American Confidence in Elections: District of Columbia Timely Reporting of Election Results Act

Bill: 118-hr-4543
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Donalds, Byron [R-FL-19]
Introduced: 2023-07-11
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Latest action: action_date: 2023-07-11
text: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-07-11
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>American Confidence in Elections: District of Columbia Timely Reporting of Election Results Act</strong></p><p>This bill addresses the tabulation and reporting of election results in a District of Columbia election (i.e., any election for public office in the District of Columbia, including an election for federal office, a ballot initiative, or a referendum).</p><p>Under the bill, election officials must begin processing mail-in ballots as soon as they are received. The bill specifies that election results (1) may not be tabulated or reported to the public until after the polls close on election day,&nbsp;and (2) must be reported by 10 a.m. the next day.</p><p>Additionally, the bill requires election officials to make certain information available online, including the total number of voted ballots, the number of mail-in ballots, and the number of absentee ballots requested under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.</p><p>The bill also directs election officials to administer the election in a bipartisan manner, such as by pairing election workers of different political parties when one must enter a room containing election ballots.&nbsp;</p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4543 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 11, 2023 Mr. Donalds 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 establish certain requirements for the timely processing and reporting of results with respect to a District of Columbia election, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the American Confidence in Elections: District of Columbia Timely Reporting of Election Results Act . 2. Requirements for processing and reporting results with respect to District of Columbia elections (a) Requirements Title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 ( 52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq. ) is amended— (1) by redesignating sections 304 and 305 as sections 305 and 306, respectively; and (2) by inserting after section 303 the following new section: 304. Timely processing and reporting of results with respect to a District of Columbia election (a) Time for processing ballots and reporting results The District of Columbia shall begin processing ballots received by mail in a District of Columbia election as soon as such ballots are received and shall ensure to the greatest extent practicable that the results of such District of Columbia election are reported to the public not later than 10:00 am on the date following the date of the election, but in no case shall such ballots be tabulated or such results be reported earlier than the closing of polls on the date of the election. (b) Requirement To publish number of voted ballots on election day The District of Columbia shall, as soon as practicable after the closing of polls on the date of a District of Columbia election, make available on a publicly accessible website the total number of voted ballots in the possession of election officials in the District of Columbia as of the time of the closing of polls on the date of such election, which shall include, as of such time— (1) the number of voted ballots delivered by mail; (2) the number of ballots requested for such election by individuals who are entitled to vote by absentee ballot under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act ( 52 U.S.C. 20301 et seq. ); and (3) the number of voted ballots for such election received from individuals who are entitled to vote by absentee ballot under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act ( 52 U.S.C. 20301 et seq. ), including from individuals who, under such Act, voted by absentee ballot without requesting such a ballot. (c) Requirements To ensure bipartisan election administration activity With respect to a District of Columbia election, District of Columbia election officials shall ensure that all activities are carried out in a bipartisan manner, which shall include a requirement that, in the case of an election worker who enters a room which contains ballots, voting equipment, or non-voting equipment as any part of the election worker’s duties to carry out such election, the election worker is accompanied by an individual registered to vote with respect to a different political party than such election worker, as determined pursuant to the voting registration records of the District of Columbia. (d) District of Columbia election defined The term District of Columbia election means any election for public office in the District of Columbia, including an election for Federal office, and any ballot initiative or referendum. . (b) Conforming amendment relating to enforcement Section 401 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 ( 52 U.S.C. 21111 ) is amended by striking and 303 and inserting 303, and 304 . (c) Clerical amendment The table of contents of such Act is amended— (1) by redesignating the items relating to sections 304 and 305 as relating to sections 305 and 306, respectively; and (2) by inserting after the item relating to section 303 the following new item: Sec. 304. Timely processing and reporting of results with respect to a District of Columbia election. .