‘‘(3) STANDARDS FOR DISTRIBUTION OF VOTER 
REGISTRATION
APPLICATION
FORMS.—Each State 
shall be required to comply with the requirements of 
subsection (d) on and after the expiration of the 
180-day period which begins on the date of the en-
actment of the Valuing Our Trust in Elections 
Act.’’. 
(2) ADOPTION OF VOLUNTARY GUIDANCE BY 
ELECTION
ASSISTANCE
COMMISSION.—Section 
311(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 15501(a)) is amend-
ed— 
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(B) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘section 303’’ and in-
serting ‘‘section 303 (other than subsection 
(d))’’, and 
(ii) by striking the period at the end 
and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) in the case of the recommendations with 
respect to section 303(d), 120 days after the date of 
the enactment of the Valuing Our Trust in Elections 
Act.’’.
SEC. 4. STANDARDS FOR HANDLING ABSENTEE BALLOTS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF STANDARDS BY ELECTION 
ASSISTANCE COMMISSION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle C of title II of the 
Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15381 
et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 246 
the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 246A. ESTABLISHMENT OF STANDARDS FOR HAN-
DLING ABSENTEE BALLOTS. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF STANDARDS.—The Com-
mission shall establish standards for the prevention of 
fraud and abuse in the handling of absentee ballots in elec-
tions for Federal office, and shall include in the standards 
a prohibition against the handling of an absentee ballot 
by any individual other than the voter or any person au-
thorized to handle material delivered to the individual (in-
cluding a caregiver or guardian). 
‘‘(b) DEADLINE; REVISION.—The Commission shall 
establish the standards required under this section not 
later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of 
the Valuing Our Trust in Elections Act, and shall review 
and (if necessary) revise the standards every 4 years 
thereafter.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents of subtitle C of title II of such Act is amended
by inserting after the item relating to section 246 
the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 246A. Establishment of standards for handling absentee ballots.’’. 
(b) REQUIRING STATES TO COMPLY WITH STAND-
ARDS IN ADMINISTERING ELECTIONS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Subtitle A of title III of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 15481 et seq.) is amended by 
inserting after section 303 the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 303A. COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS FOR HAN-
DLING ABSENTEE BALLOTS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Each State shall distribute, col-
lect, and process absentee ballots in elections for Federal 
office in accordance with the standards established by the 
Commission under section 246A. 
‘‘(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take ef-
fect upon the expiration of the 60-day period which begins 
on the date the Commission establishes standards under 
section 246A.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING
AMENDMENT
RELATING
TO 
ENFORCEMENT OF REQUIREMENT.—Section 401(a) 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 15511(a)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘sections 301, 302, and 303’’ and inserting 
‘‘subtitle A of title III’’.
(3) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents of such Act is amended by inserting after the 
item relating to section 303 the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 303A. Compliance with standards for handling absentee ballots.’’. 
(c) PENALTIES.—Any person who knowingly and 
willfully handles an absentee ballot in an election for Fed-
eral office in a fraudulent manner shall be fined in accord-
ance with title 18, United States Code. 
SEC. 5. REQUIRING INDIVIDUALS REGISTERING TO VOTE 
AND VOTERS TO PROVIDE PHOTO IDENTI-
FICATION. 
(a) INDIVIDUALS REGISTERING TO VOTE.—Section 
303(a)(5)(A) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 
U.S.C. 15483(a)(5)(A)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new clause: 
‘‘(iv) PHOTO IDENTIFICATION.— 
‘‘(I) 
REQUIREMENT.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of law, 
an application for voter registration 
for an election for Federal office may 
not be accepted or processed by a 
State unless the applicant— 
‘‘(aa) presents to the elec-
tion official accepting the appli-
cation a current, valid, govern-
ment-issued photo identification,