I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8499 

To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to establish requirements 

for voting by absentee ballot in elections for Federal office, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 22, 2024 

Mr. GROTHMAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on House Administration 

A BILL 

To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to establish 

requirements for voting by absentee ballot in elections 

for Federal office, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Clean Elections in 

5 America Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS WITH RESPECT TO VOTING BY AB7 SENTEE BALLOT. 

8 (a) REQUIREMENTS.—Title III of the Help America 

9 Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended— 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•HR 8499 IH

1 (1) by redesignating sections 304 and 305 as 

2 sections 305 and 306, respectively; and 

3 (2) by inserting after section 303 the following 

4 new section: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 304. REQUIREMENTS WITH RESPECT TO VOTING BY 

6 ABSENTEE BALLOT. 

7 ‘‘(a) INDIVIDUALS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE ABSENTEE

8 BALLOT.— 

9 ‘‘(1) EXCUSABLE REASONS TO RECEIVE ABSEN10 TEE BALLOT.—A State may not provide to an indi11 vidual an absentee ballot to vote in an election for 

12 Federal office unless such individual meets the appli13 cation requirements described in paragraph (2) and 

14 is unable to vote in person at the appropriate polling 

15 place in the State on the date of the election for any 

16 of the following reasons: 

17 ‘‘(A) The business or occupation of the in18 dividual prevents such individual from voting in 

19 person on the date of the election. 

20 ‘‘(B) The individual is unable to vote in 

21 person on the date of the election because such 

22 individual provides care to a parent, spouse, or 

23 child with an illness, disability, or injury that 

24 requires constant care. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•HR 8499 IH

1 ‘‘(C) The individual suffers from a physical 

2 ailment, or is an individual with a disability, 

3 that substantially limits the ability of the indi4 vidual to vote in person. 

5 ‘‘(D) The individual will be absent from 

6 the jurisdiction in which the individual is reg7 istered to vote on the date of the election. 

8 ‘‘(E) The individual is entitled to vote by 

9 absentee ballot under any other Federal law. 

10 ‘‘(2) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—A State 

11 may not provide to an individual an absentee ballot 

12 to vote in an election for Federal office unless— 

13 ‘‘(A) the individual submits an application 

14 to the appropriate State or local election official 

15 and such application is received by the official 

16 not later than noon on the Friday before the 

17 date of the election; and 

18 ‘‘(B) the application includes— 

19 ‘‘(i) the individual’s name and ad20 dress; 

21 ‘‘(ii) the reason such individual is un22 able to vote in person at the appropriate 

23 polling place in the State on the date of 

24 the election and such reason is an excusVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:40 Jul 04, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8499.IH H8499

kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
4 

•HR 8499 IH

1 able reason described in paragraph (1); 

2 and 

3 ‘‘(iii) a sworn written statement at4 testing to the individual’s identity. 

5 ‘‘(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply 

6 with respect to each election for Federal office held after 

7 the date of the enactment of this section.’’. 

8 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT RELATING TO EN9 FORCEMENT.—Section 401 of the Help America Vote Act 

10 of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21111) is amended by striking ‘‘and 

11 303’’ and inserting ‘‘303, and 304’’. 

12 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 

13 of such Act is amended— 

14 (1) by redesignating the items relating to sec15 tions 304 and 305 as relating to sections 305 and 

16 306; and 

17 (2) by inserting after the item relating to sec18 tion 303 the following new item: 

‘‘Sec. 304. Requirements with respect to voting by absentee ballot.’’. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB