I 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6591 
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require States to establish 
a minimum period of 15 days for early voting prior to the date of 
an election for Federal office and to ensure that no individual will 
be required to wait for longer than one hour to cast a ballot at a 
polling place in an election for Federal office. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 15, 2012 
Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California (for himself, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. 
BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. BLUMENAUER, 
Ms. BONAMICI, Mrs. CAPPS, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. 
COSTA, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. DELAURO, Ms. 
ESHOO, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. FARR, Mr. FILNER, Mr. GARAMENDI, 
Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. HAHN, Mr. 
HONDA, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. LARSEN of Wash-
ington, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. ZOE 
LOFGREN of California, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, 
Ms. MOORE, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. NORTON, Mr. PETERS, Ms. PIN-
GREE of Maine, Mr. POLIS, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. ROTHMAN of New Jersey, 
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of 
California, Mr. SARBANES, Ms. SCHWARTZ, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. 
SMITH of Washington, Mr. STARK, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. 
WELCH, Mr. LUJA´N, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. 
COHEN, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. TONKO, Mr. HIMES, and 
Mr. DINGELL) 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 require 
States to establish a minimum period of 15 days for 
early voting prior to the date of an election for Federal 
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office and to ensure that no individual will be required 
to wait for longer than one hour to cast a ballot at 
a polling place in an election for Federal office. 
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 ‘‘Streamlined and Im-
proved Methods at Polling Locations and Early Voting 
Act’’ or the ‘‘SIMPLE Voting Act’’. 
SEC. 2. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR EARLY VOTING AND 
FOR REDUCING WAITING TIMES FOR VOTERS 
IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS. 
(a) REQUIREMENTS FOR STATES.—Subtitle A of title 
III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 
15481 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating sections 304 and 305 as 
sections 306 and 307; and 
(2) by inserting after section 303 the following 
new sections: 
‘‘SEC. 304. EARLY VOTING. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Each State shall allow individ-
uals to vote in an election for Federal office on each day 
occurring during the 15-day period which ends 2 days be-
fore the date of the election, in the same manner as voting 
is allowed on such day. 
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‘‘(b) MINIMUM EARLY VOTING REQUIREMENTS.— 
Each polling place which allows voting prior to the date 
of a Federal election pursuant to subsection (a) shall— 
‘‘(1) allow such voting for not less than 10 
hours on each day; and 
‘‘(2) have uniform hours each day for which 
such voting occurs. 
‘‘(c) LOCATION OF POLLING PLACES NEAR PUBLIC 
TRANSPORTATION.—To the greatest extent practicable, a 
State shall ensure that each polling place which allows vot-
ing prior to the date of a Federal election pursuant to 
subsection (a) is located within reasonable walking dis-
tance of a stop on a public transportation route. 
‘‘(d) STANDARDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall issue 
standards for the administration of voting prior to 
the date scheduled for a Federal election. Such 
standards shall include the nondiscriminatory geo-
graphic placement of polling places at which such 
voting occurs. 
‘‘(2) DEVIATION.—The standards described in 
paragraph (1) shall permit States, upon providing 
adequate public notice, to deviate from any require-
ment in the case of unforeseen circumstances such 
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as a natural disaster, terrorist attack, or a change 
in voter turnout. 
‘‘(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply 
with respect to elections held on or after January 1, 2014. 
‘‘SEC. 305. PREVENTING UNREASONABLE WAITING TIMES 
FOR VOTERS. 
‘‘(a) 
PREVENTING
UNREASONABLE
WAITING 
TIMES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each State shall provide a 
sufficient number of voting systems, poll workers, 
and other election resources (including physical re-
sources) at a polling place used in any election for 
Federal office, including a polling place at which in-
dividuals may cast ballots prior to the date of the 
election, to ensure— 
‘‘(A) a fair and equitable waiting time for 
all voters in the State; and 
‘‘(B) that no individual will be required to 
wait longer than one hour to cast a ballot at the 
polling place. 
‘‘(2) CRITERIA.—In determining the number of 
voting systems, poll workers, and other election re-
sources provided at a polling place for purposes of 
paragraph (1), the State shall take into account the 
following factors: 
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‘‘(A) The voting age population. 
‘‘(B) Voter turnout in past elections. 
‘‘(C) The number of voters registered. 
‘‘(D) The number of voters who have reg-
istered since the most recent Federal election. 
‘‘(E) Census data for the population served 
by such voting site, such as the proportion of 
the voting-age population who are under 25 
years of age or who are naturalized citizens. 
‘‘(F) The educational levels and socio-eco-
nomic factors of the population served by such 
voting site. 
‘‘(G) The needs and numbers of voters 
with disabilities and voters with limited English 
proficiency. 
‘‘(H) The type of voting systems used. 
‘‘(I) The length and complexity of initia-
tives, referenda, and other questions on the bal-
lot. 
‘‘(J) Such other factors as the State con-
siders appropriate. 
‘‘(3) GUIDELINES.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this section, the 
Commission shall establish and publish guidelines to 
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assist States in meeting the requirements of this 
subsection. 
‘‘(4) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
this subsection may be construed to authorize a 
State to meet the requirements of this subsection by 
closing any polling place, prohibiting an individual 
from entering a line at a polling place, or refusing 
to permit an individual who has arrived at a polling 
place prior to closing time from voting at the polling 
place. 
‘‘(b) DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF CON-
TINGENCY PLANS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each State shall develop, 
and implement to the greatest extent practicable, a 
contingency plan under which the State shall provide 
additional poll workers, machines, ballots, and other 
equipment and supplies (as the case may be) on the 
date of the election to any polling place used in an 
election for Federal office, including a polling place 
at which individuals may cast ballots prior to the 
date of the election, at which waiting times exceed 
one hour. 
‘‘(2) APPROVAL
OF
PLAN
BY
COMMISSION.— 
The State shall ensure that the contingency plan de-
veloped under paragraph (1) is approved by the 
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Commission prior to the date of the election in-
volved, in accordance with such procedures as the 
Commission may establish. 
‘‘(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply 
with respect to elections held on or after January 1, 
2014.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT RELATING TO EN-
FORCEMENT.—Section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 15511) 
is amended by striking ‘‘sections 301, 302, and 303’’ and 
inserting ‘‘subtitle A of title III’’. 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
of such Act is amended— 
(1) by redesignating the items relating to sec-
tions 304 and 305 as relating to sections 306 and 
307; and 
(2) by inserting after the item relating to sec-
tion 303 the following new items: 
‘‘Sec. 304. Early voting. 
‘‘Sec. 305. Preventing unreasonable waiting times for voters.’’. 
SEC. 3. NO EFFECT ON AUTHORITY OF STATE TO PROVIDE 
FOR LONGER PERIODS OF EARLY VOTING OR 
GREATER AMOUNT OF RESOURCES AT POLL-
ING PLACES. 
Nothing in this Act or in any amendment made by 
this Act may be construed to prohibit a State, with respect 
to any election for Federal office— 
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