(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT RELATING TO EN-
FORCEMENT.—Section 401 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21111) 
is amended by striking ‘‘and 304’’ and inserting ‘‘, 304, 
and 305’’. 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—The table of contents 
of such Act is amended— 
(1) by redesignating the items relating to sec-
tions 305 and 306 as relating to sections 306 and 
307, respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after the item relating to sec-
tion 304 the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 305. Treatment of student identification cards as voter identification.’’. 
SEC. 10. GRANTS TO STATES FOR ACTIVITIES TO ENCOUR-
AGE INVOLVEMENT OF YOUTH IN ELECTION 
ACTIVITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle D of title II of the Help 
America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. et seq.) is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘PART 7—GRANTS TO ENCOURAGE YOUTH 
INVOLVEMENT IN ELECTION ACTIVITIES 
‘‘SEC. 297. GRANTS TO ENCOURAGE YOUTH INVOLVEMENT 
IN ELECTION ACTIVITIES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall make 
grants to eligible States to increase the involvement of 
youth, including those under 18 years of age, in public 
election activities in the State. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:19 Aug 09, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00030
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4916.IH
H4916
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY.— 
‘‘(1) APPLICATION.—A State is eligible to re-
ceive a grant under this section if the State submits 
to the Commission, at such time and in such form 
as the Commission may require, an application con-
taining— 
‘‘(A) a description of the State’s plan; 
‘‘(B) a description of the performance 
measures and targets the State will use to de-
termine its success in carrying out the plan; 
and 
‘‘(C) such other information and assur-
ances as the Commission may require. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS
OF
PLAN.—A State’s plan 
under this subsection shall include— 
‘‘(A) methods to promote the use of the 
pre-registration process implemented under sec-
tion 8A of the National Voter Registration Act 
of 1993; 
‘‘(B) modifications to the curriculum of 
secondary schools in the State to promote civic 
engagement; 
‘‘(C) a description of how the State will 
provide funding to secondary schools and insti-
tutions of higher education to enable those 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:19 Aug 09, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00031
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4916.IH
H4916
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
schools and institutions to support activities 
(including activities carried out by student or-
ganizations) to increase voter registration and 
voter turnout, including pre-registration where 
allowable; 
‘‘(D) the creation of a paid fellowship pro-
gram for youth to work with State and local 
election officials to support youth civic and po-
litical engagement; 
‘‘(E) a description of how the grant fund-
ing will reduce disparities in access to the elec-
toral process among youth who are members of 
protected classes, as defined by the Commis-
sion, under Federal law; and 
‘‘(F) such other activities to encourage the 
involvement of youth in the electoral process as 
the State considers appropriate, including en-
couraging youth to serve as poll workers, dep-
uty voter registrars, or election workers where 
allowable, and outreach activities to engage sec-
ondary schools, postsecondary educational insti-
tutions, and the most vulnerable or overlooked 
youth populations, such as those in less stable 
housing and those who do not pursue college 
education. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:19 Aug 09, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00032
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4916.IH
H4916
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(c) PERIOD OF GRANT; REPORT.— 
‘‘(1) PERIOD OF GRANT.—A State receiving a 
grant under this section shall use the funds provided 
by the grant over a 2-year period agreed to between 
the State and the Commission. 
‘‘(2) REPORT.—Not later than 6 months after 
the end of the 2-year period agreed to under para-
graph (1), the State shall submit to the Commission 
a report on the activities the State carried out with 
the funds provided by the grant, and shall include 
in the report an analysis of the extent to which the 
State met the performance measures and targets in-
cluded in its application under subsection (b)(2). 
‘‘(d) STATE DEFINED.—In this section, the term 
‘State’ means each of the several States, the District of 
Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United 
States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. 
‘‘(e) YOUTH ENGAGEMENT FUND.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall es-
tablish a Youth Engagement Fund for the purpose 
of making grants under this section. 
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATION.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Youth 
Engagement Fund to carry out this section— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:19 Aug 09, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00033
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4916.IH
H4916
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(A) for fiscal year 2026, $26,000,000; 
and 
‘‘(B) for each subsequent fiscal year, the 
difference between $26,000,000 and the amount 
of unobligated funds in the Youth Engagement 
Fund as of the close of the preceding fiscal 
year. 
‘‘(3) AVAILABILITY.—Funds appropriated pur-
suant to the authorization of appropriations in para-
graph (2) shall remain available for a period of 10 
years from the fiscal year in which appropriated.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
of such Act is amended by adding at the end of the items 
relating to subtitle D of title II the following: 
‘‘PART 7—GRANTS TO ENCOURAGE YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN ELECTION 
ACTIVITIES 
‘‘Sec. 297. Grants to encourage youth involvement in election activities.’’. 
SEC. 11. ABSENTEE VOTING. 
(a) ENFORCEMENT OF 26TH AMENDMENT.—Section 
301(a)(1) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 
10701(a)(1)) is amended by inserting before the period 
at the end the following: ‘‘, including denials or 
abridgements of the rights of citizens of the United States 
to vote on account of age as a result of age-based restric-
tions for individuals of legal voting age to voting by mail’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:19 Aug 09, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00034
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4916.IH
H4916
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that age-based restrictions for individuals of legal 
voting age to vote by mail constitute a violation of the 
26th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. 
SEC. 12. STUDIES AND DATA COLLECTION. 
(a) GAO STUDY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comp-
troller General of the United States shall submit to 
Congress a report on voter registration trends, ab-
sentee voting trends, and provisional voting trends, 
disaggregated by age and (where information on 
race is available) race in accordance with paragraph 
(2), including— 
(A) an examination of the reliance on ab-
sentee and provisional ballots by age; 
(B) an examination of the availability of 
polling places on the campuses of institutions of 
higher education as defined in section 7 of this 
Act, including consideration of the characteris-
tics of those institutions and the populations 
they serve; 
(C) the rejection rates for voter registra-
tion applications and absentee ballot applica-
tions; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:19 Aug 09, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00035
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4916.IH
H4916
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(D) the rejection rates for absentee ballots 
and provisional ballots; and 
(E) the reasons for those rejections. 
(2) DISAGGREGATION.—The information de-
scribed in paragraph (1) shall be disaggregated ac-
cording to (where information on race is available) 
race and according to the following age cohorts: 
(A) 16 to 17. 
(B) 18 to 21. 
(C) 22 to 24. 
(D) 25 to 29. 
(E) 30 to 34. 
(F) 35 to 39. 
(G) 40 to 44. 
(H) 45 to 49. 
(I) 50 to 54. 
(J) 55 to 59. 
(K) 60 to 64. 
(L) 65 to 69. 
(M) 70 to 74. 
(N) 75 to 79. 
(O) 80 to 84. 
(P) 85 and over. 
(b) ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION DATA COL-
LECTION.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:19 Aug 09, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00036
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4916.IH
H4916
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Election Assistance 
Commission shall collect, as a part of the Election 
Administration and Voting Survey effort, and make 
publicly available, data from States on— 
(A) application and rejection rates of voter 
registration applications and absentee ballot ap-
plications for elections for Federal office based 
on age and (where information on race is avail-
able) race; 
(B) application and rejection rates of ab-
sentee ballots and the issuance and rejection 
rates of provisional ballots cast for elections for 
Federal office based on age and (where infor-
mation on race is available) race; 
(C) the reasons provided by the State for 
the rejection of such ballots; and 
(D) information on the availability of poll-
ing places on the campuses of institutions of 
higher education as defined in section 7 of this 
Act, including consideration of the characteris-
tics of those institutions and the populations 
they serve. 
(2) DISAGGREGATION.—The information de-
scribed in paragraph (1) shall be disaggregated ac-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:19 Aug 09, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00037
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4916.IH
H4916
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
cording to each age cohort described in subpara-
graphs (A) through (P) of subsection (a)(2). 
(3) REQUIRING STATE SUBMISSION OF INFOR-
MATION REGARDING REJECTED BALLOTS.— 
(A) REQUIREMENT.—Title III of the Help 
America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et 
seq.) is amended by inserting after section 303 
the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 303A. REQUIRED SUBMISSION OF INFORMATION RE-
GARDING 
REJECTED 
APPLICATIONS 
AND 
BALLOTS. 
‘‘(a) REQUIREMENT.—Each State shall furnish to the 
Election Assistance Commission such information as the 
Commission may request for purposes of carrying out sec-
tion 12(b) of the Youth Voting Rights Act. 
‘‘(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply 
with respect to the elections for Federal office held on or 
after the date of enactment of this section.’’. 
(B) ENFORCEMENT.—Section 401 of such 
Act (52 U.S.C. 21111) is amended by striking 
‘‘and 303’’ and inserting ‘‘303, and 303A’’. 
(C) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of 
contents of such Act is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 303 the fol-
lowing new item: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:19 Aug 09, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00038
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4916.IH
H4916
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘Sec. 303A. Required submission of information regarding rejected applications 
and ballots.’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:19 Aug 09, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00039
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H4916.IH
H4916
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB