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ETI: Cuccinelli on New Report — “We Were Warned Two Decades Ago”

By April 19, 2026April 27th, 2026No Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cuccinelli: New Analysis Confirms Longstanding Election Vulnerabilities

“This isn’t a solution in search of a problem—it’s a response to problems we’ve known about for nearly 20 years. The SAVE Act is overdue.” — Ken Cuccinelli, National Chairman of ETI

New data echoes bipartisan 2005 warnings as U.S. safeguards lag global standards — the SAVE Act addresses decades-old concerns.

Arlington, VA — April 20, 2026 —  A newly updated analysis of election rules in the United States and abroad reinforces concerns first identified by the bipartisan Carter-Baker Commission: the United States remains vulnerable in key areas tied to voter confidence, including voter verification and registration accuracy.

Formed in the wake of the disputed 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, the Carter-Baker Commission warned that the U.S. system was vulnerable to fraud, citing absentee ballots as a major source of abuse, inaccurate or outdated voter registration rolls, weaknesses in voting technology, and insufficient voter identification standards.

This Isn’t A New Problem — It’s A Delayed Response

Critics often describe the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act as “a solution in search of a problem.” But that claim ignores a well-documented record. The bipartisan Carter-Baker Commission identified specific vulnerabilities in absentee ballots, voter registration rolls, voting system reliability, and voter identification—issues that remain central to election policy debates today.

Those vulnerabilities were tested at scale during the 2020 election cycle, when a rapid expansion of mail-in voting placed additional strain on absentee ballot systems and voter roll maintenance. The resulting disputes and wave of litigation highlighted how inconsistent and contested election procedures have become across states, reinforcing the need for clearer, more reliable standards.

A newly updated international comparison from the Meyers Report International Rules Survey (updated March 2026) finds the United States scores 59.8 out of 100—an “F”—ranking last among 37 countries evaluated.

The updated analysis also models the impact of reform, showing that adoption of policies aligned with the SAVE Act would significantly improve election integrity scores across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., eliminating failing grades entirely.

Carter-Baker Identified The Same Vulnerabilities Still Debated Today

“Nearly 20 years ago, a bipartisan commission led by President Jimmy Carter and Secretary James Baker identified specific vulnerabilities in our election system—voter rolls, absentee ballots, and verification standards,” said Ken Cuccinelli, National Chairman of the Election Transparency Initiative (ETI). “This new analysis shows those problems haven’t gone away. In fact, we’re falling behind.”

New Analysis Shows The U.S. Lags Behind Global Election Standards

Key findings from the analysis include:

  • The United States scores 8 (“F”), ranking last among 37 countries evaluated
  • 0 states currently receive an “A” or “B” grade

With reforms aligned to the SAVE Act:

  • No states would receive an “F”
  • 5 states would achieve “A” or “B” level performance
  • All states would move into passing range

The SAVE Act Addresses Long-Identified Gaps In Voter Verification And Registration

Cuccinelli emphasized that the SAVE America Act directly addresses the same vulnerabilities identified by the Carter-Baker Commission, particularly in ensuring accurate voter rolls and strengthening citizenship verification requirements for federal elections. The updated Meyers analysis goes further, demonstrating that these reforms are not theoretical—if implemented, they would measurably improve election integrity outcomes across every state.

“Calling this a ‘solution in search of a problem’ isn’t serious—it ignores nearly 20 years of documented vulnerabilities,” Cuccinelli added. “Now we’re seeing something else: fixing these problems produces measurable improvements. The data is clear.”

With primary elections underway and the general election approaching, the findings make it clear that Congress should act now to address these shortfalls and pass the SAVE Act to strengthen election integrity and restore public confidence by adopting reforms now backed not just by warnings but by measurable results.

Media Availability

Ken Cuccinelli is available for interviews to discuss the report, the Carter-Baker Commission findings, and the path forward for federal election standards.

Members of the media may submit interview requests at: https://electiontransparency.org/contact/

About the Election Transparency Initiative

ETI works nationwide to advance commonsense election reforms that protect the integrity of the vote and strengthen public trust in election outcomes through policies that enhance transparency, accountability, and confidence in American elections. Ken Cuccinelli serves as National Chairman of ETI. He previously served as Acting Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and as Attorney General of Virginia.

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