II

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 3287

To amend title 3, United States Code, and the Uniform Time Act of 1966

to establish a single poll closing time for Presidential general elect

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

DECEMBER 15 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 22), 2000

Mr. STEVENS (for himself, Mr. INOUYE, and Mr. MURKOWSKI) introduced the

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 

Rules and Administration

A BILL

To amend title 3, United States Code, and the Uniform

Time Act of 1966 to establish a single poll closing t

for Presidential general elections.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Represent

2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assem

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Uniform Poll Closin

5 Act of 2000’’.

6 SEC. 2. SINGLE POLL CLOSING TIME FOR PRESIDENTIAL

7 GENERAL ELECTIONS.

8 Chapter 1 of title 3, United States Code, is amende

9 by—
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1 (1) redesignating section 21 as section 22; and

2 (2) inserting after section 20 the following ne

3 section:

4 ‘‘‘SEC. 21. SINGLE POLL CLOSING TIME.

5 ‘‘(a) Each polling place in each State shall close, 

6 respect to a Presidential general election, at 9:00 o

7 post meridiem, eastern standard time. Any person who,

8 as determined under the law of the State involved, arr

9 at a polling place after that time shall not be perm

10 to vote in the Presidential general election.

11 ‘‘(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), a polling pla

12 shall close, with respect to a Presidential general el

13 as provided by the law of the State involved, in the 

14 of a polling place at which each person who is eligib

15 vote has voted.

16 ‘‘(c) Notwithstanding section 1 or any other provisi

17 of law, in the case of the States of Alaska and Hawa

18 a State may open polling places with respect to a Pre

19 dential general election during the day preceding the 

20 provided under such section in addition to the day p

21 vided under such section, so long as the State meets 

22 requirements of subsection (a) with respect to the day 

23 vided under such section.
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1 ‘‘(d) As used in this section, the term ‘Presiden

2 general election’ means the election for electors of 

3 dent and Vice President.’’.

4 SEC. 3. EXTENDED DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME IN PACIFIC

5 TIME ZONE IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

6 YEARS.

7 Section 3 of the Uniform Time Act of 1966 (15

8 U.S.C. 260a) is amended by adding at the end the fol

9 lowing new subsection:

10 ‘‘(d)(1) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this se

11 tion, in each year in which a Presidential general ele

12 takes place, the period of time during which the stand

13 time shall be advanced with respect to the Pacific t

14 zone shall end at 2:00 o’clock ante meridiem on the f

15 Sunday after the date of that election.

16 ‘‘(2) As used in this subsection, the term ‘Pres

17 dential general election’ means the election for elect

18 President and Vice President.’’.

19 SEC. 4. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

20 (a) AMENDMENTS TO TITLE 3, UNITED STATES

21 CODE.—The table of sections for chapter 1 of title 3

22 United States Code, is amended—

23 (1) by redesignating the item relating to sectio

24 21 as the item relating to section 22; and
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1 (2) by inserting after the item relating to se

2 tion 20 the following new item:

‘‘21. Single poll closing time in continental United States.’’.

3 (b) AMENDMENTS TO UNIFORM TIME ACT OF

4 1966.—Section 3(a) of the Uniform Time Act of 1966 (15

5 U.S.C. 260a(a)) is amended by striking out ‘‘2 o’clo

6 antemeridian’’ each place it appears and inserting in 

7 thereof ‘‘2:00 o’clock ante meridiem’’.

fi