I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 5680
To require the Federal Election Commission to study voting procedures in
Federal elections, award Voting Improvement Grants to States, and
for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
DECEMBER 15, 2000
Mr. NADLER (for himself and Mr. SHERMAN) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on House Administration
A BILL
To require the Federal Election Commission to study voting
procedures in Federal elections, award Voting Improve-
ment Grants to States, 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 ‘‘21st Century Electoral
Reform Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) With few exceptions, Americans use anti-
quated methods to vote and tabulate the results in
Federal elections. In the era of the microchip, Fed-
eral elections are still conducted using punch cards,
paper ballots, and voting machines that were in-
vented in the 19th century and are no longer even
manufactured.
(2) Our failure to modernize our system for vot-
ing and administering elections has led to a variety
of damaging effects.
(3) First, voters experience unnecessary delay,
confusion, and inconvenience when voting.
(4) Second, our outdated voting system may
produce incomplete or inaccurate results, such as
when machines tabulating votes misread ballots, or
when decades-old voting machines break down on
election day.
(5) Third, the problems inherent in our current
system of voting play a role in depressing voter turn-
out, which has declined by nearly 20 percent in only
40 years.
(6) In addition, voters in rural areas of the
United States face unique difficulties in reaching
polling places and in funding the acquisition of new
technology to administer elections.
(7) Recently, States have begun experimenting
with new and innovative ways of voting and tab-
ulating results. For example, Oregon conducts elec-
tions by mail, Delaware voters use computerized vot-
ing terminals, and Arizona has conducted a presi-
dential primary election via the Internet.
(8) During the past decade, the Federal Elec-
tion Commission has studied ways to update our vot-
ing system. The Commission’s National Clearing-
house on Election Administration has issued several
reports analyzing, among other topics, early voting,
all mail elections, and the simplification of election
forms and materials.
(9) The Federal Election Commission’s past ef-
forts to study innovations in election administration,
as well as its overall experience in election law and
practice, make it well-suited to conduct a thorough
and definitive examination of new means of voting
and tabulation, and to determine which alternate
methods of voting promise greater accuracy, conven-
ience, and accessibility.
SEC. 3. FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION STUDY.
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF STUDY.—The Federal Elec-
tion Commission (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Commis-
sion’’) shall perform a study of the feasibility and advis-
ability of alternate means and instruments of voting in
Federal elections.
(b) ISSUES TO BE STUDIED.—The means and in-
struments studied under subsection (a) shall include, but
not be limited to—
(1) computerized and other types of voting ma-
chines;
(2) voting by mail;
(3) Internet voting;
(4) redesigned ballots;
(5) expanding or changing the hours and places
in which voting occurs; and
(6) means and instruments particularly relevant
to voting in rural or urban areas.
(c) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The Commission shall
make recommendations based on the study under sub-
section (a) regarding which alternate means and instru-
ments of voting, if any, are more convenient and accessible
to voters or yield more accurate and expeditious results.
(d) PROCEDURE.—The Commission may hold public
hearings, take testimony, and receive evidence as nec-
essary to complete the study under this section. The num-
ber, time, and place of hearings to be held by the Commis-
sion shall be determined by the Commission.
(e) REPORT.—Not later than December 31, 2001, the
Commission shall complete the study under subsection (a)
and make public a report setting forth the results of the
study.
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION.—There is
authorized to be appropriated to the Commission
$10,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 to carry out the provi-
sions of this section.
SEC. 4. VOTING IMPROVEMENT GRANTS.
(a) AUTHORIZATION
OF
VOTING
IMPROVEMENT
GRANTS.—Within 60 days of completing and making pub-
lic the study required under section 3, the Commission
shall develop and make public a plan to award and dis-
burse Voting Improvement Grants to States to facilitate
the adoption by States of the recommendations of the
Commission for alternate means and instruments of voting
made under section 3(c).
(b) 
CRITERIA
FOR
VOTING
IMPROVEMENT
GRANTS.—The plan under subsection (a) shall include cri-
teria for awarding Voting Improvement Grants, including
the ability of a State to effectively implement, on a perma-
nent or trial basis, the recommendations of the Commis-
sion for alternate means and instruments of voting made
under section 3(c).
(c) 
APPLICATION
FOR
VOTING
IMPROVEMENT
GRANTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after
the plan under subsection (a) is made public, a State
may submit an application to the Commission for a
Voting Improvement Grant, in such manner and
containing such information as the Commission re-
quires.
(2) APPROVAL.—Not later than 60 days after
the date on which applications are required to be
submitted, the Commission shall approve or reject
such applications and commence disbursement of
awards.
(d) MATCHING FUNDS.—The Commission shall en-
sure that any State receiving a grant under this section
shall expend State funds in an amount equal to not less
than 25 percent of the amount of the grant for any project
for which the grant was awarded.
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
authorized to be appropriated to the Commission
$250,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 for grants and adminis-
trative costs under this section.
SEC. 5. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to supersede
or conflict with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C.
1973aa et seq.) or the National Voter Registration Act
of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg et seq.).
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