I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 118 
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to promote early voting 
in elections for Federal office and to prevent unreasonable waiting times 
for voters at polling places used in such elections, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 3, 2019 
Mr. COHEN (for himself, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. CLARKE of 
New York, Mr. DEUTCH, Ms. ESHOO, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. 
NORTON, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. RYAN, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. SWALWELL of 
California, Mr. TAKANO, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, and Ms. MOORE) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
House Administration 
A BILL 
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to promote 
early voting in elections for Federal office and to prevent 
unreasonable waiting times for voters at polling places 
used in such elections, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Streamlined and Im-
proved Methods at Polling Locations and Early (SIM-
PLE) Voting Act of 2019’’. 
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SEC. 2. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR EARLY VOTING AND 
FOR REDUCING WAITING TIMES FOR VOTERS 
IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS. 
(a) REQUIREMENTS FOR STATES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle A of title III of the 
Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 
et seq.) is amended— 
(A) by redesignating sections 304 and 305 
as sections 306 and 307; and 
(B) by inserting after section 303 the fol-
lowing new sections: 
‘‘SEC. 304. EARLY VOTING. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Each State shall allow individ-
uals to vote in an election for Federal office on each day 
occurring during the 15-day period which ends on the sec-
ond day immediately preceding the date of the election, 
in the same manner as voting is allowed on such date. 
‘‘(b) MINIMUM EARLY VOTING REQUIREMENTS.— 
Each polling place which allows voting prior to the date 
of a Federal election pursuant to subsection (a) shall— 
‘‘(1) allow such voting for not less than 10 
hours on each day; and 
‘‘(2) have uniform hours each day for which 
such voting occurs. 
‘‘(c) LOCATION OF POLLING PLACES NEAR PUBLIC 
TRANSPORTATION.—To the greatest extent practicable, a 
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State shall ensure that each polling place which allows vot-
ing prior to the date of a Federal election pursuant to 
subsection (a) is located within reasonable walking dis-
tance of a stop on a public transportation route. 
‘‘(d) STANDARDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall issue 
standards for the administration of voting prior to 
the date scheduled for a Federal election. Such 
standards shall include the nondiscriminatory geo-
graphic placement of polling places at which such 
voting occurs. 
‘‘(2) DEVIATION.—The standards described in 
paragraph (1) shall permit States, upon providing 
adequate public notice, to deviate from any require-
ment in the case of unforeseen circumstances such 
as a natural disaster, terrorist attack, or a change 
in voter turnout. 
‘‘(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply 
with respect to elections held on or after January 1, 2020. 
‘‘SEC. 305. PREVENTING UNREASONABLE WAITING TIMES 
FOR VOTERS. 
‘‘(a) 
PREVENTING
UNREASONABLE
WAITING 
TIMES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each State shall provide a 
sufficient number of voting systems, poll workers, 
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and other election resources (including physical re-
sources) at a polling place used in any election for 
Federal office, including a polling place at which in-
dividuals may cast ballots prior to the date of the 
election, to ensure— 
‘‘(A) a fair and equitable waiting time for 
all voters in the State; and 
‘‘(B) that no individual will be required to 
wait longer than one hour to cast a ballot at the 
polling place. 
‘‘(2) CRITERIA.—In determining the number of 
voting systems, poll workers, and other election re-
sources provided at a polling place for purposes of 
paragraph (1), the State shall take into account the 
following factors: 
‘‘(A) The voting age population. 
‘‘(B) Voter turnout in past elections. 
‘‘(C) The number of voters registered. 
‘‘(D) The number of voters who have reg-
istered since the most recent Federal election. 
‘‘(E) Census data for the population served 
by the polling place, such as the proportion of 
the voting-age population who are under 25 
years of age or who are naturalized citizens. 
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‘‘(F) The needs and numbers of voters 
with disabilities and voters with limited English 
proficiency. 
‘‘(G) The type of voting systems used. 
‘‘(H) The length and complexity of initia-
tives, referenda, and other questions on the bal-
lot. 
‘‘(I) Such other factors, including relevant 
demographic factors relating to the population 
served by the polling place, as the State con-
siders appropriate. 
‘‘(3) GUIDELINES.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this section, the 
Commission shall establish and publish guidelines to 
assist States in meeting the requirements of this 
subsection. 
‘‘(4) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
this subsection may be construed to authorize a 
State to meet the requirements of this subsection by 
closing any polling place, prohibiting an individual 
from entering a line at a polling place, or refusing 
to permit an individual who has arrived at a polling 
place prior to closing time from voting at the polling 
place. 
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‘‘(b) DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF CON-
TINGENCY PLANS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each State shall develop, 
and implement to the greatest extent practicable, a 
contingency plan under which the State shall provide 
additional poll workers, machines, ballots, and other 
equipment and supplies (as the case may be) on the 
date of the election to any polling place used in an 
election for Federal office, including a polling place 
at which individuals may cast ballots prior to the 
date of the election, at which waiting times exceed 
one hour. 
‘‘(2) APPROVAL
OF
PLAN
BY
COMMISSION.— 
The State shall ensure that the contingency plan de-
veloped under paragraph (1) is approved by the 
Commission prior to the date of the election in-
volved, in accordance with such procedures as the 
Commission may establish. 
‘‘(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply 
with respect to elections held on or after January 1, 
2020.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents of such Act is amended— 
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(A) by redesignating the items relating to 
sections 304 and 305 as relating to sections 
306 and 307; and 
(B) by inserting after the item relating to 
section 303 the following new items: 
‘‘Sec. 304. Early voting. 
‘‘Sec. 305. Preventing unreasonable waiting times for voters.’’. 
(b) REPORT
BY ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMIS-
SION.—Not later than June 30 of each odd-numbered 
year, the Election Assistance Commission shall submit to 
Congress a report assessing the impact of sections 304 
and 305 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (as added 
by subsection (a)) on the administration of elections for 
Federal office during the preceding 2-year period, and 
shall include in the report such recommendations as the 
Commission considers appropriate. 
(c) NO EFFECT ON AUTHORITY OF STATE TO PRO-
VIDE
FOR LONGER PERIODS
OF EARLY VOTING
OR 
GREATER
AMOUNT
OF
RESOURCES
AT
POLLING 
PLACES.—Nothing in this section or in any amendment 
made by this section may be construed to prohibit a State, 
with respect to any election for Federal office— 
(1) from providing (in an equitable and non-
discriminatory manner) a longer period for early vot-
ing than the minimum period required under section 
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