II 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 149 

To change the date for regularly scheduled Federal elections and establish 

polling place hours. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 6, 2009 

Mr. KOHL introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to 

the Committee on Rules and Administration 

A BILL 

To change the date for regularly scheduled Federal elections 

and establish polling place hours. 

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 ‘‘Weekend Voting Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. CHANGE IN CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION DAY TO 

6 SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. 

7 Section 25 of the Revised Statutes (2 U.S.C. 7) is 

8 amended to read as follows: 

9 ‘‘SEC. 25. The first Saturday and Sunday after the 

10 first Friday in November, in every even numbered year, 


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1 are established as the days for the election, in each of the 

2 States and Territories of the United States, of Represent3 atives and Delegates to the Congress commencing on the 

4 3d day of January thereafter.’’. 

5 SEC. 3. CHANGE IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION DAY TO SAT6 URDAY AND SUNDAY. 

7 Section 1 of title 3, United States Code, is amended 

8 by striking ‘‘Tuesday next after the first Monday’’ and 

9 inserting ‘‘first Saturday and Sunday after the first Fri10 day’’. 

11 SEC. 4. POLLING PLACE HOURS. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.— 

13 (1) PRESIDENTIAL GENERAL ELECTION.— 

14 Chapter 1 of title 3, United States Code, is amend15 ed— 

16 (A) by redesignating section 1 as section 

17 1A; and 

18 (B) by inserting before section 1A the fol19 lowing: 

20 ‘‘§ 1. Polling place hours 

21 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

22 ‘‘(1) CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES.—The 

23 term ‘continental United States’ means a State 

24 (other than Alaska and Hawaii) and the District of 

25 Columbia. 


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1 ‘‘(2) PRESIDENTIAL GENERAL ELECTION.—The 

2 term ‘Presidential general election’ means the elec3 tion for electors of President and Vice President. 

4 ‘‘(b) POLLING PLACE HOURS.— 

5 ‘‘(1) POLLING PLACES IN THE CONTINENTAL

6 UNITED STATES.—Each polling place in the conti7 nental United States shall be open, with respect to 

8 a Presidential general election, beginning on Satur9 day at 10:00 a.m. eastern standard time and ending 

10 on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. eastern standard time. 

11 ‘‘(2) POLLING PLACES OUTSIDE THE CONTI12 NENTAL UNITED STATES.—Each polling place not 

13 located in the continental United States shall be 

14 open, with respect to a Presidential general election, 

15 beginning on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. local time and 

16 ending on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. local time. 

17 ‘‘(3) EARLY CLOSING.—A polling place may 

18 close between the hours of 10:00 p.m. local time on 

19 Saturday and 6:00 a.m. local time on Sunday as 

20 provided by the law of the State in which the polling 

21 place is located.’’. 

22 (2) CONGRESSIONAL GENERAL ELECTION.— 

23 Section 25 of the Revised Statutes of the United 

24 States (2 U.S.C. 7) is amended— 


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1 (A) by redesignating section 25 as section 

2 25A; and 

3 (B) by inserting before section 25A the fol4 lowing: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 25. POLLING PLACE HOURS. 

6 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

7 ‘‘(1) CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES.—The 

8 term ‘continental United States’ means a State 

9 (other than Alaska and Hawaii) and the District of 

10 Columbia. 

11 ‘‘(2) CONGRESSIONAL GENERAL ELECTION.— 

12 The term ‘congressional general election’ means the 

13 general election for the office of Senator or Rep14 resentative in, or Delegate or Resident Commis15 sioner to, the Congress. 

16 ‘‘(b) POLLING PLACE HOURS.— 

17 ‘‘(1) POLLING PLACES INSIDE THE CONTI18 NENTAL UNITED STATES.—Each polling place in the 

19 continental United States shall be open, with respect 

20 to a congressional general election, beginning on 

21 Saturday at 10:00 a.m. eastern standard time and 

22 ending on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. eastern standard 

23 time. 

24 ‘‘(2) POLLING PLACES OUTSIDE THE CONTI25 NENTAL UNITED STATES.—Each polling place not 


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1 located in the continental United States shall be 

2 open, with respect to a congressional general elec3 tion, beginning on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. local time 

4 and ending on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. local time. 

5 ‘‘(3) EARLY CLOSING.—A polling place may 

6 close between the hours of 10:00 p.m. local time on 

7 Saturday and 6:00 a.m. local time on Sunday as 

8 provided by the law of the State in which the polling 

9 place is located.’’. 

10 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

11 (1) The table of sections for chapter 1 of title 

12 3, United States Code, is amended by striking the 

13 item relating to section 1 and inserting the fol14 lowing: 

‘‘1. Polling place hours. 

‘‘1A. Time of appointing electors.’’. 

15 (2) Sections 871(b) and 1751(f) of title 18, 

16 United States Code, are each amended by striking 

17 ‘‘title 3, United States Code, sections 1 and 2’’ and 

18 inserting ‘‘sections 1A and 2 of title 3’’. 

Æ 


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