory. In words, they say they are for statehood, but ignore the state. You can’t say you want DC to be treated equally as a state but treat them unequally in the primary. I was the only presidential candidate to appear at the DC Democratic dinner. It sends a bad signal to the country and to the party as to whether we are serious about DC being treated equally, as any other state, and their achievement of the Constitutional right to statehood.

Every American should have equal access to vote

A: My campaign is based on fighting for human and constitutional rights. Fighting for human rights and constitution amendments would allow Democrats, Republicans and Independents to agree on the goals - that every American should have equal access to vote, that every American should be given the opportunity and equal access to a high quality public education and health care.

Constitutional amendment on voting rights-remove from states

GRAHAM: Probably no. I believe in the principle of states having responsibility for the conduct of their elections. Now, the Congress has just recently passed a National Election Reform bill which will set some general standards, but more importantly will provide funds to the states to upgrade the quality of their election technology, and the training of election personnel, [etc.] We’re not proud of what happened in Florida. But had the election been as close in any other state, similar fractures would have been seen, and therefore [I see] the wisdom of, not a national takeover, but a national system for fair election reform.

GOP plan is to reduce government by bankrupting it