Voting Opportunity and Technology Enhancement Rights Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-105
Sponsor: Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-14]
Introduced: 2009-01-06 in the House
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Civil actions and liability
Commemorative events and holidays
Computers and information technology
Congressional elections
Correctional facilities and imprisonment
Criminal justice information and records
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Department of Justice
Election Assistance Commission
Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Employee leave
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Law enforcement administration and funding
State and local government operations
Voting rights

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: 
Voting Opportunity and Technology Enhancement Rights Act of 2009 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 with respect to: (1) use of a national federal write-in absentee ballot; (2) verified ballots; (3) preservation of voting records; (4) requirements for counting provisional ballots; (5) minimum required voting systems and poll workers in polling places; (6) standards for establishing the minimum required voting systems and poll workers; (7) election day registration; (8) removal from voter registration list; (9) early voting; (10) voting systems and voter registration; (11) Internet registration; (12) voter identification; (13) election administration requirements; (15) required use of publicly available open source software in voting machines; (16) standards for conducting recounts; and (17) standards for prohibiting conflicts of interest of entities involved in manufacture, distribution, or other activities relating to voting machines. 
 
Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) prohibit deceptive practices in federal elections; (2) modify the penalty for voter intimidation; and (3) prohibit voter caging and other questionable challenges.
 
States that the right of an individual citizen of the United States to vote in any election for federal office shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense, unless such individual is serving a felony sentence in a correctional institution or facility at the time of the election. 
 
Treats election day in the same manner as a legal public holiday for purposes of federal employment. 
 
Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress and the President on the impact of such treatment on voter participation.
 
Expresses the sense of Congress that private employers in the United States should give their employees a day off on the Tuesday after the first Monday in 2010 and each even-numbered year thereafter to enable them to cast votes in the elections held on that day. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-06-12
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
action_date: 2009-01-07
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E27)
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Referred to House Oversight and Government Reform
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Referred to House Administration
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, and Oversight and Government 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.
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Referred to House Judiciary
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Introduced in House