and implementation of training for contractors; 
and 
(B) implement a method to track and re-
port on election monitoring program activities 
in the Interactive Case Management System. 
(2) ANNUAL REPORTS.—The Attorney General 
shall submit annual reports to Congress detailing 
the implementation of this subsection, including a 
summary of the tracking and election monitoring ac-
tivities and a documentation of allegations of voting 
irregularities. 
SEC. 4. NATIONAL FEDERAL WRITE-IN ABSENTEE BALLOT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Title III of the Help Amer-
ica Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15481 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new 
subtitle: 
‘‘Subtitle C—Additional 
Requirements 
‘‘SEC. 321. USE OF NATIONAL FEDERAL WRITE-IN ABSEN-
TEE BALLOT. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Any person who is otherwise 
qualified to vote in a Federal election in a State shall be 
permitted to use the national Federal write-in absentee 
ballot prescribed by the Election Assistance Commission
under section 297 to cast a vote in an election for Federal 
office. 
‘‘(b) SUBMISSION AND PROCESSING.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise pro-
vided in this section, a national Federal write-in ab-
sentee ballot shall be submitted and processed in the 
manner provided under the standards prescribed by 
the Commission under section 297(b). 
‘‘(2) DEADLINE.—An otherwise eligible national 
Federal write-in absentee ballot shall be counted if 
postmarked or signed before the close of the polls on 
election day and received by the appropriate State 
election official on or before the date which is 10 
days after the date of the election or the date pro-
vided for receipt of absentee ballots under State law, 
whichever is later. 
‘‘(c) SPECIAL RULES.—The following rules shall 
apply with respect to national Federal write-in absentee 
ballots: 
‘‘(1) In completing the ballot, the voter may 
designate a candidate by writing in the name of the 
candidate or by writing in the name of a political 
party (in which case the ballot shall be counted for 
the candidate of that political party).
‘‘(2) In the case of the offices of President and 
Vice President, a vote for a named candidate or a 
vote by writing in the name of a political party shall 
be counted as a vote for the electors supporting the 
candidate involved. 
‘‘(3) Any abbreviation, misspelling, or other 
minor variation in the form of the name of a can-
didate or a political party shall be disregarded in de-
termining the validity of the ballot. 
‘‘(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Each State shall be re-
quired to comply with the requirements of this section on 
and after January 1, 2007.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section 401 
of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 
15511) is amended by striking ‘‘and 303’’ and in-
serting ‘‘303, and subtitle C’’. 
(3) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents of title III of such Act is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
‘‘Subtitle C—Additional Requirements 
‘‘Sec. 321. Use of national Federal write-in absentee ballot.’’.
(b) NATIONAL FEDERAL WRITE-IN ABSENTEE BAL-
LOT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Title II of the Help America 
Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15321 et seq.) is
amended by adding at the end the following new 
subtitle: 
‘‘Subtitle E—Guidance and 
Standards 
‘‘SEC. 297. NATIONAL FEDERAL WRITE-IN ABSENTEE BAL-
LOT. 
‘‘(a) FORM OF BALLOT.—The Commission shall pre-
scribe a national Federal write-in absentee ballot (includ-
ing a secrecy envelope and mailing envelope for such bal-
lot) for use in elections for Federal office. 
‘‘(b) STANDARDS.—The Commission shall prescribe 
standards for—
‘‘(1) distributing the national Federal write-in 
absentee ballot, including standards for distributing 
such ballot through the Internet; and 
‘‘(2) processing and submission of the national 
Federal write-in absentee ballot.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section 202 
of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 
15322) is amended by redesignating paragraphs (5) 
and (6) as paragraphs (6) and (7), respectively, and 
by inserting after paragraph (4) the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(5) carrying out the duties described in sub-
title E.’’.
(3) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents for title II of such Act is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
‘‘Subtitle E—Guidance and Standards 
‘‘Sec. 297. National Federal write-in absentee ballot.’’.
(c) COORDINATION WITH UNIFORMED AND OVER-
SEAS CITIZENS ABSENTEE VOTING ACT.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Presidential designee 
under the Uniformed and Overseas Absentee Voting 
Act, in consultation with the Election Assistance 
Commission, shall facilitate the use and return of 
the national Federal write-in ballot for absent uni-
formed service voters and overseas voters so that 
such voters face no greater difficulties in the submis-
sion and processing of their ballots than those faced 
by absentee voters who reside in the United States. 
(2) DEFINITIONS.—The terms ‘‘absent uni-
formed service voter’’ and ‘‘overseas voter’’ shall 
have the meanings given such terms by section 107 
of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee 
Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg–6). 
SEC. 5. VERIFIED BALLOTS; PRESERVATION. 
(a) VERIFICATION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 301(a) of the Help 
America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15481(a)) is
amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(7) VERIFIED BALLOTS.—In order to meet the 
requirements of paragraph (1)(A)(i), on and after 
January 1, 2007: 
‘‘(A) The voting system shall provide an 
independent means of voter verification which 
meets the requirements of subparagraph (B) 
and which allows each voter to verify the accu-
racy of the ballot before it is cast and counted, 
and to correct any errors before the record of 
the ballot is produced and preserved under this 
paragraph and paragraph (2)(B)(iii). 
‘‘(B) A means of voter verification meets 
the requirements of this subparagraph if the 
voting system allows the voter to choose from 
one of the following options to verify the voter’s 
vote selection: 
‘‘(i) A paper record. 
‘‘(ii) An audio record. 
‘‘(iii) A pictorial record. 
‘‘(iv) An electronic record or other 
means that provides for voter verification 
that is accessible for individuals with dis-
abilities, including nonvisual accessibility
for the blind and visually impaired, in a 
manner that provides privacy and inde-
pendence equal to that provided for other 
voters. 
‘‘(C) Any means of verification described 
in clause (ii), (iii), or (iv) of subparagraph (B) 
must provide verification which is equal or su-
perior to verification through the use of a paper 
record. 
‘‘(D) None of the means of verification 
under this paragraph may employ cryptography 
in the record.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Clause (i) of 
section 301(a)(1)(A) of the Help America Vote Act 
of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15481(a)(1)(A)(i)) is amended 
by inserting ‘‘and consistent with the requirements 
of paragraphs (2), (4), and (7)’’ after ‘‘independent 
manner’’. 
(b) 
PRESERVATION
OF
RECORDS.—Section 
301(a)(2)(B)(iii) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 
(42 U.S.C. 15481(a)(2)(B)(iii)) is amended to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(iii) The record produced to meet the 
requirements of paragraph (1)(A)(i) and 
this paragraph shall be available as an offi-
cial record for any audit or recount con-
ducted with respect to any election in 
which the system is used, and shall be pre-
served after the voter has verified its accu-
racy—
‘‘(I) in the case of a paper 
record, within the polling place on the 
date of the election in a manner that 
ensures the security of the votes as 
verified; and 
‘‘(II) in the case of a record de-
scribed in clause (ii), (iii), or (iv) of 
paragraph (7)(B), through a method 
established by the Commission which 
provides protection of the record equal 
to or superior to the methods used to 
preserve paper records.’’. 
(c) GUIDANCE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle E of Title II of the 
Help America Vote Act of 2002, as added by this 
Act, is amended by adding at the end the following 
new section: 
‘‘SEC. 298. VERIFIED BALLOTS. 
‘‘(a) STANDARDS.—The Commission shall issue uni-
form and nondiscriminatory standards—
‘‘(1) for verified ballots required under section 
301(a)(7); and 
‘‘(2) for meeting the audit requirements of sec-
tion 301(a)(2). 
‘‘(b) AUDITS.—The standards issued under sub-
section (a) shall provide for partial audits of the results 
of elections using the records produced pursuant to section 
301(a)(7), and shall provide that those records shall be 
used for the official count of votes in the event that the 
tallies derived from the records differ from the tallies oth-
erwise derived from the voting system used in the election 
involved.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents for subtitle E of title II of such Act, as added 
by this Act, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new item:
‘‘Sec. 298. Verified ballots.’’.
(d) REPORTS.—
(1) ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION.—Sec-
tion 207 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 
U.S.C. 15327) is amended by redesignating para-
graph (5) as paragraph (6) and by inserting after 
paragraph (4) the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(5) A description of the progress on imple-
menting the verified ballot requirements of section 
301(a)(7) and the impact of the use of such require-
ments 
on 
the 
accessibility, 
privacy, 
security, 
usability, and auditability of voting systems.’’. 
(2) STATE REPORTS.—Section 258 of the Help 
America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15408) is 
amended by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 
(2), by striking the period at the end of paragraph 
(3) and inserting ‘‘; and’’, and by adding at the end 
the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) an analysis and description in the form 
and manner prescribed by the Commission of the 
progress on implementing the verified ballot require-
ments of section 301(a)(7).’’. 
SEC. 6. REQUIREMENTS FOR COUNTING PROVISIONAL BAL-
LOTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 302 of the Help America 
Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15482) is amended by redes-
ignating subsection (d) as subsection (e) and by inserting 
after subsection (c) the following new subsection: 
‘‘(d) STATEWIDE COUNTING OF PROVISIONAL BAL-
LOTS.—For purposes of subsection (a)(4), notwith-
standing at which polling place a provisional ballot is cast 
within the State, the State shall count such ballot if the 
individual who cast such ballot is otherwise eligible to 
vote.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Subsection (e) of section 
302 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 
U.S.C. 15482(e)), as redesignated under subsection 
(a), is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) EFFECTIVE DATE FOR STATEWIDE COUNT-
ING OF PROVISIONAL BALLOTS.—Each State shall be 
required to comply with the requirements of sub-
section (d) on and after January 1, 2007.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Subsection (e) 
of section 302 of the Help America Vote Act of 
2002 (42 U.S.C. 15482(e)), as redesignated under 
subsection (a), is amended by striking ‘‘Each’’ and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), each’’. 
SEC. 7. MINIMUM REQUIRED VOTING SYSTEMS AND POLL 
WORKERS IN POLLING PLACES. 
(a) MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle C of title III of the 
Help America Vote Act of 2002, as added by this 
Act, is amended by adding at the end the following 
new section:
‘‘SEC. 322. MINIMUM REQUIRED VOTING SYSTEMS AND 
POLL WORKERS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Each State shall provide for the 
minimum required number of functioning and accurate 
voting systems and poll workers required in each precinct 
on the day of any Federal election and on any days during 
which such State allows early voting for a Federal election 
in accordance with the standards determined under sec-
tion 299A. 
‘‘(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Each State shall be re-
quired to comply with the requirements of this section on 
and after January 1, 2007.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents for subtitle C of title III of such Act, as added 
by this Act, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new item:
‘‘Sec. 322. Minimum required voting systems and poll workers.’’.
(b) STANDARDS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Subtitle E of the Help 
America Vote Act of 2002, as added and amended 
by this Act, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section: