Freedom to Vote Act

Bill: 117-s-2747
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Introduced: 2021-09-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Accounting and auditing
Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Adult day care
Buy American requirements
Child care and development
Civil actions and liability
Commemorative events and holidays
Computer security and identity theft
Congressional districts and representation
Congressional elections
Congressional oversight
Consumer credit
Corporate finance and management
Correctional facilities and imprisonment
Criminal justice information and records
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Department of the Treasury
Digital media
Disability and paralysis
Disability assistance
Domestic violence and child abuse
Due process and equal protection
Election Assistance Commission
Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Executive agency funding and structure
Family relationships
Federal Election Commission (FEC)
Food industry and services
Foreign language and bilingual programs
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government information and archives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Government studies and investigations
Government trust funds
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
House of Representatives
Housing and community development funding
Housing finance and home ownership
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Judges
Judicial review and appeals
Labor-management relations
Landlord and tenant
Low- and moderate-income housing
Manufacturing
Military personnel and dependents
Political advertising
Political parties and affiliation
Postal service
Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
Public contracts and procurement
Public housing
Right of privacy
Rural conditions and development
State and local government operations
Subversive activities
Supreme Court
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
Tax-exempt organizations
Voting rights

Summary:
action_date: 2021-09-14
text: 

Freedom to Vote Act

 
This bill addresses voter registration and voting access, election integrity and security, redistricting, and campaign finance. 
 
Specifically, the bill expands voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It also limits removing voters from voter rolls. 
 
Next, the bill establishes Election Day as a federal holiday. 
 
The bill declares that the right of a U.S. citizen 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, at the time of the election, such individual is serving a felony sentence. 
 
The bill establishes certain federal criminal offenses related to voting. In particular, the bill establishes a new criminal offense for conduct (or attempted conduct) to corruptly hinder, interfere with, or prevent another person from registering to vote or helping someone register to vote. 
 
Additionally, the bill sets forth provisions related to election security, including by requiring states to conduct post-election audits for federal elections.
 
The bill outlines criteria for congressional redistricting and generally prohibits mid-decade redistricting.
 
The bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosure of campaign-related fundraising and spending, requiring additional disclaimers regarding certain political advertising, and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-10-20
text: Motion by Senator Schumer to reconsider the vote by which cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 2747 was not invoked (Record Vote No. 420) entered in Senate.
action_date: 2021-10-20
text: Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 49 - 51. Record Vote Number: 420. (CR S7107-7108)
action_date: 2021-10-18
text: Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to the measure presented in Senate. (CR S7028)
action_date: 2021-10-18
text: Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate. (CR S7028)
action_date: 2021-09-15
text: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 125.
action_date: 2021-09-14
text: Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
action_date: 2021-09-14
text: Introduced in Senate