I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1510
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require States to permit 
individuals to register to vote at polling places on the date of an election, 
to cast ballots at designated polling places prior to the date of an 
election, and to obtain absentee ballots for an election for any reason, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 31, 2003
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida (for himself, Mr. WYNN, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of 
Texas, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, 
Ms. NORTON, Mr. OWENS, Ms. LEE, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. CASE, 
Mr. STARK, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHN-
SON of Texas, Mr. MEEK of Florida, Mr. SANDERS, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, 
and Ms. MCCOLLUM) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Commit-
tees on Government Reform, and Education and the Workforce, for a pe-
riod to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for con-
sideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require 
States to permit individuals to register to vote at polling 
places on the date of an election, to cast ballots at 
designated polling places prior to the date of an election, 
and to obtain absentee ballots for an election for any 
reason, 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 ‘‘Voter Outreach and 
Turnout Expansion Act of 2003’’. 
TITLE I—EXPANSION OF ELEC-
TION 
ADMINISTRATION 
RE-
QUIREMENTS 
SEC. 101. SAME-DAY VOTER REGISTRATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 303 of the Help America 
Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15483) is amended—
(1) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub-
section (e); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(d) PERMITTING VOTER REGISTRATION ON DATE 
OF ELECTION.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—At each polling place in a 
State at which ballots are cast in an election for 
Federal office, an individual may register to vote on 
the date of the election, and may cast a vote at the 
polling place in the election, if the individual—
‘‘(A) completes an application for voter 
registration in accordance with the require-
ments of this Act and other applicable law; and
‘‘(B) executes a written affirmation before 
an election official at the polling place stating 
that the individual is eligible to register to vote 
in the jurisdiction in which the individual de-
sires to vote and has not already voted in the 
election. 
‘‘(2) TRANSMITTAL
OF
COMPLETED
APPLICA-
TIONS TO STATE ELECTION OFFICIAL.—An appro-
priate official at a polling place shall transmit any 
voter registration application accepted under this 
subsection to the appropriate State election official 
at the time the official at the polling place transmits 
the ballots cast at the polling place to the official. 
‘‘(3) NOTICE TO INDIVIDUALS FILING VOTER 
REGISTRATION APPLICATIONS AFTER DEADLINE.—If 
an individual’s application for voter registration 
prior to the date of an election is received by the ap-
propriate election official after the deadline for re-
ceipt of applications with respect to the election 
under State law, the official shall transmit a notice 
to the individual stating that the application was re-
ceived after the deadline and that the individual may 
register to vote at the polling place on the date of 
the election in accordance with this subsection.
‘‘(4) REQUIREMENTS UNDER NATIONAL VOTER 
REGISTRATION ACT OF 1993.—In carrying out this 
subsection, a polling place in a State shall meet the 
requirements applicable to a voter registration agen-
cy designated by the State under section 7(a)(2) of 
the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 
U.S.C. 1973gg–5(a)(2)), except that clauses (i), (ii), 
and (iii) of section 7(a)(6)(B) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 1973gg–5(a)(6)(B)) shall not apply with re-
spect to any of the voter registration forms distrib-
uted by the polling place pursuant to this sub-
section.’’. 
(b) INCLUSION IN VOTING INFORMATION REQUIRE-
MENTS.—Section 302(b)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
14582(b)(2)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (E), by inserting ‘‘and the 
right to register to vote at the polling place on the 
date of an election and vote in that election’’ after 
‘‘provisional ballot’’; 
(2) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) and 
(F) as subparagraphs (F) and (G); and 
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the fol-
lowing new subparagraph:
‘‘(E) instructions for individuals reg-
istering to vote at the polling place under sec-
tion 303(d);’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Section 303(e) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 15483(e)), as redesignated by subsection (a),
is amended by adding at the end the following new para-
graph: 
‘‘(3) REQUIREMENT FOR VOTER REGISTRATION 
ON DATE OF ELECTION.—Each State and jurisdic-
tion shall be required to comply with the require-
ments of subsection (d) on and after January 1, 
2004.’’. 
SEC. 102. PERMITTING VOTERS TO CAST BALLOTS PRIOR 
TO ELECTION; PERMITTING VOTERS TO OB-
TAIN ABSENTEE BALLOTS FOR ANY REASON. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Help America Vote Act of 
2002 is amended—
(1) by redesignating sections 304 and 305 as 
sections 305 and 306; and 
(2) by inserting after section 303 the following 
new section: 
‘‘SEC. 304. PROMOTING EARLY AND ABSENTEE VOTING. 
‘‘(a) REQUIRING
JURISDICTIONS
TO
ESTABLISH 
EARLY VOTING SITES.—
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
for subtitle A of title III of such Act is amended—
(1) by redesignating the items relating to sec-
tions 304 and 305 as items relating to sections 305 
and 306; and 
(2) by inserting after the item relating to sec-
tion 303 the following new item:
‘‘Sec. 304. Promoting early and absentee voting.’’.
SEC. 103. CLARIFICATION OF REQUIREMENT TO PERMIT IN-
DIVIDUALS 
TO 
COMPLETE 
INCOMPLETE 
MAIL-IN 
VOTER 
REGISTRATION 
APPLICA-
TIONS. 
Section 303(b)(4)(B) of the Help America Vote Act 
of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15483(b)(4)(B)) is amended to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(B) INCOMPLETE
FORMS.—If an appli-
cant for voter registration with respect to an 
election fails to answer any of the questions in-
cluded on the mail voter registration form pur-
suant to subparagraph (A), or otherwise fails to 
provide any information required to be provided 
on the form, the registrar shall—
‘‘(i) notify the applicant of the failure 
and of the opportunity for the applicant to 
register to vote at the polling place on the
date of the election in accordance with sub-
section (d); and 
‘‘(ii) if the form was received by the 
registrar within the deadline under State 
law for the receipt of voter registration ap-
plications with respect to the election, pro-
vide the applicant with an opportunity to 
complete the form in a timely manner to 
allow for the completion of the registration 
form prior to the election.’’. 
SEC. 104. ADDITIONAL FUNDING. 
Section 257(a) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 
(42 U.S.C. 15407(a)) is amended—
(1) 
in 
paragraph 
(1), 
by 
striking 
‘‘$1,400,000,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$1,405,000,000’’; 
(2) 
in 
paragraph 
(2), 
by 
striking 
‘‘$1,000,000,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$1,005,000,000’’; 
and 
(3) 
in 
paragraph 
(3), 
by 
striking 
‘‘$600,000,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$605,000,000’’. 
SEC. 105. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
The amendments made by this title shall take effect 
as if included in the enactment of the Help America Vote 
Act of 2002.
TITLE II—REMOVING OTHER 
BARRIERS TO VOTING 
SEC. 201. TREATMENT OF ELECTION DAY IN SAME MANNER 
AS VETERANS DAY FOR PURPOSES OF FED-
ERAL EMPLOYMENT. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that—
(1) many Americans do not vote on Election 
Day because of conflicting work schedules; 
(2) Federal, State, and local governments 
should share the responsibility for increasing voter 
turnout on Election Day; 
(3) States should establish Election Day as a 
legal public holiday in each year and should provide 
full paid leave for State government employees on 
Election Day; and 
(4) the treatment of Election Day in the same 
manner as Veterans Day for purposes of laws relat-
ing to Federal employment will lead to increased 
voter turnout and will increase the availability of poll 
workers and suitable polling places. 
(b) TREATMENT OF ELECTION DAY IN SAME MAN-
NER AS VETERANS DAY FOR PURPOSES OF FEDERAL EM-
PLOYMENT.—For purposes of any law relating to Federal 
employment, the Tuesday next after the first Monday in
November in 2004 and each even-numbered year there-
after shall be treated in the same manner as November 
11. 
SEC. 202. VOTING LEAVE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Each employee of an employer 
may take up to 2 hours of leave (or up to 3 hours of leave, 
in the case of an employee whose workplace is further than 
25 miles from the polling place at which the employee is 
eligible to cast a ballot under State law) in order to vote 
on any workday on which an election for Federal office 
is held. 
(b) UNPAID OR PAID LEAVE PERMITTED.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of law, leave granted under 
this subsection may be unpaid leave or paid leave. 
(c) DUTIES
OF EMPLOYEE.—An employee taking 
leave under this subsection shall make a reasonable effort 
to schedule the leave so as not to disrupt unduly the oper-
ations of the employer, shall provide such notice prior to 
taking leave as is practicable, and shall make a reasonable 
effort to vote. 
(d) NO LOSS OF BENEFITS.—The taking of leave 
under this subsection shall not result in the loss of any 
employment benefit accrued prior to the date on which the 
leave commenced. 
(e) PROHIBITED ACTS.—
(1) EXERCISE OF RIGHTS.—It shall be unlawful 
for any employer to interfere with, restrain, or deny 
the taking of or the attempt to take any leave pro-
vided under this subsection. 
(2) DISCRIMINATION.—It shall be unlawful for 
any employer to discharge or in any other manner 
discriminate against any individual for—
(A) opposing any practice made unlawful 
by this subsection; 
(B) filing any charge, or instituting or 
causing to be instituted any proceeding, under 
or related to this subsection; 
(C) giving or preparing to give any infor-
mation in connection with any inquiry or pro-
ceeding relating to any leave provided under 
this subsection; or 
(D) testifying or preparing to testify in 
any inquiry or proceeding relating to any leave 
provided under this subsection. 
(f) INVESTIGATIVE AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of 
Labor shall have investigative authority with respect to the 
provisions of this subsection in the same manner and 
under the same terms and conditions as the investigative 
authority provided under section 106 of the Family and 
Medical Leave Act of 1993, and the requirements of sec-
tion 106 of such Act shall apply to employers under this 
subsection in the same manner as such requirements apply 
to employers under section 106 of such Act. 
(g) ENFORCEMENT.—The provisions of section 107 
of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 shall apply 
with respect to the enforcement of the requirements of this 
subsection in the same manner and under the same terms 
and conditions as such provisions apply with respect to 
the enforcement of the requirements of title I of such Act. 
(h) EMPLOYER DEFINED.—In this section, the term 
‘‘employer’’ means any person engaged in commerce or in 
any industry or activity affecting commerce who employs 
25 or more employees during a calendar year, and includes 
any person who acts, directly or indirectly, in the interest 
of an employer to any of the employees of such employer 
and any successor in interest of an employer. In the pre-
vious sentence, the terms ‘‘commerce’’ and ‘‘industry or 
activity affecting commerce’’ have the meaning given such 
terms in section 101(1) of the Family and Medical Leave 
Act of 1993. 
(i) NONDISCRIMINATION.—The implementation and 
enforcement of this section shall be in compliance with the 
Voting Rights Act of 1965. 
(j) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply with 
respect to elections occurring after January 2004.
SEC. 203. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING DISTRIBUTION 
OF SAMPLE BALLOTS AND VOTING MATE-
RIALS. 
It is the sense of Congress that the distribution of 
sample ballots, information on voting, and other voter edu-
cation materials will help to prevent errors by voters at 
the polls and to reduce the rates of spoiled ballots, and 
Congress encourages States and other jurisdictions which 
administer elections to distribute these materials to reg-
istered voters prior to elections.
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