I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8499 
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to establish requirements 
for voting by absentee ballot in elections for Federal office, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 22, 2024 
Mr. GROTHMAN 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 establish 
requirements for voting by absentee ballot 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, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Clean Elections in 
America Act’’. 
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS WITH RESPECT TO VOTING BY AB-
SENTEE BALLOT. 
(a) REQUIREMENTS.—Title III of the Help America 
Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended— 
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(1) by redesignating sections 304 and 305 as 
sections 305 and 306, respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after section 303 the following 
new section: 
‘‘SEC. 304. REQUIREMENTS WITH RESPECT TO VOTING BY 
ABSENTEE BALLOT. 
‘‘(a) INDIVIDUALS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE ABSENTEE 
BALLOT.— 
‘‘(1) EXCUSABLE REASONS TO RECEIVE ABSEN-
TEE BALLOT.—A State may not provide to an indi-
vidual an absentee ballot to vote in an election for 
Federal office unless such individual meets the appli-
cation requirements described in paragraph (2) and 
is unable to vote in person at the appropriate polling 
place in the State on the date of the election for any 
of the following reasons: 
‘‘(A) The business or occupation of the in-
dividual prevents such individual from voting in 
person on the date of the election. 
‘‘(B) The individual is unable to vote in 
person on the date of the election because such 
individual provides care to a parent, spouse, or 
child with an illness, disability, or injury that 
requires constant care. 
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‘‘(C) The individual suffers from a physical 
ailment, or is an individual with a disability, 
that substantially limits the ability of the indi-
vidual to vote in person. 
‘‘(D) The individual will be absent from 
the jurisdiction in which the individual is reg-
istered to vote on the date of the election. 
‘‘(E) The individual is entitled to vote by 
absentee ballot under any other Federal law. 
‘‘(2) APPLICATION
REQUIREMENTS.—A State 
may not provide to an individual an absentee ballot 
to vote in an election for Federal office unless— 
‘‘(A) the individual submits an application 
to the appropriate State or local election official 
and such application is received by the official 
not later than noon on the Friday before the 
date of the election; and 
‘‘(B) the application includes— 
‘‘(i) the individual’s name and ad-
dress; 
‘‘(ii) the reason such individual is un-
able to vote in person at the appropriate 
polling place in the State on the date of 
the election and such reason is an excus-
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able reason described in paragraph (1); 
and 
‘‘(iii) a sworn written statement at-
testing to the individual’s identity. 
‘‘(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply 
with respect to each election for Federal office held after 
the date of the enactment of this section.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT RELATING TO EN-
FORCEMENT.—Section 401 of the Help America Vote Act 
of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21111) is amended by striking ‘‘and 
303’’ and inserting ‘‘303, and 304’’. 
(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 305 and 
306; and 
(2) by inserting after the item relating to sec-
tion 303 the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 304. Requirements with respect to voting by absentee ballot.’’. 
Æ 
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