I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8092 
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to establish the methods 
by which individuals may apply for an absentee ballot in elections for 
Federal office, to permit individuals to cast absentee ballots at polling 
places and early voting locations on or before the date of the election, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 22, 2020 
Ms. JACKSON LEE (for herself, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. KELLY of 
Illinois, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Mr. TONKO, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, 
Mrs. BEATTY, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. MCNERNEY, Ms. 
SEWELL of Alabama, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. COHEN, Ms. 
NORTON, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. MFUME, Ms. SHERRILL, Ms. 
TLAIB, Mr. CUELLAR, and Mr. NEGUSE) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in 
addition to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to establish 
the methods by which individuals may apply for an ab-
sentee ballot in elections for Federal office, to permit 
individuals to cast absentee ballots at polling places and 
early voting locations on or before the date of the elec-
tion, and for other purposes. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Protecting Democracy by Securing the Right To Vote by 
Mail Act’’. 
(b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) The freedoms of the press and of speech 
guaranteed in the First Amendment to the Constitu-
tion and the establishment of a national postal sys-
tem, an authority vested by the Constitution in the 
Congress in article I, section 8, clause 7, are indis-
pensable features of a strong and stable democracy. 
(2) A national postal system to collect and dis-
tribute mail efficiently, affordably, reliably, and 
without regard to the sender’s or recipient’s race, 
creed, color, national origin, religion, region of resi-
dence, or political affiliation strengthens and for-
tifies democracy by enabling all persons to commu-
nicate with any or all other Americans. 
(3) A functioning and effective national postal 
system strengthens the economy by facilitating the 
efficient delivery of goods and services, promotes the 
public health by facilitating the timely delivery of 
needed medical supplies and prescription drugs to 
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senior citizens and veterans, and enriches civil soci-
ety by facilitating the delivery of letters of greetings, 
sympathy, congratulations, and love, thus strength-
ening the mystic bonds of affection of Americans for 
each other and for the United States. 
SEC. 2. RULES FOR TREATMENT OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title III of the Help America 
Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended 
by inserting after section 303 the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 303A. RULES FOR TREATMENT OF ABSENTEE BAL-
LOTS. 
‘‘(a) METHODS FOR REQUESTING BALLOT.—In addi-
tion to such other methods as the State may establish for 
an individual to request an absentee ballot, the State shall 
permit an individual to submit a request for an absentee 
ballot through the internet or mobile application and by 
telephone. The State shall be considered to meet the re-
quirements of this paragraph if the website of the appro-
priate State or local election official allows an absentee 
ballot request application to be completed and submitted 
online and if the website permits the individual— 
‘‘(1) to print the application so that the indi-
vidual may complete the application and return it to 
the official; or 
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‘‘(2) to request that a paper copy of the appli-
cation be transmitted to the individual by mail or 
electronic mail so that the individual may complete 
the application and return it to the official. 
‘‘(b) METHODS FOR RETURNING BALLOTS.—In addi-
tion to permitting an individual to whom an absentee bal-
lot in an election was provided to return the ballot to an 
election official by mail, the State shall permit the indi-
vidual to cast the ballot by delivering the ballot at such 
times and to such locations as the State may establish, 
including— 
‘‘(1) permitting the individual to deliver the bal-
lot to a polling place on any date on which voting 
in the election is held at the polling place; and 
‘‘(2) permitting the individual to deliver the bal-
lot to a designated ballot drop-off location. 
‘‘(c) DEADLINE FOR ACCEPTANCE OF BALLOTS.—A 
State may not refuse to accept or process an absentee bal-
lot submitted by an individual by mail with respect to an 
election for Federal office in the State on the grounds that 
the individual did not meet a deadline for returning the 
ballot to the appropriate State or local election official if— 
‘‘(1) the ballot is postmarked, signed, or other-
wise indicated by the United States Postal Service to 
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have been mailed on or before the date of the elec-
tion; and 
‘‘(2) the ballot is received by the appropriate 
election official prior to the expiration of the 10-day 
period (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal 
public holidays) which begins on the date of the elec-
tion.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT RELATING TO EN-
FORCEMENT.—Section 401 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21111) 
is amended by striking ‘‘and 303’’ and inserting ‘‘303, and 
303A’’. 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
of such Act is amended by inserting after the item relating 
to section 303 the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 303A. Rules for treatment of absentee ballots.’’. 
SEC. 3. GAO REPORT ON POSTAL SERVICE. 
Not later than 260 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit a report 
to Congress on the critical need for a fully staffed and 
fully operational United States Postal Service to carry out 
elections, domestic and international commerce, and pro-
tection of constitutional rights including the First Amend-
ment rights of freedom of speech, assembly, press, and 
religion. The report shall include— 
(1) a review of the current level of Postal Serv-
ice staffing, funding, equipment, technology, vehi-
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