I 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6419 
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to permit an individual 
who is subject to a requirement to present identification as a condition 
of voting in an election for Federal office to meet such requirement 
by signing an affidavit attesting to the individual’s identification, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 14, 2012 
Mr. LARSEN of Washington (for himself, Mr. HONDA, Mr. CLEAVER, Ms. 
MOORE, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. MORAN, and Ms. SCHWARTZ) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Admin-
istration 
A BILL 
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to permit 
an individual who is subject to a requirement to present 
identification as a condition of voting in an election 
for Federal office to meet such requirement by signing 
an affidavit attesting to the individual’s identification, 
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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘America Votes Act of 
2012’’. 
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SEC. 2. PERMITTING USE OF AFFIDAVIT TO MEET IDENTI-
FICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR VOTING. 
(a) PERMITTING USE OF AFFIDAVIT.—Title III of 
the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15481 et 
seq.) is amended by inserting after section 303 the fol-
lowing new section: 
‘‘SEC. 303A. PERMITTING USE OF AFFIDAVIT TO MEET 
IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS. 
‘‘(a) USE OF AFFIDAVIT.—Except as provided in sub-
section (c), if a State has in effect a requirement that an 
individual present identification as a condition of receiving 
and casting a ballot in an election for Federal office, the 
individual may meet the requirement— 
‘‘(1) in the case of an individual who desires to 
vote in person, by presenting the appropriate State 
or local election official with an affidavit, signed by 
the individual under penalty of perjury, attesting to 
the individual’s identification and attesting that the 
individual is registered to vote in the election; or 
‘‘(2) in the case of an individual who desires to 
vote by mail, by submitting with the ballot the affi-
davit described in paragraph (1). 
‘‘(b) REQUIRING USE
OF REGULAR BALLOT.—A 
State may not require an individual who presents or sub-
mits an affidavit in accordance with subsection (a) to cast 
a provision ballot in the election under section 302. 
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‘‘(c) EXCEPTION
FOR FIRST-TIME VOTERS REG-
ISTERING BY MAIL.—Subsections (a) and (b) do not apply 
with respect to any individual described in paragraph (1) 
of section 303(b) who is required to meet the requirements 
of paragraph (2) of such section.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT RELATING TO EN-
FORCEMENT.—Section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 15511) 
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 following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 303A. Permitting use of affidavit to meet identification requirements.’’. 
SEC. 3. REQUIRING STATES TO INCLUDE INFORMATION ON 
USE OF AFFIDAVIT IN VOTING INFORMATION 
MATERIAL POSTED AT POLLING PLACES. 
Section 302(b)(2) of the Help America Vote Act of 
2002 (42 U.S.C. 15482(b)(2)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara-
graph (E); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of sub-
paragraph (F) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(G) in the case of a State that has in ef-
fect a requirement that an individual present 
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identification as a condition of receiving and 
casting a ballot in an election for Federal office, 
information on how an individual may meet 
such requirement by presenting an affidavit in 
accordance with section 303A.’’. 
SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
The amendments made by this Act shall apply with 
respect to elections occurring on or after the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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