I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9484 
To amend title 39, United States Code, and the Help America Vote Act 
of 2002 to improve procedures and requirements related to election mail. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 8, 2022 
Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia (for herself, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. JONES, 
Ms. SEWELL, and Mr. VEASEY) 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 provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title 39, United States Code, and the Help Amer-
ica Vote Act of 2002 to improve procedures and require-
ments related to election mail. 
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 ‘‘Election Mail Act’’. 
SEC. 2. SAME-DAY PROCESSING OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 34 of title 39, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
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‘‘§ 3407. Same-day processing of ballots 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Postal Service shall ensure, 
to the maximum extent practicable, that any ballot carried 
by the Postal Service is processed by and cleared from 
any postal facility or post office on the same day that the 
ballot is received by that facility or post office. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section— 
‘‘(1) the term ‘ballot’ means any ballot trans-
mitted by a voter by mail in an election for Federal 
office, but does not include any ballot covered by 
section 3406; and 
‘‘(2) the term ‘election for Federal office’ means 
a general, special, primary, or runoff election for the 
office of President or Vice President, or of Senator 
or Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Com-
missioner to, the Congress.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER HEADING.—The 
heading for chapter 34 of title 39, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ‘‘ARMED FORCES 
AND 
FREE 
POSTAGE’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘ARMED 
FORCES; 
FREE 
POSTAGE; 
ELECTION MAIL’’. 
(2) TABLE OF CHAPTERS.—The table of chap-
ters for part IV of title 39, United States Code, is 
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amended by striking the item relating to chapter 34 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘34. Armed Forces; Free Postage; Election Mail .................. 3401’’. 
(3) TECHNICAL
AND
CONFORMING
AMEND-
MENT.—The table of sections for chapter 34 of title 
39, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following: 
‘‘3407. Same-day processing of ballots.’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this subsection shall apply to absentee ballots relating to 
an election for Federal office occurring on or after the 
date that is 60 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act. 
SEC. 3. INTELLIGENT MAIL BARCODES FOR BALLOTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title III of the Help America 
Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating section 311 and section 
312 as sections 321 and 322, respectively; 
(2) by redesignating subtitle B as subtitle C; 
and 
(3) by inserting after subtitle A the following 
new subtitle: 
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