than 14 consecutive days (including weekends) which 
begins on the 17th day before the date of the elec-
tion (or, at the option of the State, on a day prior 
to the 17th day before the date of the election) and 
ends on the date of the election. 
‘‘(b) MINIMUM EARLY VOTING REQUIREMENTS.— 
Each polling place which allows voting during an early vot-
ing period under subsection (a) shall— 
‘‘(1) allow such voting for no less than 12 hours 
on each day, except that the polling place may allow 
such voting for fewer than 12 hours on Sundays; 
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 during an early voting period under subsection (a) is 
located within walking distance of a stop on a public trans-
portation route. 
‘‘(d) STANDARDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall issue 
standards for the administration of voting prior to 
the day scheduled for a Federal election. Such 
standards shall include the nondiscriminatory geo-
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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 
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, 
2018.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
of such Act, as amended by section 312(c), is amended 
by adding at the end of the items relating to subtitle D 
of title III the following: 
‘‘Sec. 332. Mandatory availability of early voting.’’. 
SEC. 314. REQUIREMENTS FOR AVAILABILITY OF SUFFI-
CIENT POLLING PLACES, EQUIPMENT, AND 
RESOURCES. 
(a) REQUIRING
STATES
TO
MEET
REQUIRE-
MENTS.—Subtitle D of title III of the Help America Vote 
Act of 2002, as added by section 312(a) and as amended 
by section 313(a), is amended by adding at the end the 
following new section: 
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‘‘SEC. 333. AVAILABILITY OF SUFFICIENT POLLING PLACES, 
EQUIPMENT, AND RESOURCES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with the stand-
ards established under subsection (b), each State shall 
provide for— 
‘‘(1) an appropriate number and geographic 
distribution of voting sites on the day of any election 
for Federal office and on any days during which 
such State allows early voting in such elections; and 
‘‘(2) the minimum required number of voting 
systems and other election resources (including all 
other voting equipment and supplies) for each such 
voting site. 
‘‘(b) STANDARDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than June 30, 
2017, the Commission shall conduct a study and, on 
the basis of the findings of the study, issue stand-
ards for States to follow in establishing an appro-
priate number and geographic distribution of voting 
sites in elections for Federal office on the day of any 
Federal election and on any days during which the 
State allows early voting in such elections, and in 
providing for the minimum number of voting sys-
tems and other election resources (including all 
other voting equipment and supplies) for each such 
voting site. 
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‘‘(2) DISTRIBUTION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The standards de-
scribed in paragraph (1) shall provide for a uni-
form and nondiscriminatory distribution of such 
sites, systems, and other resources, and, to the 
extent possible, shall take into account, among 
other factors, the following: 
‘‘(i) The voting age population. 
‘‘(ii) Voter turnout in past elections. 
‘‘(iii) The number of voters registered. 
‘‘(iv) The number of voters who have 
registered since the most recent Federal 
election. 
‘‘(v) Census data for the population 
served by each voting site. 
‘‘(vi) The educational levels and socio-
economic factors of the population served 
by each voting site. 
‘‘(vii) The needs and numbers of vot-
ers with disabilities and voters with limited 
English proficiency. 
‘‘(viii) The type of voting systems 
used. 
‘‘(B) 
NO
FACTOR
DISPOSITIVE.—The 
standards shall provide that the distribution of 
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voting sites, systems, and resources should take 
into account the totality of all relevant factors, 
and no single factor shall be dispositive under 
the standards. 
‘‘(C) PURPOSE.—To the extent possible, 
the standards shall provide for a distribution of 
voting sites, systems, and resources with the 
goals of— 
‘‘(i) ensuring a fair and equitable 
waiting time for all voters in the State; 
and 
‘‘(ii) preventing a waiting time of over 
1 hour at any voting site. 
‘‘(3) DEVIATION.—The standards described in 
paragraph (1) shall permit States, upon giving rea-
sonable public notice, to deviate from any allocation 
requirements in the case of unforeseen cir-
cumstances such as a natural disaster or terrorist 
attack. 
‘‘(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply 
with respect to elections held on or after January 1, 
2018.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
of such Act, as amended by section 312(c) and section 
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313(b), is amended by adding at the end of the items re-
lating to subtitle D of title III the following: 
‘‘Sec. 333. Availability of sufficient polling places, equipment, and resources.’’. 
TITLE 
IV—RULEMAKING 
AU-
THORITY OF ELECTION AS-
SISTANCE COMMISSION 
SEC. 401. PERMITTING ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMIS-
SION TO EXERCISE RULEMAKING AUTHOR-
ITY. 
(a) RULEMAKING AUTHORITY.—The Help America 
Vote Act of 2002 is amended by striking section 209 (52 
U.S.C. 20929). 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
of such Act is amended by striking the item relating to 
section 209. 
Æ 
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