I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8754 

To require States to provide a minimum number of in-person, secured drop 

boxes in each county in the State at which individuals may drop off 

voted absentee ballots in elections for Federal office, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 16, 2020 

Ms. SCANLON (for herself, Ms. ESCOBAR, and Ms. GARCIA of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House 

Administration 

A BILL 

To require States to provide a minimum number of inperson, secured drop boxes in each county in the State 

at which individuals may drop off voted absentee ballots 

in elections for Federal office, 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 ‘‘Dropbox Access Act 

5 of 2020’’. 


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•HR 8754 IH

1 SEC. 2. REQUIRING STATES TO PROVIDE SECURED DROP 

2 BOXES FOR VOTED ABSENTEE BALLOTS IN 

3 ELECTIONS FOR FEDERAL OFFICE. 

4 (a) REQUIREMENT.—The Help America Vote Act of 

5 2002 (52 U.S.C. 20901 et seq.) is amended— 

6 (1) by redesignating sections 304 and 305 as 

7 sections 305 and 306; and 

8 (2) by inserting after section 303 the following 

9 new section: 

10 ‘‘SEC. 304. USE OF SECURED DROP BOXES FOR VOTED AB11 SENTEE BALLOTS. 

12 ‘‘(a) REQUIRING USE OF DROP BOXES.—In each 

13 county in the State, each State shall provide in-person, 

14 secured drop boxes at which individuals may, at any time 

15 during the period described in subsection (b), drop off 

16 voted absentee ballots in an election for Federal office. 

17 ‘‘(b) MINIMUM PERIOD FOR AVAILABILITY OF DROP

18 BOXES.—The period described in this subsection is, with 

19 respect to an election, the period which begins 45 days 

20 before the date of the election and which ends at the time 

21 the polls close for the election in the county involved. 

22 ‘‘(c) ACCESSIBILITY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DIS23 ABILITIES.—Each State shall ensure that the drop boxes 

24 provided under this section are accessible for use by indi25 viduals with disabilities. 


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•HR 8754 IH

1 ‘‘(d) DETERMINATION OF NUMBER AND LOCATION

2 OF DROP BOXES.—In determining the number and loca3 tion of drop boxes provided under this section, the State 

4 shall meet the following requirements: 

5 ‘‘(1) The number of drop boxes provided by a 

6 State in a county shall be a number equal to or 

7 greater than the voting age population of the county 

8 divided by 15,000 (rounded to the nearest whole 

9 number). 

10 ‘‘(2) The number and location of drop boxes 

11 within particular areas of the county shall be deter12 mined by applying such factors as will provide the 

13 maximum accessibility to the drop boxes for the 

14 greatest number of voters in the county, without re15 gard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sex16 ual orientation, gender identity, age, or disability 

17 status. 

18 ‘‘(3) The drop boxes shall be placed at locations 

19 which are convenient for use by individuals who use 

20 public transportation. 

21 ‘‘(4) The State shall ensure that drop boxes 

22 provided in a county are located in urban, suburban, 

23 and rural communities (if any) within the county 

24 and on Tribal lands (if any) within the county, 


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1 based on the density of the population in such com2 munities.’’. 

3 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT RELATING TO EN4 FORCEMENT.—Section 401 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21111) 

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

6 304’’. 

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

8 of such Act is amended— 

9 (1) by redesignating the items relating to sec10 tions 304 and 305 as relating to sections 305 and 

11 306; and 

12 (2) by inserting after the item relating to sec13 tion 303 the following new item: 

‘‘Sec. 304. Use of secured drop boxes for voted absentee ballots.’’. 

14 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

15 this section shall apply with respect to elections held dur16 ing 2021 or any succeeding year. 

Æ 


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