I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4959 
To protect the right to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 6, 2021 
Mr. JONES introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To protect the right to vote in elections for Federal office, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SEC. 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Right to Vote Act’’. 
SEC. 2. UNDUE BURDENS ON THE ABILITY TO VOTE IN 
ELECTIONS FOR FEDERAL OFFICE PROHIB-
ITED. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Every citizen of legal voting age 
shall have the right to vote in elections for Federal office 
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free from any burden on the time, place, or manner of 
voting, as set forth in subsections (b) and (c). 
(b) RETROGRESSION.—A government may not dimin-
ish the ability to vote in an election for Federal office un-
less the law, rule, standard, practice, procedure, or other 
governmental action causing the diminishment is the least 
restrictive means of significantly furthering an important, 
particularized government interest. 
(c) SUBSTANTIAL IMPAIRMENT.—A government may 
not substantially impair the ability to vote in an election 
for Federal office unless the law, rule, standard, practice, 
procedure, or other governmental action causing the im-
pairment significantly furthers an important, particular-
ized governmental interest. A substantial impairment is a 
non-trivial impairment that makes it more difficult to vote 
than if the law, standard, practice, procedure, or other 
governmental action had not been adopted or imple-
mented. An impairment may be substantial even if the 
voter or other similarly situated voters are able to vote 
notwithstanding the impairment. 
SEC. 3. JUDICIAL REVIEW. 
(a) CIVIL ACTION.—An action challenging a violation 
of this Act may be brought by any aggrieved person or 
the Attorney General in the district court for the District 
of Columbia, or the district court for the district in which 
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the violation took place or where any defendant resides 
or does business, at the selection of the plaintiff, to obtain 
all appropriate relief, whether declaratory or injunctive, or 
facial or as-applied. Process may be served in any district 
where a defendant resides, does business, or may be found. 
(b) STANDARDS TO BE APPLIED.—In a civil action 
under this section, the following shall apply: 
(1) RETROGRESSION.— 
(A) A plaintiff establishes a prima facie 
case of retrogression by demonstrating by a 
preponderance of the evidence that a rule, 
standard, practice, procedure, or other govern-
mental action diminishes the ability, or other-
wise makes it more difficult, to vote. 
(B) Once a plaintiff establishes a prima 
facie case as described in subparagraph (A), the 
government shall be provided an opportunity to 
demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence 
that the diminishment is necessary to signifi-
cantly further an important, particularized gov-
ernmental interest. 
(C) If the government meets its burden 
under subparagraph (B), the challenged rule, 
standard, practice, procedure, or other govern-
mental action shall nonetheless be deemed in-
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valid if the plaintiff demonstrates by a prepon-
derance of the evidence that the government 
could adopt or implement a less-restrictive 
means of furthering the particular important 
governmental interest. 
(2) SUBSTANTIAL IMPAIRMENT.— 
(A) A plaintiff establishes a prima facie 
case 
of 
substantial 
impairment 
by 
dem-
onstrating by a preponderance of the evidence 
that a rule, standard, practice, procedure, or 
other governmental action substantially impairs 
the ability, or makes it substantially difficult, to 
vote. 
(B) Once a plaintiff establishes a prima 
facie case as described in subparagraph (A), the 
government shall be provided an opportunity to 
demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence 
that the impairment significantly furthers an 
important, particularized governmental interest. 
(c) DUTY TO EXPEDITE.—It shall be the duty of the 
court to advance on the docket and to expedite to the 
greatest reasonable extent the disposition of the action 
and appeal under this section. 
(d) ATTORNEY’S FEES.—Section 722(b) of the Re-
vised Statutes (42 U.S.C. 1988(b)) is amended— 
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