I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1488 

To promote international exchanges on best election practices, cultivate more 

secure democratic institutions around the world, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 2, 2021 

Mr. CASTRO of Texas (for himself, Mrs. WAGNER, Ms. TITUS, and Mr. 

FITZPATRICK) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To promote international exchanges on best election practices, cultivate more secure democratic institutions 

around the world, 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 ‘‘Global Electoral Ex5 change Act of 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

7 It is the sense of Congress that— 

8 (1) recent elections globally have illustrated the 

9 urgent need for the promotion and exchange of 


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1 international best election practices, particularly in 

2 the areas of cybersecurity, results transmission, 

3 transparency of electoral data, election dispute reso4 lution, and the elimination of discriminatory reg5 istration practices and other electoral irregularities; 

6 (2) the advancement of democracy worldwide 

7 promotes United States interests, as stable democ8 racies provide new market opportunities and pro9 mote economic freedom and regional security; 

10 (3) credible elections are the cornerstone of a 

11 healthy democracy and enable all persons to exercise 

12 their basic human right to have a say in how they 

13 are governed; 

14 (4) inclusive elections strengthen the credibility 

15 and stability of democracies more broadly; 

16 (5) at the heart of a strong election cycle is the 

17 professionalism of the election management body 

18 and an empowered civil society; 

19 (6) the development of local expertise via peer20 to-peer learning and exchanges promotes the inde21 pendence of such bodies from internal and external 

22 influence; and 

23 (7) supporting the efforts of peoples in democ24 ratizing societies to build more representative govVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:30 Apr 16, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1488.IH H1488

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1 ernments in their respective countries is in the na2 tional interest of the United States. 

3 SEC. 3. GLOBAL ELECTORAL EXCHANGE. 

4 (a) GLOBAL ELECTORAL EXCHANGE.—The Sec5 retary of State is authorized to establish and administer 

6 a Global Electoral Exchange Program to promote the utili7 zation of sound election administration practices around 

8 the world. 

9 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Global Electoral 

10 Exchange Program described in subsection (a) shall in11 clude the promotion and exchange of international best 

12 election practices, including in the following areas: 

13 (1) Cybersecurity. 

14 (2) Results transmission. 

15 (3) Transparency of electoral data. 

16 (4) Election dispute resolution. 

17 (5) The elimination of discriminatory registra18 tion practices and electoral irregularities. 

19 (6) Equitable access to polling places, voter 

20 education information, and voting mechanisms (in21 cluding by persons with disabilities). 

22 (7) Other sound election administration prac23 tices. 

24 (c) EXCHANGE OF ELECTORAL AUTHORITIES.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State may, 

2 in consultation, as appropriate, with the Adminis3 trator of the United States Agency for International 

4 Development, make grants to any United States5 based organization described in section 501(c)(3) of 

6 the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from 

7 tax under section 501(a) of such Code with experi8 ence in and a primary focus on foreign comparative 

9 election systems or subject matter expertise in the 

10 administration or integrity of such systems that sub11 mits an application in such form, and satisfying 

12 such requirements, as the Secretary may require. 

13 (2) TYPES OF GRANTS.—An organization de14 scribed in paragraph (1) may receive a grant for one 

15 or more of the following purposes: 

16 (A) To design and implement programs 

17 bringing election administrators and officials, 

18 including government officials, poll workers, 

19 civil society representatives, members of the ju20 diciary, and others who participate in the orga21 nization and administration of public elections 

22 in a foreign country that faces challenges to its 

23 electoral process to the United States to study 

24 election procedures in the United States for 

25 educational purposes. 


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1 (B) To design and implement programs 

2 taking the United States or another country’s 

3 election administrators and officials, including 

4 government officials, poll workers, civil society 

5 representatives, members of the judiciary, and 

6 others who participate in the organization and 

7 administration of public elections to countries 

8 other than the United States to study and dis9 cuss election procedures for educational pur10 poses. 

11 (3) LIMITS ON ACTIVITIES.—Activities adminis12 tered under the Global Electoral Exchange Program 

13 may not— 

14 (A) include observation of an election for 

15 the purposes of assessing the validity or legit16 imacy of that election; 

17 (B) facilitate any advocacy for a certain 

18 electoral result by a grantee when participating 

19 in the Program; or 

20 (C) be carried out without proper consulta21 tion with State and local authorities in the 

22 United States that administer elections. 

23 (4) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 

24 Congress that the Secretary of State should estab25 lish and maintain a network of Global Electoral ExVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:30 Apr 16, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1488.IH H1488

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1 change Program alumni, to promote communication 

2 and further exchange of information regarding 

3 sound election administration practices among cur4 rent and former Program participants. 

5 (5) FURTHER LIMITS.—A recipient of a grant 

6 under the Global Electoral Exchange Program may 

7 use such grant for only the purpose for which such 

8 grant was awarded, unless otherwise authorized by 

9 the Secretary of State. 

10 (6) NOT DUPLICATIVE.—Grants made under 

11 this subsection may not be duplicative of any other 

12 grants made under any other provision of law for 

13 similar or related purposes. 

14 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

15 authorized to be appropriated for $5,000,000 for each of 

16 fiscal years 2022 through 2026 to carry out subsections 

17 (a), (b), and (c). 

18 SEC. 4. CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT. 

19 Not later than one year after the date of the enact20 ment of this Act and annually thereafter for two years, 

21 the Secretary of State shall provide to the Committee on 

22 Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 

23 Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a briefing 

24 on the status of any activities carried out pursuant to this 


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1 Act during the immediately preceding year, which shall in2 clude, among other information, the following: 

3 (1) A summary of all exchanges conducted 

4 under the Global Electoral Exchange Program pur5 suant to section 3, including information regarding 

6 grantees, participants, and the locations where Pro7 gram activities were held. 

8 (2) A description of the criteria used to select 

9 grantees under the Global Electoral Exchange Pro10 gram. 

11 (3) Any recommendations for the improvement 

12 of the Global Electoral Exchange Program, based on 

13 the purpose specified in section 3(b). 

Æ 


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