‘‘(5) the development of simulations of demo-
cratic processes and procedures and the encourage-
ment of student participation in those simulations. 
‘‘(d) REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANT RECIPIENTS.—In 
making grants under this section, the Commission shall 
ensure that the funds provided are spent for projects and 
activities which are carried out without partisan bias and 
without promoting any particular point of view regarding 
any issue, and that each recipient is governed in a bal-
anced manner without any partisan bias. A grant recipient 
who is determined to have violated this subsection shall 
be disqualified from receiving any additional grants under 
this part. 
‘‘(e) REPORTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each State which receives 
a grant under this part shall submit to the Commis-
sion a report describing the activities carried out 
with the funds provided under the grant. 
‘‘(2) DEADLINE.—An State shall submit a re-
port required under paragraph (1) not later than 60 
days after the end of the fiscal year for which the 
entity received the grant which is the subject of the 
report. 
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated for grants under this 
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part $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2008, 2009, 
2010, and 2011.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
of such Act, as amended by this Act, is amended by adding 
at the end of the items relating to subtitle D of title II 
the following: 
‘‘PART 11—CIVIC EDUCATION PILOT PROGRAM 
‘‘Sec. 297D. Civic Education Pilot Program.’’. 
TITLE 
IV—VOTER 
REGISTRA-
TION AND IDENTIFICATION 
SEC. 401. VOTER REGISTRATION. 
(a) CONTENTS OF REGISTRATION APPLICATIONS.— 
(1) MAIL-IN APPLICATION.—Paragraph (4) of 
section 303(b) of the Help America Vote Act of 
2002 (42 U.S.C. 15483(b)(4)) is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(C) EXCEPTION.—On and after the date 
of the enactment of the Count Every Vote Act 
of 2007— 
‘‘(i) in lieu of the questions and state-
ments required under subparagraph (A), 
such mail voter registration form shall in-
clude on the form an affidavit to be signed 
by the registrant attesting both to citizen-
ship and age; and 
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‘‘(ii) subparagraph (B) shall not 
apply.’’. 
(2) APPLICATION IDENTIFYING NUMBERS.— 
(A) REGISTRATION
APPLICATION.—Sub-
paragraph (A) of section 303(a)(5) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 15483(a)(5)) is amended— 
(i) by redesignating clause (iii) as 
clause (iv); and 
(ii) by inserting after clause (ii) the 
following new clause: 
‘‘(iii) IDENTIFYING NUMBERS IN REG-
ISTRATION APPLICATIONS.—An application 
for voter registration shall— 
‘‘(I) provide a space for appli-
cants to state if they lack a driver’s li-
cense or Social Security number, and 
‘‘(II) state explicitly that the ap-
plicant may enter any personal identi-
fication document number issued by a 
State motor vehicle authority in the 
space provided for a driver’s license 
number.’’. 
(B) 
CLARIFICATION.—Section 
303(a)(5)(A) 
of 
such 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C. 
15483(a)(5)(A)) is amended— 
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(i) in clause (i)(I), by striking ‘‘driv-
er’s license, the applicant’s driver’s license 
number’’ and inserting ‘‘motor vehicle driv-
er’s license (as defined in section 3(3) of 
the National Voter Registration Act of 
1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg–1(3))), the appli-
cant’s motor vehicle driver’s license num-
ber’’; and 
(ii) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘driver’s 
license’’ and inserting ‘‘motor vehicle driv-
er’s license (as defined in section 3(3) of 
the National Voter Registration Act of 
1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg–1(3)))’’. 
(3) TESTING.—Section 303 of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 15483) is amended— 
(A) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub-
section (e); and 
(B) by inserting after subsection (c) the 
following new subsection: 
‘‘(d) TESTING.—Not later than 6 months after the 
date of the enactment of the Count Every Vote Act of 
2007, the Commission shall— 
‘‘(1) issue voluntary guidance for usability test-
ing of registration forms; and 
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‘‘(2) conduct usability testing of all national or 
Federal registration forms, and make the results 
available upon request to the public.’’. 
(b) CLARIFICATION
OF STANDARDS
FOR DETER-
MINING MATCHING OF INFORMATION PROVIDED WITH 
APPLICATIONS.— 
(1) STATE
REQUIREMENTS
FOR
DETERMINA-
TION OF VALIDITY OF NUMBERS PROVIDED.—Sec-
tion 303(a)(5)(A)(iii) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
15483(a)(5)(A)(iii)) is amended by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting the following: ‘‘, except 
that the information provided by an individual shall 
be sufficient to meet the requirements of this sub-
paragraph if, based on the information provided, the 
State is able to determine the individual’s motor ve-
hicle driver’s number or other personal identification 
document number or the last four digits of the indi-
vidual’s Social Security number, or is able to locate 
one of those numbers in another State record.’’. 
(2) STANDARDS
FOR
DETERMINATION
OF 
MATCH OF SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS.— 
(A) REQUIREMENTS FOR STATES.—Section 
303(a)(5)(B) 
of 
such 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C. 
15483(a)(5)(B)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following new clause: 
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‘‘(iii) MATCHING STANDARDS.—Infor-
mation provided by an applicant for voter 
registration shall be deemed to be validly 
matched with information maintained by 
the Commissioner of Social Security shall 
be deemed validly matched for purposes of 
this subparagraph if it may be reasonably 
concluded that the applicant is substan-
tially likely to be the same individual as an 
individual reflected in the database of the 
Social Security Administration.’’. 
(B) PROCEDURES
OF
COMMISSIONER
OF 
SOCIAL
SECURITY.—Section 205(r)(8) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 405(r)(8)), as 
added by section 303(a)(5)(C) of the Help 
America Vote Act of 2002, is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(G) The Commissioner shall develop pro-
cedures consistent with the matching standard 
established under section 303(a)(5)(B)(iii) of 
the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to improve 
the accuracy of the matching process under the 
agreements under this paragraph, including 
procedures to account for typographical errors 
and common variations in recording data. Such 
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procedures shall be uniform, nondiscriminatory, 
and open to public scrutiny.’’. 
(c) PROCESSING OF REGISTRATION APPLICATIONS.— 
(1) PROCESSING REQUIREMENTS.—Subtitle D 
of title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002, 
as added and amended by this Act, is amended by 
adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 340. PROCESSING OF REGISTRATION APPLICATIONS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other pro-
vision of law, each State and jurisdiction shall accept and 
process a voter registration application for an election for 
Federal office unless there is a material omission or infor-
mation that specifically affects the eligibility of the voter. 
‘‘(b) PRESUMPTION TO REGISTER.—There shall be 
a presumption that persons who submit voter registration 
applications should be registered. 
‘‘(c) PRESUMPTION
TO
CURE
MATERIAL
OMIS-
SION.—Each State and jurisdiction shall— 
‘‘(1) provide a process to permit voters an op-
portunity to cure any material omission on the voter 
registration application within a reasonable period of 
time before the election; and 
‘‘(2) accept any application which is so cured as 
having been filed on the date on which such applica-
tion is originally received. 
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‘‘(d) STANDARDS FOR MATERIAL OMISSION FROM 
REGISTRATION FORMS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of this sec-
tion, a ‘material omission or information that spe-
cifically affects the eligibility of the voter’ consists 
of— 
‘‘(A) the omission of information necessary 
to establish the eligibility of the applicant to 
vote; or 
‘‘(B) the inclusion of information that es-
tablishes the applicant’s ineligibility to vote. 
‘‘(2) CERTAIN INFORMATION NOT A MATERIAL 
OMISSION.—For purposes of this section, the fol-
lowing shall not constitute a ‘material omission or 
information that specifically affects the eligibility of 
the voter’: 
‘‘(A) The failure to provide a Social Secu-
rity number or driver’s license number. 
‘‘(B) The failure to provide information 
concerning citizenship or age in a manner other 
than the attestation required under section 
9(b)(2) of the National Voter Registration Act 
of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973–gg–7). 
‘‘(C) The mere fact of a mismatch between 
the information provided by the voter and the 
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information in a State government database, 
absent cause to believe that the mismatch is 
evidence of ineligibility. 
‘‘(e) STATE RULES.—Each State shall adopt uniform 
and nondiscriminatory standards regarding the eligibility 
of citizens to vote in elections in the State, and describing 
the procedures and circumstances under which a voter reg-
istration form may be rejected, consistent with the re-
quirements of this Act and the National Voter Registra-
tion Act of 1993. 
‘‘(f) EXCEPTION FOR CERTAIN STATES.—The re-
quirements of this section shall not apply to a State in 
which, under a State law in effect continuously on and 
after the date of the enactment of the Count Every Vote 
Act of 2007, there is no voter registration requirement for 
individuals in the State with respect to elections for Fed-
eral office.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents of such Act, as amended by this Act, is amend-
ed by adding at the end of the items relating to sub-
title D of title III the following: 
‘‘Sec. 340. Processing of registration applications.’’. 
(d) STUDY ON USES OF THE INTERNET IN FEDERAL 
ELECTIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle C of title II of such 
Act (42 U.S.C. 15381 et seq.), as amended by this 
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Act, is amended by inserting after section 249B the 
following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 249C. STUDY ON INTERNET REGISTRATION AND 
OTHER USES OF THE INTERNET IN FEDERAL 
ELECTIONS. 
‘‘(a) STUDY.—The Commission shall conduct a study 
on— 
‘‘(1) the feasibility of voter registration through 
the Internet for Federal elections; and 
‘‘(2) other uses of the Internet in Federal elec-
tions, including— 
‘‘(A) the use of the Internet to publicize 
information related to Federal elections; 
‘‘(B) the use of the Internet to provide 
public access portals through which voters can 
confirm, correct and update voter registration 
records; and 
‘‘(C) the use of the Internet to vote in 
Federal elections. 
‘‘(b) REPORT.—Not later than 6 months after the 
date of the enactment of the Count Every Vote Act of 
2007, the Commission shall transmit to Congress a report 
on the results of the study conducted under subsection 
(a).’’. 
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(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents of such Act, as amended by this Act, is amend-
ed by inserting after the item relating to section 
249B the following: 
‘‘Sec. 249C. Study on Internet registration and other uses of the Internet in 
Federal elections.’’. 
(3) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 
by this subsection shall take effect on the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 402. ESTABLISHING VOTER IDENTIFICATION FOR CER-
TAIN VOTERS WHO REGISTER BY MAIL. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) INDIVIDUALS VOTING IN PERSON.—Section 
303(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Help America Vote Act of 
2002 (42 U.S.C. 15483(b)(2)(A)(i)) is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of sub-
clause (I); and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
subclause: 
‘‘(III) executes a written affidavit 
attesting to such individual’s identity; 
or’’. 
(2) INDIVIDUALS
VOTING
BY
MAIL.—Section 
303(b)(2)(A)(ii) 
of 
such 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C. 
15483(b)(2)(A)(ii)) is amended— 
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(A) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of sub-
clause (I); 
(B) by striking the period at the end of 
subclause (II) and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
subclause: 
‘‘(III) a written affidavit exe-
cuted by such individual attesting to 
the individual’s identity.’’. 
(b) STANDARDS FOR VERIFYING VOTER INFORMA-
TION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle E of title II of such 
Act, as added and amended by this Act, is amended 
by adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 299C. VOTER IDENTIFICATION. 
‘‘The Commission shall develop standards for 
verifying the identification information required under sec-
tion 303(a)(5) in connection with the registration of an 
individual to vote in a Federal election.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents of such Act, as amended by this Act, is amend-
ed by adding at the end of the items relating to sub-
title E of title II the following: 
‘‘Sec. 299C. Voter identification.’’. 
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SEC. 403. REQUIREMENT FOR FEDERAL CERTIFICATION OF 
TECHNOLOGICAL SECURITY OF VOTER REG-
ISTRATION LISTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 303(a)(3) of the Help 
America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15483(a)(3)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘measures to prevent the’’ and in-
serting ‘‘measures, as certified by the Commission, to pre-
vent’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
SEC. 404. COORDINATION WITH STATE DATABASES. 
Section 303(a)(1)(A)(iv) of the Help America Vote 
Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15483(a)(1)(A)(iv)) is amended 
by striking the period at the end and inserting the fol-
lowing: ‘‘including the databases of social services agen-
cies, in order to confirm and correct information in voter 
registration records and ensure the accurate and timely 
processing of applications to register to vote.’’. 
TITLE V—PROHIBITION ON 
CERTAIN CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES 
SEC. 501. PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN CAMPAIGN ACTIVI-
TIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title III of the Federal Election 
Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431 et seq.) is amended 
by inserting after section 319 the following new section: 
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‘‘CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES BY ELECTION OFFICIALS AND 
VOTING SYSTEM MANUFACTURERS 
‘‘SEC. 319A. (a) PROHIBITION.— 
‘‘(1) CHIEF
STATE
ELECTION
OFFICIALS.—It 
shall be unlawful for any chief State election official 
to take part in prohibited political activities with re-
spect to any election for Federal office over which 
such official has managerial authority. 
‘‘(2) VOTING
SYSTEM
MANUFACTURERS.—It 
shall be unlawful for any person who owns or serves 
as the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, 
chief operating officer, or president of any entity 
that designs or manufacturers a voting system to 
take part in prohibited political activities with re-
spect to any election for a Federal office for which 
a voting system produced by such manufacturer is 
used. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section: 
‘‘(1) CHIEF STATE ELECTION OFFICIAL.—The 
term ‘chief State election official’ means the indi-
vidual designated as such under section 10 of the 
National Voter Registration Act of 1993. 
‘‘(2) PROHIBITED POLITICAL ACTIVITIES.—The 
term ‘prohibited political activities’ means actively 
campaigning to support or oppose a candidate or 
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slate of candidates for Federal office, making public 
speeches in support of such a candidate, soliciting 
and collecting contributions on behalf of such a can-
didate, distributing campaign materials with respect 
to such a candidate, organizing campaign events 
with respect to such a candidate, and serving in any 
position on any political campaign committee of such 
a candidate. 
‘‘(c) OWNERSHIP.—For purposes of subsection 
(a)(2), a person shall be considered to own an entity if 
such person controls at least 20 percent, by vote or value, 
of the entity.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect upon the expiration of the 
90-day period which begins on the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
TITLE VI—ENDING DECEPTIVE 
PRACTICES 
SEC. 601. ENDING DECEPTIVE PRACTICES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) Subsection (b) of section 2004 of the Re-
vised Statutes (42 U.S.C. 1971(b)) is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘No person’’ and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—No person’’; and 
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(B) by inserting at the end the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) DECEPTIVE
ACTS.—No person, whether 
acting under color of law or otherwise, shall know-
ingly deceive any other person regarding the time, 
place, or manner of conducting a general, primary, 
run-off, or special election for the office of Presi-
dent, Vice President, presidential elector, Member of 
the Senate, or Member of the House of Representa-
tives, Delegates, or Commissioners from the Terri-
tories or possessions; nor shall any person knowingly 
deceive any person regarding the qualifications or 
restrictions of voter eligibility for any general, pri-
mary, run-off, or special election for the office of 
President, Vice President, presidential elector, Mem-
ber of the Senate, or Member of the House of Rep-
resentatives, Delegates, or Commissioners from the 
Territories or possessions.’’. 
(2) The heading of section 2004(b) of the Re-
vised Statutes is amended by striking ‘‘or coercion’’ 
and inserting ‘‘coercion, or deceptive acts’’. 
(b) CRIMINAL PENALTY.—Section 594 of title 18, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘Whoever’’ and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
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‘‘(a) INTIMIDATION.—Whoever’’; and 
(2) by inserting at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) DECEPTIVE ACTS.—Whoever knowingly deceives 
any person regarding— 
‘‘(1) the time, place, or manner of conducting 
a general, primary, run-off, or special election for 
the office of President, Vice President, presidential 
elector, Member of the Senate, or Member of the 
House of Representatives, Delegates, or Commis-
sioners from the Territories or possessions; or 
‘‘(2) the qualifications or restrictions of voter 
eligibility for any general, primary, run-off or special 
election for the office of President, Vice President, 
presidential elector, Member of the Senate, or Mem-
ber of the House of Representatives, Delegates, or 
Commissioners from the Territories or possessions 
shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more 
than five years, or both.’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
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100 
TITLE 
VII—CIVIC 
PARTICIPA-
TION BY EX–OFFENDERS 
SEC. 701. VOTING RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS CONVICTED OF 
CRIMINAL OFFENSES. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This title may be cited as the 
‘‘Civic Participation Act of 2007’’. 
(b) FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.— 
(1) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following 
findings: 
(A) The right to vote is the most basic 
constitutive act of citizenship and regaining the 
right to vote reintegrates offenders into free so-
ciety. The right to vote may not be abridged or 
denied by the United States or by any State on 
account of race, color, gender, or previous con-
dition of servitude. Basic constitutional prin-
ciples of fairness and equal protection require 
an equal opportunity for United States citizens 
to vote in Federal elections. 
(B) Congress has ultimate supervisory 
power over Federal elections, an authority that 
has repeatedly been upheld by the Supreme 
Court. 
(C) Although State laws determine the 
qualifications for voting in Federal elections, 
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101 
Congress must ensure that those laws are in ac-
cordance with the Constitution. Currently, those 
laws vary throughout the Nation, resulting in 
discrepancies regarding which citizens may vote 
in Federal elections. 
(D) An estimated 5,400,000 individuals in 
the United States, or 1 in 40 adults, currently 
cannot vote as a result of a felony conviction. 
Women represent about 650,000 and military 
veterans represent about 500,000 of those 
5,300,000. 
(E) State disenfranchisement laws dis-
proportionately impact ethnic minorities. 
(F) 12 States disenfranchise some or all 
ex-offenders who have fully served their sen-
tences, regardless of the nature or seriousness 
of the offense. 
(G) In those States that disenfranchise ex- 
offenders who have fully served their sentences, 
the right to vote can be regained in theory, but 
in practice this possibility is often illusory. 
(H) In 8 States, a pardon or order from 
the Governor is required for an ex-offender to 
regain the right to vote. In two States, ex-of-
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102 
fenders must obtain action by the parole or par-
don board to regain that right. 
(I) Offenders convicted of a Federal of-
fense often have additional barriers to regaining 
voting rights. Many States do not offer a res-
toration procedure for Federal offenders who 
have completed supervision. The only method 
available to such persons is a Presidential par-
don. 
(J) State procedures that require individ-
uals to apply to have their voting rights re-
stored are often unfair and inefficient. Long 
backlogs often cause delays of months or years 
before individual applications are processed. 
Few persons who seek to have their right to 
vote restored have the financial and political re-
sources needed to succeed. 
(K) Thirteen percent of the African-Amer-
ican adult male population, or 1,400,000 Afri-
can-American men, are disenfranchised. Given 
current rates of incarceration, 3 in 10 African- 
American men in the next generation will be 
disenfranchised at some point during their life-
times. Hispanic citizens are also disproportion-
ately disenfranchised, since those citizens are 
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103 
disproportionately represented in the criminal 
justice system. 
(L) The discrepancies described in this 
paragraph should be addressed by Congress, in 
the name of fundamental fairness and equal 
protection. 
(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this title is to 
restore fairness in the Federal election process by 
ensuring that ex-offenders who have fully served 
their sentences are not denied the right to vote. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this title: 
(1) CORRECTIONAL
INSTITUTION
OR
FACIL-
ITY.—The term ‘‘correctional institution or facility’’ 
means any prison, penitentiary, jail, or other institu-
tion or facility for the confinement of individuals 
convicted of criminal offenses, whether publicly or 
privately operated, except that such term does not 
include any residential community treatment center 
(or similar public or private facility). 
(2) ELECTION.—The term ‘‘election’’ means— 
(A) a general, special, primary, or runoff 
election; 
(B) a convention or caucus of a political 
party held to nominate a candidate; 
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104 
(C) a primary election held for the selec-
tion of delegates to a national nominating con-
vention of a political party; or 
(D) a primary election held for the expres-
sion of a preference for the nomination of per-
sons for election to the office of President. 
(3) FEDERAL OFFICE.—The term ‘‘Federal of-
fice’’ means the office of President or Vice Presi-
dent, or of Senator or Representative in, or Delegate 
or Resident Commissioner to, Congress. 
(4) PAROLE.—The term ‘‘parole’’ means parole 
(including mandatory parole), or conditional or su-
pervised release (including mandatory supervised re-
lease), imposed by a Federal, State, or local court. 
(5) PROBATION.—The term probation means 
probation imposed by a Federal, State, or local 
court, with or without a condition on the individual 
involved concerning— 
(A) the individual’s freedom of movement; 
(B) the payment of damages by the indi-
vidual; 
(C) periodic reporting by the individual to 
an officer of the court; or 
(D) supervision of the individual by an of-
ficer of the court. 
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105 
(d) RIGHTS OF CITIZENS.—The right of an individual 
who is a citizen of the United States to vote in any election 
for Federal office shall not be denied or abridged because 
that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense 
unless, at the time of the election, such individual— 
(1) is serving a felony sentence in a correctional 
institution or facility; or 
(2) is on parole or probation for a felony of-
fense 
(e) ENFORCEMENT.— 
(1) ATTORNEY GENERAL.—The Attorney Gen-
eral may bring a civil action in a court of competent 
jurisdiction to obtain such declaratory or injunctive 
relief as is necessary to remedy a violation of this 
section. 
(2) PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.— 
(A) NOTICE.—A person who is aggrieved 
by a violation of this section may provide writ-
ten notice of the violation to the chief election 
official of the State involved. 
(B) ACTION.—Except as provided in sub-
paragraph (C), if the violation is not corrected 
within 90 days after receipt of a notice provided 
under subparagraph (A), or within 20 days 
after receipt of the notice if the violation oc-
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106 
curred within 120 days before the date of an 
election for Federal office, the aggrieved person 
may bring a civil action in such a court to ob-
tain declaratory or injunctive relief with respect 
to the violation. 
(C) ACTION FOR VIOLATION SHORTLY BE-
FORE A FEDERAL ELECTION.—If the violation 
occurred within 30 days before the date of an 
election for Federal office, the aggrieved person 
shall not be required to provide notice to the 
chief election official of the State under sub-
paragraph (A) before bringing a civil action in 
such a court to obtain declaratory or injunctive 
relief with respect to the violation. 
(f) RELATION TO OTHER LAWS.— 
(1) NO
PROHIBITION
ON
LESS
RESTRICTIVE 
LAWS.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to 
prohibit a State from enacting any State law that 
affords the right to vote in any election for Federal 
office on terms less restrictive than those terms es-
tablished by this section. 
(2) NO
LIMITATION
ON
OTHER
LAWS.—The 
rights and remedies established by this section shall 
be in addition to all other rights and remedies pro-
vided by law, and shall not supersede, restrict, or 
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limit the application of the Voting Rights Act of 
1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973 et seq.) or the National Voter 
Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg et 
seq.). 
(g) NOTIFICATION
OF RESTORATION
OF VOTING 
RIGHTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle D of title III of the 
Help America Vote Act of 2002, as added and 
amended by this Act, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 341. NOTIFICATION OF RESTORATION OF VOTING 
RIGHTS. 
‘‘(a) NOTIFICATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—On the date determined 
under subsection (b), each State shall notify in writ-
ing any qualified ex-offender who resides in the 
State that such qualified ex-offender has the right to 
vote in an election for Federal office pursuant to the 
Civic Participation Act of 2007 and may register to 
vote in any such election. 
‘‘(2) QUALIFIED EX-OFFENDER.—For the pur-
pose of this section, the term ‘qualified ex-offender’ 
means any individual who resides in the State who 
has been convicted of a criminal offense and is not 
serving a felony sentence in a correctional institution 
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108 
or facility and who is not on parole or probation for 
a felony offense. 
‘‘(b) DATE OF NOTIFICATION.—The notification re-
quired under subsection (a) shall be given on the later of 
the date on which such individual is released from a cor-
rectional institution or facility for serving a felony sen-
tence or the date on which such individual is released from 
parole for a felony offense. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—Any term which is used in this 
section that is also used in the Civic Participation Act of 
2007 shall have the meaning given to such term in that 
Act. 
‘‘(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Each State shall be re-
quired to comply with the requirements of this section on 
and after the date of the enactment of the Civic Participa-
tion Act of 2007.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents of such Act, as amended by this Act, is amend-
ed by adding at the end of the items relating to sub-
title D of title III the following: 
‘‘Sec. 341. Notification of restoration of voting rights.’’. 
(h) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—This section shall apply to 
citizens of the United States voting in any election 
for Federal office after the date of the enactment of 
this Act. 
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109 
(2) AMENDMENTS.—The amendment made by 
subsection (g) shall take effect on the date of the en-
actment of this Act. 
TITLE VIII—ELECTION DAY AS A 
PUBLIC HOLIDAY 
SEC. 801. ACCELERATION OF STUDY ON ELECTION DAY AS 
A PUBLIC HOLIDAY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 241 of the Help America 
Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15381) is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(d) REPORT ON ELECTION DAY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The report required under 
subsection (a) with respect to election administration 
issues described under subsection (b)(10) shall be 
submitted not later than 6 months after the date of 
enactment of the Count Every Vote Act of 2007. 
‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—In addition 
to the requirements under subsection (c), the report 
described in paragraph (1) shall include— 
‘‘(A) an assessment of the impact of mak-
ing Election Day a public holiday on low-wage 
hourly workers; 
‘‘(B) a discussion of incentives and strate-
gies to encourage Federal employees to serve as 
poll workers; and 
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110 
‘‘(C) a discussion of methods to encourage 
State and local government employees to serve 
as poll workers. 
‘‘(3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Of 
the amount authorized to be appropriated under sec-
tion 210 for fiscal year 2008, $100,000 shall be au-
thorized solely to carry out this subsection.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
TITLE 
IX—ADDITIONAL 
IM-
PROVEMENTS TO ELECTION 
PROCEDURES 
SEC. 901. TRANSMISSION OF CERTIFICATE OF ASCERTAIN-
MENT OF ELECTORS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 6 of title 3, United States 
Code, is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘and before the date that is 6 
days before the date on which the electors are to 
meet under section 7,’’ after ‘‘under and in pursu-
ance of the laws of such State providing for such as-
certainment,’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘by registered mail’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘by overnight courier’’. 
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111 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
SEC. 902. STUDY ON FEASIBILITY OF CREATING RANKING 
SYSTEM OF STATE ELECTION ADMINISTRA-
TION PROCESSES. 
(a) STUDY.—Subtitle C of title II of the Help Amer-
ica Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15381 et seq.), as amend-
ed by this Act, is amended by inserting after section 249C 
the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 249D. STUDY ON FEASIBILITY OF CREATING RANKING 
SYSTEM OF STATE ELECTION ADMINISTRA-
TION PROCESSES. 
‘‘(a) STUDY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall con-
duct and make publicly available a comprehensive 
study of the costs and benefits of developing a De-
mocracy Index (Index) of State election administra-
tion processes. 
‘‘(2) STUDY THROUGH APPROPRIATE ENTITY.— 
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enact-
ment of the Count Every Vote Act of 2007, the 
Commission shall seek to enter into agreement with 
the National Academy of Sciences, the National 
Science Foundation, the AEI–Brookings Election 
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112 
Reform Project, or other appropriate nongovern-
mental entity to carry out the study required in sub-
section (a). 
‘‘(3) ISSUES CONSIDERED.—The study shall— 
‘‘(A) identify the appropriate scope and 
methodology, if any, to be used in organizing 
and administering the Index; 
‘‘(B) recommend an appropriate method-
ology for gathering and standardizing informa-
tion related to the quality of each State’s elec-
tion administration processes; and 
‘‘(C) recommend an appropriate method-
ology for ranking the quality of State election 
administration processes. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, 
‘election administration processes’ includes the registra-
tion of eligible voters, the casting of ballots, and the count-
ing of ballots. 
‘‘(c) REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS.—Not later 
than 12 months after the date of the enactment of the 
Count Every Vote Act of 2007, the Commission shall sub-
mit to the President and Congress a report on the study 
conducted under subsection (a), together with rec-
ommendations for administrative and legislative action as 
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113 
the Commission deems appropriate. The report shall be 
made publicly available in paper copy and electronically.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
of such Act, as amended by this Act, is amended by insert-
ing after the item relating to section 249C the following: 
‘‘Sec. 249D. Study on feasibility of creating ranking system of State election 
administration processes.’’. 
TITLE X—STRENGTHENING THE 
ELECTION ASSISTANCE COM-
MISSION 
SEC. 1001. STRENGTHENING THE ELECTION ASSISTANCE 
COMMISSION. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 
210 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 
15330) is amended by striking ‘‘for each of fiscal years 
2003 through 2005 such sums as may be necessary (but 
not to exceed $10,000,000 for each such year)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘$15,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, $10,000,000 
for fiscal year 2009, $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, and 
such sums as may be necessary for each succeeding fiscal 
year’’. 
(b) BUDGET REQUESTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Part 1 of subtitle A of title 
II of such Act (42 U.S.C. 15321 et seq.) is amended 
by inserting after section 209 the following new sec-
tion: 
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114 
‘‘SEC. 209A. SUBMISSION OF BUDGET REQUESTS. 
‘‘Whenever the Commission submits any budget esti-
mate or request to the President or the Office of Manage-
ment and Budget, it shall concurrently transmit a copy 
of such estimate or request to the Congress and to the 
Committee on House Administration of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Rules and Administra-
tion of the Senate.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents of such Act is amended by inserting after the 
item relating to section 209 the following: 
‘‘Sec. 209A. Submission of budget requests.’’. 
(c) EXEMPTION
FROM
PAPERWORK
REDUCTION 
ACT.—Paragraph (1) of section 3502 of title 44, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (B), (C), 
and (D) as subparagraphs (C), (D), and (E); and 
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the fol-
lowing new subparagraph: 
‘‘(B) the Election Assistance Commis-
sion;’’. 
(d) NIST AUTHORITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle E of title II of the 
Help America Vote Act of 2002, as added and 
amended by this Act, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
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115 
‘‘SEC. 299D. TECHNICAL SUPPORT. 
‘‘At the request of the Commission, the Director of 
the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall 
provide the Commission with technical support necessary 
for the Commission to carry out its duties under this 
title’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents of such Act, as amended by this Act, is amend-
ed by adding at the end of the items relating to sub-
title E of title II the following: 
‘‘Sec. 299D. Technical support.’’. 
(e) REMOVAL OF FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE CAP.—Not-
withstanding any other provision of law, there shall be no 
cap on the number of full-time equivalent personnel who 
may be employed at the Election Assistance Commission. 
(f) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
SEC. 1002. REPEAL OF EXEMPTION OF ELECTION ASSIST-
ANCE COMMISSION FROM CERTAIN GOVERN-
MENT CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 205 of the Help America 
Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15325) is amended by strik-
ing subsection (e). 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to contracts entered 
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116 
into by the Election Assistance Commission on or after 
the date of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 1003. MEMBERSHIP OF TECHNICAL GUIDELINES DE-
VELOPMENT COMMITTEE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 221(c)(1) of the Help 
America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15361(c)(1)) is 
amended— 
(1) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as sub-
paragraph (F); and 
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the fol-
lowing new subparagraph: 
‘‘(E) An individual with expertise in pro-
viding assistive technology to individuals with a 
wide range of disabilities.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on the date of enactment of 
this Act. 
SEC. 1004. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR RE-
QUIREMENTS PAYMENTS. 
Subsection (a) of section 257 of the Help America 
Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15407(a)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new paragraphs: 
‘‘(4) For fiscal year 2008, $3,000,000,000. 
‘‘(5) For each fiscal year after 2008, such sums 
as are necessary.’’. 
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117 
TITLE XI—EFFECTIVE DATE 
SEC. 1101. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
Except as otherwise provided, this Act and the 
amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to 
the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office 
held in November 2008 and each succeeding election for 
Federal office. 
Æ 
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