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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1950 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1950

  To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to provide for 
           online voter registration and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 5, 2015

  Mr. Schumer introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
         referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to provide for 
           online voter registration and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. FEDERAL ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATION FORM.

    (a) In General.--The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 
U.S.C. 20501 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 6 the 
following new section:

``SEC. 6A. ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION.

    ``(a) Development.--The Election Assistance Commission shall, in 
consultation with chief election officers of the States, develop an 
online voter registration platform which--
            ``(1) contains an online version of the mail voter 
        registration application form prescribed under section 9(a)(2) 
        (in this section referred to as the `online voter registration 
        application form') that--
                    ``(A) meets the requirements of section 9(b) and 
                section 303(a)(4) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002; 
                and
                    ``(B) allows for the applicant to provide--
                            ``(i) an identification number which the 
                        State or jurisdiction in which the applicant is 
                        registering may use to identify an existing 
                        signature of the applicant on file with such 
                        State or jurisdiction; or
                            ``(ii) an electronic signature in such form 
                        or by such method as is acceptable by the State 
                        or jurisdiction to which the applicant is 
                        registering; and
            ``(2)(A) requires an applicant to indicate whether the 
        applicant is currently registered to vote in any other 
        jurisdiction (and, if so, to provide information identifying 
        such other jurisdiction; and
            ``(B) in the case of an applicant who is registered to vote 
        in another jurisdiction, treats submission and acceptance of 
        such application in a new jurisdiction as a request under 
        section 8(a)(3)(A) to cancel registration in such other 
        jurisdiction.
    ``(b) Duties of Election Assistance Commission.--
            ``(1) Transmission of completed applications and 
        cancellation requests.--The Election Assistance Commission 
        shall automatically forward completed online voter registration 
        application forms and cancellation requests pursuant to 
        subsection (a)(2)(B) to the appropriate chief State election 
        officials and, acting through such officials, to appropriate 
        State and local election officials in the State.
            ``(2) Registration through state-based platforms.--If the 
        Election Assistance Commission confirms a certification of the 
        chief election official of a State that the State has developed 
        a platform that meets the requirements of subsection (a), the 
        Election Assistance Commission shall automatically connect 
        applicants for registration in that State to such State 
        platform in lieu of the platform developed under subsection 
        (a).
    ``(c) Acceptance of Completed Applications.--A State shall accept 
an online voter registration application form transmitted under 
subsection (b), and ensure that the individual is registered to vote in 
the State, if the individual meets the same voter registration 
requirements applicable to individuals who register to vote by mail in 
accordance with section 6(a)(1) using the mail voter registration 
application form prescribed by the Election Assistance Commission 
pursuant to section 9(a)(2).
    ``(d) Procedures if No Existing Electronic Signature.--If a State 
does not accept an electronic signature for an individual registering 
online and there is insufficient information to identify an existing 
signature of the applicant on file with the State or jurisdiction, the 
State shall allow the individual to finalize the individual's 
registration by providing a signature at the poll prior to voting for 
the first time in such jurisdiction after acceptance of the online 
voter registration application form.
    ``(e) First-Time Voters.--
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), a State may by 
        law require a person to vote in person if--
                    ``(A) the person registered to vote in a 
                jurisdiction online under this section; and
                    ``(B) the person has not previously voted in that 
                jurisdiction.
            ``(2) Exception.--Paragraph (1) does not apply in the case 
        of a person--
                    ``(A) who is entitled to vote by absentee ballot 
                under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee 
                Voting Act;
                    ``(B) who is provided the right to vote otherwise 
                than in person under section 3(b)(2)(B)(ii) of the 
                Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped 
                Act;
                    ``(C) who has provided sufficient information for 
                the purposes of identifying an existing signature of 
                the applicant on file with such State or jurisdiction; 
                or
                    ``(D) who is entitled to vote otherwise than in 
                person under any other Federal law.
            ``(3) Application to states with all-mail voting.--Nothing 
        in this subsection shall be construed to prevent a State from 
        conducting elections entirely by mail-in ballot.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) State procedures.--Section 4(a) of the National Voter 
        Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20503(a)) is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph 
                (2);
                    (B) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph 
                (4); and
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following 
                new paragraph:
            ``(3) by online application pursuant to section 6A; and''.
            (2) Timing of registration.--Section 8(a)(1) of the 
        National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20507(a)(1)) 
        is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph 
                (C);
                    (B) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as 
                subparagraph (E); and
                    (C) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the 
                following new subparagraph:
                    ``(D) in the case of registration online under 
                section 6A, if the valid voter registration application 
                is submitted not later than the lesser of 20 days, or 
                the period provided by State law, before the date of 
                the election (as determined by treating the date on 
                which the application is completed online as the date 
                on which it is submitted); and''.
            (3) Informing applicants of eligibility requirements and 
        penalties.--Section 8(a)(5) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20507(a)(5)) 
        is amended by striking ``and 7'' and inserting ``6A, and 7''.
    (c) Applicability of Online Registration.--Section 4(b) of such Act 
(52 U.S.C. 20503(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
flush sentence:
``Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, subsection (a)(3) and 
sections 6A and 8(a)(1)(D) shall continue to apply to any State 
described in paragraph (2).''.
    (d) Application of First Time Voter Requirements Under Help America 
Vote Act.--
            (1) In general.--Section 303(b)(1)(A) of the Help America 
        Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21083(b)(1)(A)) is amended by 
        inserting ``or by online application'' after ``by mail''.
            (2) Exceptions.--Section 303(b)3) of such Act is amended--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``or who 
                registers to vote by online application under section 
                6A of such Act'' before ``and submits'', and
                    (B) in subparagraph (B)(i), by inserting ``or who 
                registers to vote by online application under section 
                6A of such Act'' before ``and submits''.

SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATION IN USPS 
              ONLINE CHANGE OF ADDRESS PROCESS.

    (a) In General.--The Postmaster General shall ensure that the 
United States Postal Service Online Change of Address process--
            (1) incorporates the online voter registration platform 
        developed under section 6A of the National Voter Registration 
        Act of 1993, as added by section 1; and
            (2) allows individuals to register to vote during the 
        process.
    (b) Transmission of Completed Applications.--The Postmaster General 
shall coordinate with the Election Assistance Commission to ensure that 
applications and requests for cancellation through the platform under 
paragraph (1) are forwarded in accordance with section 6A(b)(1) of the 
National Voter Registration Act of 1993, as added by section 1.

SEC. 3. VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE.

    Section 8(a)(1) of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 
U.S.C. 20507(a)(1)) is amended by striking ``30 days'' each place it 
appears and inserting ``28 days''.
                                 <all>
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