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105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 1463

To change the date for regularly scheduled Federal elections and establish

polling place hours.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

NOVEMBER 8, 1997

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 of the United

8 States (2 U.S.C. 7) is amended—

9 (1) by striking ‘‘Tuesday next after the first

10 Monday’’ the second place it appears and inserting
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1 ‘‘first Saturday and Sunday after the first Friday’’;

2 and

3 (2) by striking ‘‘day’’ and inserting ‘‘days’’.

4 SEC. 3. CHANGE IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION DAY TO SAT5 URDAY AND SUNDAY.

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

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

8 inserting ‘‘first Saturday and Sunday after the first Fri9 day’’.

10 SEC. 4. POLLING PLACE HOURS IN CONTINENTAL UNITED

11 STATES.

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 in continental United States

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) IN GENERAL.—Each polling place in the

6 continental United States shall be open, with respect

7 to a Presidential general election, beginning on Sat8 urday at 6 p.m. eastern standard time and ending

9 on Sunday at 6 p.m. eastern standard time.

10 ‘‘(2) EARLY CLOSING.—A polling place may

11 close between the hours of 12 p.m. (midnight) and

12 5 a.m. as provided by the law of the State in which

13 the polling place is located.’’.

14 (2) CONGRESSIONAL GENERAL ELECTION.—

15 Section 25 of the Revised Statutes of the United

16 States (2 U.S.C. 7) is amended—

17 (A) by redesignating section 25 as section

18 25A; and

19 (B) by inserting before section 25A the fol20 lowing:

21 ‘‘SEC. 25. POLLING PLACE HOURS IN THE CONTINENTAL

22 UNITED STATES.

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

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

25 term ‘continental United States’ means a State
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1 (other than Alaska and Hawaii) and the District of

2 Columbia.

3 ‘‘(2) CONGRESSIONAL GENERAL ELECTION.—

4 The term ‘congressional general election’ means the

5 general election for the office of Senator or Rep6 resentative in, or Delegate or Resident Commis7 sioner to, the Congress.

8 ‘‘(b) POLLING PLACE HOURS.—

9 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each polling place in the

10 continental United States shall be open, with respect

11 to a congressional general election, beginning on

12 Saturday at 6 p.m. eastern standard time and end13 ing on Sunday at 6 p.m. eastern standard time.

14 ‘‘(2) EARLY CLOSING.—A polling place may

15 close between the hours of 12 p.m. (midnight) and

16 5 a.m. as provided by the law of the State in which

17 the polling place is located.’’.

18 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—

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

20 3, United States Code, is amended by striking the

21 item relating to section 1 and inserting the follow22 ing:

‘‘1. Polling place hours in continental United States.

‘‘1A. Time of appointing electors.’’.

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

24 United States Code, are amended by striking ‘‘title
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1 3, United States Code, sections 1 and 2’’ and insert2 ing ‘‘sections 1A and 2 of title 3’’.

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