Secure America's Vote Act of 2005

Bill: 109-hr-3094
Sponsor: Rep. Hoyer, Steny H. [D-MD-5]
Introduced: 2005-06-28 in the House
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Absentee voting
Administrative procedure
Armed Forces and National Security
Ballots
Business records
Citizenship
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Commerce
Computer software
Conflict of interests
Congress
Congressional elections
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal justice information
Data banks
Department of Commerce
Directories
Driver licenses
Economics and Public Finance
Election Assistance Commission
Election administration
Election fraud
Electronic government information
Ex-offenders
Federal budgets
Freedom of information
Government publicity
Identification devices
Immigration
Independent regulatory commissions
Internet
Labor and Employment
Law
Personnel records
Presidential elections
Public records
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Social security numbers
Soldier voting
Standards
State laws
Transportation and Public Works
Voter registration
Voting
Voting machines
Wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2005-06-28
text: 
Secure America's Vote Act of 2005 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to direct the Election Assistance Commission to revise the mail voter registration form to emphasize more prominently the requirement that an individual be a U.S. citizen to register to vote in federal elections.
 
Prohibits a state from: (1) rejecting an application for voter registration for federal office soley for the individual's failure to provide required information or error in providing such information, if with reasonable effort the state would be able to correct it; or (2) removing an individual from the official list of eligible voters for federal elections by reason of felony status or death unless the applicable database meets accuracy standards established by the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
 
Requires a state to notify the public, within 45 days before any federal election, by posting on the chief state election official's public website, and through other appropriate methods, of: (1) all names removed from the computerized list since the later of the most recent election for federal office held in the state or the day of the most recent previous public notice; (2) the criteria, processes, and procedures used to determine which names were removed; and (3) information on the steps an individual may take to appeal such removal and reinstate himself or herself before the election.
 
Establishes a uniform standard for the treatment of provisional ballots cast at an incorrect polling place. 
 
Provides for additional security requirements for voting systems used in federal elections.
 
Requires states to make election laws available to the public.
 
Establishes criminal penalties for voter suppression.
 
Directs the Election Assistance Commission to establish best practice guidelines for the treatment of absentee ballots of uniformed services voters and overseas voters to ensure their timely delivery and return.
 



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-06-28
text: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
action_date: 2005-06-28
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2005-06-28
text: Introduced in House