I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7755 
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to increase voting accessibility 
for individuals with disabilities and older individuals, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 23, 2020 
Ms. SCANLON (for herself and Mr. RASKIN) 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 increase 
voting accessibility for individuals with disabilities and 
older individuals, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Accessible Voting Act of 2020’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings; purpose. 
TITLE I—ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION OFFICE OF 
ACCESSIBILITY 
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Sec. 101. Establishment of the Election Assistance Commission Office of Acces-
sibility. 
Sec. 102. National Resource Center on Accessible Voting. 
Sec. 103. Establishment of national voter accessibility website. 
TITLE II—STATE REQUIREMENTS AND PAYMENTS 
Sec. 201. Establishment and maintenance of State accessible election websites. 
Sec. 202. Designation of single State office. 
Sec. 203. Transparency regarding changes. 
Sec. 204. Access to absentee registration procedures and no-excuse absentee 
voting for all voters. 
Sec. 205. Protections for in-person voting for individuals with disabilities and 
older individuals. 
Sec. 206. Protections for individuals subject to guardianship. 
Sec. 207. Payments to States for implementation of accessibility requirements. 
Sec. 208. Technical and conforming amendments relating to issuance of vol-
untary guidance and enforcement. 
TITLE III—FEDERAL ASSISTANCE 
Sec. 301. Expansion and reauthorization of grant program to assure voting ac-
cess for individuals with disabilities and older individuals. 
Sec. 302. Appointments to EAC Board of Advisors. 
Sec. 303. Removal of limitation on use of funds for participation of protection 
and advocacy systems in litigation related to election-related 
disability access. 
Sec. 304. Funding for protection and advocacy systems. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Since its founding, America has steadily 
worked to ensure the right to vote for all through 
State law, Federal law, and constitutional amend-
ments. 
(2) Almost a quarter of the electorate will be 65 
years old or older in 2020. 
(3) Of the 37,000,000 voting age individuals 
with 
disabilities 
in 
America, 
an 
estimated 
14,300,000 citizens with disabilities reported voting 
in the November 2018 election. 
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(4) Older individuals who have been lifelong 
voters and who now find it difficult to leave their 
home often cannot vote in person. 
(5) Despite Federal laws requiring fully acces-
sible voting places, barriers to vote for people with 
disabilities and older individuals still exist. 
(6) In 2016 only 40 percent of polling places 
were architecturally accessible and only 45 percent 
of voting booths were accessible. 
(7) Combining deficiencies in architectural and 
voting booth access, only 17 percent of polling places 
could be considered fully accessible in 2016. 
(8) People with disabilities voted at a rate of 
4.7 percent less than non-disabled individuals in 
2016. 
(9) In 2017, the Native American Voting 
Rights Coalition found that the distance needed to 
travel to polling locations and drop off boxes for ab-
sentee ballots greatly affected the ability of Native 
Americans to cast ballots. 
(10) The National Congress of American Indi-
ans found that the turnout rate for Native Ameri-
cans and Alaska Native registered voters is between 
5 to 14 percent lower than turnout rates of other ra-
cial and ethnic groups. 
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(11) According to the United States Census 
Bureau, there are nearly 26,000,000 individuals in 
the United States with limited English proficiency 
and more than 66,000,000 who speak a language 
other than English at home. Americans with limited 
English proficiency can face challenges when at-
tempting to register to vote and cast a ballot. 
(12) A strong legislative focus on the needs of 
older individuals, individuals with disabilities, Native 
Americans, Alaska Natives, and individuals with lim-
ited proficiency in the English language is necessary 
to remove obstacles to vote and ensure they can ex-
ercise their right to vote. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to improve 
access for older individuals, individuals with disabilities, 
Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and individuals with 
limited proficiency in the English language to register to 
vote and to cast a ballot by— 
(1) providing States and local governments with 
resources to improve accessibility when registering to 
vote, voting by absentee, and casting a ballot in per-
son; and 
(2) expanding Federal oversight and support to 
ensure greater accessibility to State voting systems. 
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TITLE I—ELECTION ASSISTANCE 
COMMISSION OFFICE OF AC-
CESSIBILITY 
SEC. 101. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ELECTION ASSISTANCE 
COMMISSION OFFICE OF ACCESSIBILITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle A of title II of the Help 
America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 20921) is amended 
by adding at the end the following new part: 
‘‘PART 4—ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION 
OFFICE OF ACCESSIBILITY 
‘‘SEC. 223. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION OFFICE OF 
ACCESSIBILITY. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established 
the Election Assistance Commission Office of Accessibility 
(hereinafter in this part referred to as the ‘Office of Acces-
sibility’). 
‘‘(b) DUTIES.—The Office of Accessibility shall— 
‘‘(1) serve as the effective and visible advocate 
on behalf of voters with access needs, including older 
individuals, individuals with disabilities, Native 
Americans, Alaska Native citizens, and individuals 
with limited proficiency in the English language— 
‘‘(A) within the Election Assistance Com-
mission and with other departments and agen-
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cies of the Federal Government regarding all 
Federal policies affecting such individuals; and 
‘‘(B) in the States to promote the en-
hanced accessibility of voting systems and com-
pliance with this Act and other Federal law and 
regulations; 
‘‘(2) ensure State and local election officials are 
taking steps to maintain voting systems that meet 
Department of Justice accessibility standards; 
‘‘(3) if the Director of the Office of Accessibility 
finds that a State has not taken steps to meet such 
standards, refer the finding to the Department of 
Justice for enforcement; 
‘‘(4) evaluate State proposals to expand voter 
accessibility in order to meet the requirements of 
sections 304 through 309; 
‘‘(5) ensure State and local governments meet 
the requirements of sections 304 through 309 (relat-
ing to accessible election websites and other accessi-
bility requirements), including through referral to 
the Attorney General for action under section 401 as 
appropriate; 
‘‘(6) administer and evaluate payments to 
States for the establishment and maintenance of ac-
cessible election websites under section 297; 
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‘‘(7) establish and operate the National Re-
source Center on Accessible Voting under section 
224; 
‘‘(8) establish the national voter accessibility 
website under section 225; 
‘‘(9) collect and disseminate information related 
to challenges experienced by older individuals, indi-
viduals with disabilities, Native Americans, Alaska 
Natives, and individuals with limited proficiency in 
the English language when registering to vote or 
casting a ballot; and 
‘‘(10) recommend policies and priorities to im-
prove the accessibility of State voter registration sys-
tems, voting systems, the casting of ballots, and the 
application for and casting of absentee ballots. 
‘‘(c) OBJECTIVES.—The Office of Accessibility shall 
have the following primary objectives: 
‘‘(1) Educating State and local election officials 
on the challenges faced by older individuals, individ-
uals with disabilities, Native Americans, Alaska Na-
tives, and individuals with limited proficiency in the 
English language when voting, and teaching evi-
dence-based strategies for overcoming those chal-
lenges. 
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‘‘(2) Educating State and local election officials 
regarding the needs of individuals with disabilities 
and older individuals. 
‘‘(3) Providing educational resources in plain 
language to older individuals and individuals with 
disabilities on their rights and resources when reg-
istering to vote and voting. 
‘‘(4) Providing translated educational resources 
for Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and individ-
uals with limited proficiency in the English language 
on their rights and resources when registering to 
vote and voting. 
‘‘(5) Studying potential improvements and pro-
viding strategies that State and local election offi-
cials may implement, and encouraging the enact-
ment of State or local laws as necessary for such im-
plementation, with the goal of— 
‘‘(A) ensuring that individuals with disabil-
ities and older individuals are provided the op-
portunity to cast a private and independent bal-
lot in person in an election for Federal office, 
including— 
‘‘(i) strategies to reduce adversely 
long wait times for casting ballots; 
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‘‘(ii) alternative options to cast a bal-
lot on the day of an election, such as pro-
viding the option to cast a ballot outside of 
the polling place or from a vehicle; 
‘‘(iii) strategies and criteria to create 
expedited voting lines for those needing 
such service; or 
‘‘(iv) the ability for an individual who 
cannot physically wait in line to exit the 
line without losing their place; 
‘‘(B) ensuring that individuals with disabil-
ities and older individuals are provided the op-
portunity to cast a private and independent ab-
sentee ballot, including— 
‘‘(i) ensuring the process for request-
ing and securing an absentee ballot is ac-
cessible to individuals with disabilities and 
older individuals; 
‘‘(ii) ensuring the process for submit-
ting an absentee ballot is accessible to indi-
viduals with disabilities and older individ-
uals; and 
‘‘(iii) ensuring the process for mark-
ing an absentee ballot is accessible to indi-
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viduals with disabilities and older individ-
uals; and 
‘‘(C) implementing policies that encourage 
more individuals with disabilities and older indi-
viduals to serve as poll workers. 
‘‘(6) Promoting research into the use of acces-
sible ballot marking devices and educating State and 
local election officials on the secure use of accessible 
ballot marking devices. 
‘‘(d) DIRECTOR OF ACCESSIBILITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Office of Accessibility 
shall be headed by a Director of Accessibility (re-
ferred to in this part as the ‘Director’) who shall be 
appointed by the Executive Director of the Election 
Assistance Commission. 
‘‘(2) TERM OF SERVICE FOR THE DIRECTOR.— 
The Director shall serve for a term of 4 years. The 
term of the first individual appointed to the position 
of Director shall end on January 3, 2025, and the 
term of each individual appointed for a full term to 
the position of Director thereafter shall end on Jan-
uary 3 of each fourth year thereafter. 
‘‘(3) PROCEDURE FOR APPOINTMENT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—On the date that is 6 
months prior to the date on which a vacancy is 
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scheduled to occur in the position of the Direc-
tor or the date on which the Director submits 
a Letter of Resignation, the Election Assistance 
Commission Standards Board and Election As-
sistance Commission Board of Advisors under 
part 2 of this subtitle (hereafter in this part re-
ferred to as the ‘Standards Board’ and the 
‘Board of Advisors’, respectively), shall each ap-
point a search committee to recommend at least 
three nominees for the position. 
‘‘(B) 
REQUIRING
CONSIDERATION
OF 
NOMINEES.—The Executive Director of the 
Election Assistance Commission shall consider 
the nominees recommended by the Standards 
Board and the Board of Advisors in appointing 
the Director. 
‘‘(4) PROCEDURE FOR REAPPOINTMENT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Director may be 
reappointed for one or more additional full 
terms if the Standards Board and the Board of 
Advisors recommends such reappointment. 
‘‘(B) TIMING OF RECOMMENDATION.—The 
Standards Board and the Board of Advisors 
may recommend such reappointment for an ad-
ditional term before the date on which the cur-
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