I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8092 

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

by which individuals may apply for an absentee ballot in elections for 

Federal office, to permit individuals to cast absentee ballots at polling 

places and early voting locations on or before the date of the election, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 22, 2020 

Ms. JACKSON LEE (for herself, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. KELLY of 

Illinois, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Mr. TONKO, Mr. GARCI ́A of Illinois, 

Mrs. BEATTY, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. MCNERNEY, Ms. 

SEWELL of Alabama, Mr. CA ́RDENAS, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. COHEN, Ms. 

NORTON, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. MFUME, Ms. SHERRILL, Ms. 

TLAIB, Mr. CUELLAR, and Mr. NEGUSE) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in 

addition to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, for a period to be 

subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 

of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to establish 

the methods by which individuals may apply for an absentee ballot in elections for Federal office, to permit 

individuals to cast absentee ballots at polling places and 

early voting locations on or before the date of the election, and for other purposes. 


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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; FINDINGS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Protecting Democracy by Securing the Right To Vote by 

6 Mail Act’’. 

7 (b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) The freedoms of the press and of speech 

9 guaranteed in the First Amendment to the Constitu10 tion and the establishment of a national postal sys11 tem, an authority vested by the Constitution in the 

12 Congress in article I, section 8, clause 7, are indis13 pensable features of a strong and stable democracy. 

14 (2) A national postal system to collect and dis15 tribute mail efficiently, affordably, reliably, and 

16 without regard to the sender’s or recipient’s race, 

17 creed, color, national origin, religion, region of resi18 dence, or political affiliation strengthens and for19 tifies democracy by enabling all persons to commu20 nicate with any or all other Americans. 

21 (3) A functioning and effective national postal 

22 system strengthens the economy by facilitating the 

23 efficient delivery of goods and services, promotes the 

24 public health by facilitating the timely delivery of 

25 needed medical supplies and prescription drugs to 


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1 senior citizens and veterans, and enriches civil soci2 ety by facilitating the delivery of letters of greetings, 

3 sympathy, congratulations, and love, thus strength4 ening the mystic bonds of affection of Americans for 

5 each other and for the United States. 

6 SEC. 2. RULES FOR TREATMENT OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title III of the Help America 

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

9 by inserting after section 303 the following new section: 

10 ‘‘SEC. 303A. RULES FOR TREATMENT OF ABSENTEE BAL11 LOTS. 

12 ‘‘(a) METHODS FOR REQUESTING BALLOT.—In addi13 tion to such other methods as the State may establish for 

14 an individual to request an absentee ballot, the State shall 

15 permit an individual to submit a request for an absentee 

16 ballot through the internet or mobile application and by 

17 telephone. The State shall be considered to meet the re18 quirements of this paragraph if the website of the appro19 priate State or local election official allows an absentee 

20 ballot request application to be completed and submitted 

21 online and if the website permits the individual— 

22 ‘‘(1) to print the application so that the indi23 vidual may complete the application and return it to 

24 the official; or 


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1 ‘‘(2) to request that a paper copy of the appli2 cation be transmitted to the individual by mail or 

3 electronic mail so that the individual may complete 

4 the application and return it to the official. 

5 ‘‘(b) METHODS FOR RETURNING BALLOTS.—In addi6 tion to permitting an individual to whom an absentee bal7 lot in an election was provided to return the ballot to an 

8 election official by mail, the State shall permit the indi9 vidual to cast the ballot by delivering the ballot at such 

10 times and to such locations as the State may establish, 

11 including— 

12 ‘‘(1) permitting the individual to deliver the bal13 lot to a polling place on any date on which voting 

14 in the election is held at the polling place; and 

15 ‘‘(2) permitting the individual to deliver the bal16 lot to a designated ballot drop-off location. 

17 ‘‘(c) DEADLINE FOR ACCEPTANCE OF BALLOTS.—A 

18 State may not refuse to accept or process an absentee bal19 lot submitted by an individual by mail with respect to an 

20 election for Federal office in the State on the grounds that 

21 the individual did not meet a deadline for returning the 

22 ballot to the appropriate State or local election official if— 

23 ‘‘(1) the ballot is postmarked, signed, or other24 wise indicated by the United States Postal Service to 


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1 have been mailed on or before the date of the elec2 tion; and 

3 ‘‘(2) the ballot is received by the appropriate 

4 election official prior to the expiration of the 10-day 

5 period (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal 

6 public holidays) which begins on the date of the elec7 tion.’’. 

8 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT RELATING TO EN9 FORCEMENT.—Section 401 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21111) 

10 is amended by striking ‘‘and 303’’ and inserting ‘‘303, and 

11 303A’’. 

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

13 of such Act is amended by inserting after the item relating 

14 to section 303 the following new item: 

‘‘Sec. 303A. Rules for treatment of absentee ballots.’’. 

15 SEC. 3. GAO REPORT ON POSTAL SERVICE. 

16 Not later than 260 days after the date of enactment 

17 of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit a report 

18 to Congress on the critical need for a fully staffed and 

19 fully operational United States Postal Service to carry out 

20 elections, domestic and international commerce, and pro21 tection of constitutional rights including the First Amend22 ment rights of freedom of speech, assembly, press, and 

23 religion. The report shall include— 

24 (1) a review of the current level of Postal Serv25 ice staffing, funding, equipment, technology, vehiVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:11 Sep 04, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8092.IH H8092

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1 cles, training, compensation, recruitment and reten2 tion, diversity, and opportunities provided to workers 

3 for advancement and stable work, as well as com4 petitive income; and 

5 (2) recommendations on how the Postal Service 

6 may be improved to provide low-cost and efficient 

7 postal delivery services 6 days a week to every gov8 ernment, residential, and business address. 

Æ 


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