Polling Change Awareness Act

Bill: 117-hr-641
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Brown, Anthony G. [D-MD-4]
Introduced: 2021-02-01
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Congressional elections

Elections, voting, political campaign regulation

Government information and archives

State and local government operations
Latest action: action_date: 2021-02-01
text: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-02-01
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong></strong><b>Polling Change Awareness Act</b></p> <p>This bill establishes minimum requirements for notifying individuals of a change in their polling place for a federal election.</p> <p>Specifically, the bill requires a state that changes an individual's polling place to notify the individual at least seven days before the federal election or the first day of an early voting period, whichever occurs first. However, if the change is made fewer than seven days before the federal election and the individual appears at the previously assigned polling place, the state must make every reasonable effort to enable the individual to vote. Further, the bill specifies the methods of notification. </p> <p>In addition, states must place signs at locations that no longer serve as a polling place.<br> </p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 641 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 1, 2021 Mr. Brown introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration A BILL To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require States to meet notification requirements for voters affected by polling place changes, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Polling Change Awareness Act . 2. Minimum notification requirements for voters affected by polling place changes (a) Requirements Section 302 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 ( 52 U.S.C. 21082 ) is amended— (1) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e); and (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new subsection: (d) Minimum notification requirements for voters affected by polling place changes (1) In general If a State assigns an individual who is a registered voter in a State to a polling place with respect to an election for Federal office which is not the same polling place to which the individual was previously assigned with respect to the most recent election for Federal office in the State in which the individual was eligible to vote— (A) the State shall notify the individual of the location of the polling place not later than 7 days before the date of the election or the first day of an early voting period (whichever occurs first); or (B) if the State makes such an assignment fewer than 7 days before the date of the election and the individual appears on the date of the election at the polling place to which the individual was previously assigned, the State shall make every reasonable effort to enable the individual to vote on the date of the election. (2) Methods of notification The State shall notify an individual under subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) by mail, telephone, and (if available) text message and electronic mail. (3) Placement of signs at closed polling places If a location which served as a polling place in an election for Federal office does not serve as a polling place in the next election for Federal office held in the jurisdiction involved, the State shall ensure that signs are posted at such location on the date of the election and during any early voting period for the election containing the following information: (A) A statement that the location is not serving as a polling place in the election. (B) The locations serving as polling places in the election in the jurisdiction involved. (C) Contact information, including a telephone number and website, for the appropriate State or local election official through which an individual may find the polling place to which the individual is assigned for the election. (4) Effective date This subsection shall apply with respect to elections held on or after January 1, 2022. . (b) Conforming amendment Section 302(e) of such Act ( 52 U.S.C. 21082(e) ), as redesignated by subsection (a), is amended by striking Each State and inserting Except as provided in subsection (d)(4), each State .