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 ‘‘Absentee Ballot Track, 
Receive, and Confirm Act’’. 
SEC. 2. REIMBURSEMENT FOR COSTS INCURRED IN ESTAB-
LISHING PROGRAM TO TRACK AND CONFIRM 
RECEIPT OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS. 
(a) REIMBURSEMENT.—Subtitle D of title II of the 
Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15401 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new part: 
‘‘PART 7—PAYMENTS TO REIMBURSE STATES 
FOR COSTS INCURRED IN ESTABLISHING 
PROGRAM TO TRACK AND CONFIRM RE-
CEIPT OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS 
‘‘SEC. 297. PAYMENTS TO STATES. 
‘‘(a) PAYMENTS FOR COSTS OF ESTABLISHING PRO-
GRAM.—In accordance with this section, the Commission 
shall make a payment to a State to reimburse the State 
for the costs incurred in establishing, if the State so choos-
es to establish, an absentee ballot tracking program with 
respect to elections for Federal office held in the State 
(including costs incurred prior to the date of the enact-
ment of this part). 
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‘‘(b) ABSENTEE BALLOT TRACKING PROGRAM DE-
SCRIBED.— 
‘‘(1) PROGRAM DESCRIBED.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In this part, an ‘ab-
sentee ballot tracking program’ is a program to 
track and confirm the receipt of absentee bal-
lots in an election for Federal office under 
which the State or local election official respon-
sible for the receipt of voted absentee ballots in 
the election carries out procedures to track and 
confirm the receipt of such ballots, and makes 
information on the receipt of such ballots avail-
able to the individual who cast the ballot, by 
means of online access using the Internet site 
of the official’s office. 
‘‘(B) INFORMATION
ON
WHETHER
VOTE 
WAS
COUNTED.—The information referred to 
under subparagraph (A) with respect to the re-
ceipt of an absentee ballot shall include infor-
mation regarding whether the vote cast on the 
ballot was counted, and, in the case of a vote 
which was not counted, the reasons therefor. 
‘‘(2) USE OF TOLL-FREE TELEPHONE NUMBER 
BY OFFICIALS WITHOUT INTERNET SITE.—A pro-
gram established by a State or local election official 
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whose office does not have an Internet site may 
meet the description of a program under paragraph 
(1) if the official has established a toll-free telephone 
number that may be used by an individual who cast 
an absentee ballot to obtain the information on the 
receipt of the voted absentee ballot as provided 
under such paragraph. 
‘‘(c) CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE AND COSTS.— 
‘‘(1) CERTIFICATION REQUIRED.—In order to 
receive a payment under this section, a State shall 
submit to the Commission a statement containing— 
‘‘(A) a certification that the State has es-
tablished an absentee ballot tracking program 
with respect to elections for Federal office held 
in the State; and 
‘‘(B) a statement of the costs incurred by 
the State in establishing the program. 
‘‘(2) AMOUNT OF PAYMENT.—The amount of a 
payment made to a State under this section shall be 
equal to the costs incurred by the State in estab-
lishing the absentee ballot tracking program, as set 
forth in the statement submitted under paragraph 
(1), except that such amount may not exceed the 
product of— 
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‘‘(A) the number of jurisdictions in the 
State which are responsible for operating the 
program; and 
‘‘(B) $3,000. 
‘‘(3) LIMIT
ON
NUMBER
OF
PAYMENTS
RE-
CEIVED.—A State may not receive more than one 
payment under this part. 
‘‘SEC. 297A. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Commission for fiscal year 2010 and 
each succeeding fiscal year such sums as may be necessary 
for payments under this part. 
‘‘(b) CONTINUING AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Any 
amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization under 
this section shall remain available until expended.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
of such Act is amended by adding at the end of the items 
relating to subtitle D of title II the following: 
‘‘PART 7—PAYMENTS TO REIMBURSE STATES FOR COSTS INCURRED IN ES-
TABLISHING PROGRAM TO TRACK AND CONFIRM RECEIPT OF ABSENTEE 
BALLOTS 
‘‘Sec. 297. Payments to States. 
‘‘Sec. 297A. Authorization of appropriations.’’. 
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Union Calendar No. 85 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 2510 
[Report No. 111–169] 
A BILL 
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to 
reimburse States for the costs incurred in estab-
lishing a program to track and confirm the re-
ceipt of voted absentee ballots in elections for 
Federal office and make information on the re-
ceipt of such ballots available by means of online 
access, and for other purposes. 
JUNE 19, 2009 
Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
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