Title: Protecting Democracy by Securing the Right To Vote by Mail Act
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Protecting Democracy by Securing the Right To Vote by Mail Act
This bill establishes certain rules for the treatment of absentee ballots in federal elections.
Specifically, the bill requires states to allow an individual to (1) submit a request for an absentee ballot through the internet or mobile application and by telephone, and (2) cast their ballot by delivering it by mail or to a polling place or drop-off location.
Further, the bill prohibits states from refusing to accept or process an absentee ballot on the grounds that the individual did not meet a deadline for returning the ballot, if the ballot is (1) postmarked, signed, or otherwise indicated by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) that it was mailed on or before the date of the election; and (2) received by the appropriate election official prior to the expiration of the 10-day period beginning on the date of the election.
Finally, the Government Accountability Office must report to Congress on the USPS. The report must include (1) a review of the current level of staffing, funding, equipment, and other information related to the USPS; and (2) recommendations on how to improve the USPS to provide low-cost and efficient postal delivery services six days a week.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8092 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8092

To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to establish the methods by 
  which individuals may apply for an absentee ballot in elections for 
   Federal office, to permit individuals to cast absentee ballots at 
polling places and early voting locations on or before the date of the 
                   election, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 22, 2020

 Ms. Jackson Lee (for herself, Mrs. Lawrence, Mr. Raskin, Ms. Kelly of 
Illinois, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Mrs. 
 Beatty, Ms. Lee of California, Ms. Fudge, Mr. McNerney, Ms. Sewell of 
Alabama, Mr. Cardenas, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Norton, Ms. Kaptur, 
 Mr. Khanna, Mr. Mfume, Ms. Sherrill, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Cuellar, and Mr. 
   Neguse) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on 
Oversight and Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to establish the methods by 
  which individuals may apply for an absentee ballot in elections for 
   Federal office, to permit individuals to cast absentee ballots at 
polling places and early voting locations on or before the date of the 
                   election, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting 
Democracy by Securing the Right To Vote by Mail Act''.
    (b) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The freedoms of the press and of speech guaranteed in 
        the First Amendment to the Constitution and the establishment 
        of a national postal system, an authority vested by the 
        Constitution in the Congress in article I, section 8, clause 7, 
        are indispensable features of a strong and stable democracy.
            (2) A national postal system to collect and distribute mail 
        efficiently, affordably, reliably, and without regard to the 
        sender's or recipient's race, creed, color, national origin, 
        religion, region of residence, or political affiliation 
        strengthens and fortifies democracy by enabling all persons to 
        communicate with any or all other Americans.
            (3) A functioning and effective national postal system 
        strengthens the economy by facilitating the efficient delivery 
        of goods and services, promotes the public health by 
        facilitating the timely delivery of needed medical supplies and 
        prescription drugs to senior citizens and veterans, and 
        enriches civil society by facilitating the delivery of letters 
        of greetings, sympathy, congratulations, and love, thus 
        strengthening the mystic bonds of affection of Americans for 
        each other and for the United States.

SEC. 2. RULES FOR TREATMENT OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS.

    (a) In General.--Title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 
U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 303 the 
following new section:

``SEC. 303A. RULES FOR TREATMENT OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS.

    ``(a) Methods for Requesting Ballot.--In addition to such other 
methods as the State may establish for an individual to request an 
absentee ballot, the State shall permit an individual to submit a 
request for an absentee ballot through the internet or mobile 
application and by telephone. The State shall be considered to meet the 
requirements of this paragraph if the website of the appropriate State 
or local election official allows an absentee ballot request 
application to be completed and submitted online and if the website 
permits the individual--
            ``(1) to print the application so that the individual may 
        complete the application and return it to the official; or
            ``(2) to request that a paper copy of the application be 
        transmitted to the individual by mail or electronic mail so 
        that the individual may complete the application and return it 
        to the official.
    ``(b) Methods for Returning Ballots.--In addition to permitting an 
individual to whom an absentee ballot in an election was provided to 
return the ballot to an election official by mail, the State shall 
permit the individual to cast the ballot by delivering the ballot at 
such times and to such locations as the State may establish, 
including--
            ``(1) permitting the individual to deliver the ballot to a 
        polling place on any date on which voting in the election is 
        held at the polling place; and
            ``(2) permitting the individual to deliver the ballot to a 
        designated ballot drop-off location.
    ``(c) Deadline for Acceptance of Ballots.--A State may not refuse 
to accept or process an absentee ballot submitted by an individual by 
mail with respect to an election for Federal office in the State on the 
grounds that the individual did not meet a deadline for returning the 
ballot to the appropriate State or local election official if--
            ``(1) the ballot is postmarked, signed, or otherwise 
        indicated by the United States Postal Service to have been 
        mailed on or before the date of the election; and
            ``(2) the ballot is received by the appropriate election 
        official prior to the expiration of the 10-day period 
        (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays) which 
        begins on the date of the election.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment Relating to Enforcement.--Section 401 of 
such Act (52 U.S.C. 21111) is amended by striking ``and 303'' and 
inserting ``303, and 303A''.
    (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents of such Act is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 303 the 
following new item:

``Sec. 303A. Rules for treatment of absentee ballots.''.

SEC. 3. GAO REPORT ON POSTAL SERVICE.

    Not later than 260 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Comptroller General shall submit a report to Congress on the 
critical need for a fully staffed and fully operational United States 
Postal Service to carry out elections, domestic and international 
commerce, and protection of constitutional rights including the First 
Amendment rights of freedom of speech, assembly, press, and religion. 
The report shall include--
            (1) a review of the current level of Postal Service 
        staffing, funding, equipment, technology, vehicles, training, 
        compensation, recruitment and retention, diversity, and 
        opportunities provided to workers for advancement and stable 
        work, as well as competitive income; and
            (2) recommendations on how the Postal Service may be 
        improved to provide low-cost and efficient postal delivery 
        services 6 days a week to every government, residential, and 
        business address.
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