Voting Opportunity and Technology Enhancement Rights Act of 2005

Bill: 109-s-17
Sponsor: Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT]
Introduced: 2005-01-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Absentee voting
Administrative procedure
Americans in foreign countries
Armed Forces and National Security
Authorization
Ballots
Commemorations
Congress
Congressional elections
Congressional reporting requirements
Economics and Public Finance
Election Assistance Commission
Election Day
Election administration
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Governmental investigations
Holidays
Identification devices
Internet
Law
Postal service
Presidential elections
Science, Technology, Communications
Soldier voting
Standards
State laws
Voter registration
Voting machines

Summary:
action_date: 2005-01-24
text: 
Voting Opportunity and Technology Enhancement Rights Act of 2005 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to permit any person who is otherwise qualified to vote in a Federal election in a State to use the national Federal write-in absentee ballot prescribed by the Election Assistance Commission to cast a vote in such an election.
 
Directs the Commission to prescribe a national Federal write-in absentee ballot for use in elections for Federal office. 
 
Requires the voting system to provide for an independent means of voter verification, allowing each voter to verify the ballot before it is cast and counted.
 
Requires the State to: (1) count such ballot if the individual who cast it is otherwise eligible to vote; and (2) provide for the minimum required number of voting systems and poll workers for each polling place on the day of any Federal election, and on any days during which such State allows early voting. 
 
Directs the Commission to issue standards regarding the minimum number of voting systems and poll workers.
 
Amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require each State, with certain exceptions, to permit any individual on the day of a Federal election to: (1) register to vote at the polling place; and (2) cast a vote in such election.
 
Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require: (1) the Commission to develop an election day registration form for elections for Federal office; (2) each State to provide public notice of all names which have been removed from the voter registration list since the later of the most recent Federal election or the day of the most recent previous public notice; (3) each State to allow individuals to vote in a Federal election at least 15 days before the day scheduled for it in the same manner as voting on such day (early voting); (4) each polling place which allows early voting to allow it for at least a uniform four hours each day; and (5) the Commission to issue standards for the administration of early voting.
 
Accelerates the study on election day as a public holiday.
 
Requires mail voter registration forms to include, in lieu of mandatory questions and statements, an affidavit to be signed by the registrant attesting both to citizenship and age.
 
Directs each State to establish a program under which individuals may access voter registration forms electronically through the Internet. 
 
Provides for establishing voter identification with respect to in person voting and voting by mail.
 
Outlines election administration requirements.
 



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-07-20
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7999)
action_date: 2005-01-26
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S563-565)
action_date: 2005-01-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. (text of measure as introduced: CR S204-207)
action_date: 2005-01-24
text: Introduced in Senate