President Obama’s choice of bipartisan leaders including experienced elections officials means the Commission can get to work on its mandate of making recommendations to improve the voting experience at the polls, Common Cause said today.

“We’re encouraged to see the administration moving ahead on the President’s stated desire to ensure that every eligible American can easily exercise the right to vote,”said Jenny Flanagan, Common Cause’s director of voting and elections. “We’re hopeful that the commission will build on the progress we’ve seen recently in Colorado, Maryland, and other states in working to make the machinery of our elections simpler and more voter-friendly,” she said.

“Voting is the bedrock of our democracy,” Flanagan said. “Ensuring that it’s easily and equally available to every eligible citizen should be a top priority for every elected official and every American, regardless of party. We hope the commission will move forward — and move forward quickly — in that spirit.”