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Chair Lee's full opening statement as prepared for delivery:
Welcome to today’s hearing of the Subcommittee on Elections entitled “Election Observation: Best Practices and Congress’s Role.”
Election observers play an important role in election administration. They provide an independent view of the election process by documenting what they see, asking questions through established procedures, and helping confirm elections are conducted according to law.
Congress has a unique and important constitutional responsibility that makes today's hearing especially important.
Article 1 of the Constitution provides that each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns, and Qualifications of it's own Members.
Congress cannot fulfill that responsibility without the ability to observe the federal election process that determines who serves here.
For that reason, the Committee on House Administration has long maintained the Congressional Election Observer Program, and Congress reaffirmed that authority through the Confirmation of Congressional Observer Access Act, or the COCOA Act.
Congressional observers are sent to observe, document, and report back to the Committee, so Congress has an objective, factual record if questions arise during a federal election.
Close elections are part of our democracy.
House races have been decided by only a few hundred votes, and sometimes even fewer.
In those situations, having an accurate record of the election process is especially important, so Congress can faithfully fulfill its constitutional responsibility.
Successful election observation programs depend on everyone understanding their role.
This promotes transparency, gives election officials another set of eyes on the process, and helps candidates and voters better understand how elections are conducted. Together, these benefits strengthen public confidence in our elections.
That's why professionalism matters. Election officials should establish clear procedures for credentialing observers, defining where they may observe, and maintaining clear channels of communication throughout the election process.
Observers should arrive well-trained, understand the laws governing the jurisdiction where they are observing, respect election workers and voters, document what they observe, and raise any concerns through the appropriate channels.
Professional election observation depends on preparation, clear expectations, and mutual respect.
Today's hearing is an opportunity to learn from our witnesses about best practices that strengthen transparency, support professional election observation, and help Congress fulfill its constitutional responsibilities.
I thank our witnesses for joining us today, and I look forward to their testimony.
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