lcalvobartolome/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-03-25 00:00:00

Universal Right to Vote by Mail Act of 2015 

Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to prohibit a state from imposing additional conditions or requirements on the eligibility of an individual to cast a vote in federal elections by mail, except to the extent that it imposes a deadline for requesting the ballot and returning it to the appropriate state or local election official.
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-05-18 00:00:00

Restoring Important Voter Eligibility Requirements to States Act of 2014 [sic]

 Amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require an applicant for voter registration for federal elections to state affirmatively in the application form provided along with an application for a motor vehicle driver's license (as well as in other voter registration forms) that the applicant meets the eligibility requirements for voting in such elections as a condition of the application's acceptance.

Requires all such forms to include a statement specifying the penalty for perjury in an application for voter registration.

Prohibits states from registering an individual to vote in federal elections unless they verify that the information provided in the individual's application is correct.

Requires the head of an office of the federal government, upon request, to enter into an agreement with the chief state election official to enable the official to verify the eligibility of such an applicant.
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-06-09 00:00:00

Automatic Voter Registration Act

This bill amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require state motor vehicle authorities (MVAs), upon receiving certain identifying information with respect to any individual requesting MVA services, to transmit it to the appropriate state election official.

The appropriate state election official shall then notify the individual that unless he or she notifies the official, before 21 calendar days elapse after issuance of the notification, that the individual declines to be registered to vote in federal elections in the state, the individual shall be considered to have submitted a completed voter registration application and be considered automatically registered unless:

 the official determines that the individual does not meet voter registration eligibility requirements, or the individual is already registered to vote. A state may not use any identifying information regarding an individual's citizenship status for any purpose other than determining whether the individual is eligible to vote in federal elections.
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-06-24 00:00:00

Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015

This bill amends the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to allow a representative official of an Indian tribe, with authorization from the governing body of the tribe, to request one or more polling places to be located on tribal lands. The state or political subdivision shall provide each requested polling place at no expense to the Indian tribe if certain criteria are met.

A federal court shall retain jurisdiction to enforce constitutional voting guarantees, but also certain violations of the Act as well as of any federal prohibition against discrimination on the basis of race, color, or membership in a language minority group, for an appropriate period to prevent commencement of new devices to deny or abridge the right to vote.

Requirements are revised for determining which states and political subdivisions are or are not covered by criteria for declaratory judgments that they have not used devices to deny or abridge the right to vote.

Any state (and all of its political subdivisions) shall be subject to such requirements for a 10-year period if:

 15 or more voting rights violations occurred there during the previous 25 years; or 10 or more violations occurred during the previous 25 years, at least one of which was committed by the state itself (as opposed to a political subdivision within it). Any specific political subdivision of a state shall also be subject to those requirements for a 10-year period if 3 or more violations occurred in it during the previous 25 calendar years.

A state or political subdivision that obtains a declaratory judgment that it has not used a device to deny or abridge the right to vote shall be exempt from such requirements unless new violations occur after the declaratory judgment was issued.

Each state and each political subdivision shall: (1) identify any newly enacted or adopted law, regulation, or policy that includes a voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or a voting-related standard, practice, or procedure (covered practice); and (2) ensure that no such covered practice is implemented unless or until the state or political subdivision complies with certain preclearance requirements.

This bill prescribes transparency requirements, including reasonable public notice, regarding any changes to: (1) voting prerequisites, standards, or procedures; (2) polling place resources; or (3) demographics and electoral districts. Department of Justice authority to assign observers receives new extensions, including authority to assign observers to enforce bilingual election requirements.

Courts shall grant preliminary injunctive relief if a complainant raises a serious question whether the challenged covered practice violates the Act or the Constitution and, on balance, the hardship imposed upon the defendant by the relief will be less than the hardship on the plaintiff if the relief were not granted.
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-06-25 00:00:00

Time Off to Vote Act 

 Entitles an employee to two hours of paid leave on the day of any federal election in order to vote.

Gives the employer the right to determine the two-hour-period, excluding any lunch break or other break.

Prohibits the loss of benefits for any employee taking such leave under this Act.

Makes it unlawful for any employer to interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise of or the attempt to exercise, the right to take leave under this Act, or to discriminate against an employee in any manner for taking leave under this Act.

Makes it unlawful for any employer to discharge or in any other manner discriminate against any individual for: (1) opposing any practice made unlawful by this Act; (2) filing any charge, or instituting or causing to be instituted any proceeding, under or related to this Act; or (3) testifying or preparing to testifying in any inquiry or proceeding relating to any leave provided under this Act.

Specifies the penalties for any employer who violates this Act.
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Same Day Registration Act of 2015

This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require states with a voter registration requirement to make same-day voter registration available at the polling place on the date of election itself (or on the day of voting under early voting).
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Voter Access Protection Act of 2015 

Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to prohibit a state or local election official from requiring an individual to: (1) present a photo identification (or a copy if voting by mail) as a condition for receiving or casting a ballot in any election for federal office, or (2) cast a provisional ballot solely on the grounds that the individual does not present a photo identification at the polling place.

Prohibits a state or local election election official from requiring an individual to provide a photo identification (or a copy if registering by mail) as a condition of registering to vote in an election for federal office.
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

America Votes Act of 2015

This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to permit an individual required to present identification as a condition for voting in a federal election to meet the requirement by presenting the appropriate state or local election official with a sworn written statement, signed by the individual under penalty of perjury, attesting to the individual's identification and that he or she is registered to vote in the election. Allows an individual desiring to vote by mail to submit such a statement with the ballot.

Requires any state subject to this identification requirement to: (1) prepare a pre-printed version of the statement which includes a blank space for an individual to provide a name and signature, (2) make copies of the pre-printed version available at polling places for election officials to distribute to individuals who desire to vote in person, and (3) include a copy of the pre-printed version with each blank absentee or other ballot transmitted to an individual who desires to vote by mail.

Prohibits a state from requiring an individual who presents or submits such a sworn written statement to cast a provisional ballot in the election.

Excepts first-time voters registering by mail from application of this Act.

Requires states requiring an individual to present identification as a condition of receiving and casting a ballot in a federal election to include the use of a sworn written statement in voting information posted at polling places.
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-09-16 00:00:00

Pre-Registration of Voters Everywhere Act or the PROVE Act

This bill amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require each state to implement a pre-registration process under which individuals age 16 may apply to register to vote in federal elections in the state, which shall ensure that the individual is registered to vote in elections held on or after the date the individual turns age 18.

The Election Assistance Commission shall make grants to enable eligible states to carry out a plan to increase the involvement of individuals under age 18 in public election activities in the state.
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-03-03 00:00:00

People Before Party Act of 2016

This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to prohibit a state from providing a voter, in a federal election, with the opportunity to indicate the selection of a political party as a representation of the selection of an individual candidate. (Thus prohibits voting for a party instead of an individual or "straight-party voting.")
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-04-29 00:00:00

Verifying Optimal Tools for Elections Act of 2016 or the VOTE Act of 2016

This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to direct the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to make a payment to each eligible state in which a precinct used at least one outdated voting machine to administer the regularly scheduled federal general election held in November 2012.

A state shall use the funds from such a payment to replace outdated voting machines in qualifying precincts with voting machines that: (1) have never been used in any federal general election and are not outdated voting machines, or have been used only with respect to federal general elections held after November 2012; and (2) are auditable and meet specified requirements.

A state receiving such a payment shall ensure that all the outdated voting machines in its qualifying precincts have been replaced in time for the regularly scheduled federal general election in November 2018.

The EAC shall make grants to states for the education and training, through webinars or other appropriate means, of election officials and poll workers on matters including voting machine maintenance, pre- and post-election voting machine testing, and the development of contingency plans.

The EAC shall also make grants to state or local governments to conduct pilot testing with respect to, and carry out the implementation of, voting systems that use: (1) non-proprietary open source software, and (2) commercial or custom firmware and hardware.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shall develop, or fund the development of, a common data format allowing for voting-equipment device interoperability.

A voting system used in a federal election in a state may not at any time during the election contain or use any election-dedicated voting system technology that is not deposited by the state with the NIST National Software Reference Library before the election.
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-05-26 00:00:00

No One Can Take Away Your Right to Vote Act of 2016

This bill amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to prohibit states from disqualifying individuals convicted of criminal offenses, but not incarcerated, except those convicted of murder, manslaughter, or sex crimes, from registering to vote or voting in elections for federal office.
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-06-15 00:00:00

Voting Access Act

This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require each state to comply with national standards established by the Election Assistance Commission for the location and operation of polling places used in elections for federal office.

The Commission shall establish such standards and study instances of the misidentification by election officials of the political party registration of individuals attempting to vote in primary elections for federal office.
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-06-22 00:00:00

Poll Tax Prohibition Act of 2016

This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to prohibit requiring:

 an individual to present a piece of information that has an associated cost as a condition of voting in a federal election, or an individual wishing to vote by mail to include a piece of identification (or a copy of one) that has an associated cost.
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-07-14 00:00:00

Automatic Voter Registration Act of 2016

This bill requires the chief state election official of each state to establish and operate a system of automatic registration for the registration of eligible individuals to vote for elections for federal office in the state.

The chief state election official shall ensure that all individuals who are eligible to be, but are not currently, registered to vote in federal elections in the state is promptly registered to vote, unless the individual declines registration by providing appropriate notice.

Each contributing agency in a state, including the state motor vehicle authority, shall assist the state's chief election official in registering to vote all eligible individuals the agency serves.

For each individual already listed in a contributing agency's records, and for whom the agency retains specified personal information, the agency shall promptly transmit that information to the appropriate state election official.

 No individual shall be prosecuted under any federal law, or adversely affected in any civil adjudication concerning immigration status or naturalization, or by an allegation in any legal proceeding that an individual who is not a U.S. citizen is removable or inadmissible: for notifying an election official of the individual's automatic registration; on the grounds that the individual is not an eligible voter and has been automatically registered to vote under this bill; or because the individual has been automatically registered to vote at the incorrect address. The bill allows correction of registration information at the polling place.

Each state shall ensure that application for or any update to voter registration can be done online.

The Election Assistance Commission shall make grants to each eligible state to assist it in implementing this bill.
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-07-14 00:00:00

Citizenship Empowerment Act

This bill amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to direct the chief election official of a state to distribute mail voter registration application forms to each person who becomes a U.S. citizen at a naturalization ceremony in that state at the ceremony's conclusion.

The Department of Homeland Security shall implement procedures necessary to enable state chief election officers to carry out this requirement.
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-07-14 00:00:00

Vote by Mail Act of 2017

This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require states to allow voting in federal elections to be by mail without additional conditions or requirements, except a deadline for returning the ballot.

States must mail ballots to individuals registered to vote in a federal election not later than two weeks before the election. The U.S. Postal Service must carry ballots mailed by a state expeditiously and free of postage.

The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 is amended to authorize automatic voter registration of individuals through state motor vehicle authorities.
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-09-20 00:00:00

Election Integrity Act of 2016

This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to: (1) prohibit states or jurisdictions from purchasing or otherwise acquiring for use in an election for federal office a direct recording electronic voting system or other electronic voting system that does not produce a voter-verified paper record; (2) prohibit imposition of conditions on voting by mail; (3) make mandatory the availability of early voting; and (4) require sufficient polling places, equipment, and resources to facilitate voting.

The Director of the National Science Foundation shall make grants to eligible entities to study, test, and develop accessible ballot voting, verification, and casting mechanisms and devices and best practices to enhance the accessibility of paper ballot voting and verification mechanisms for individuals with disabilities, for voters whose primary language is not English, and for voters with difficulties in literacy.

Each state shall, except when the winning candidate had no opponent or received 80% or more of the votes, administer audits of federal election results, without advance notice to the precincts selected, consisting of random hand counts of the voter-verified paper ballots.

This bill amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to make it unlawful for a chief state election administration official, unless he or she or a family member is a candidate, to take an active part in political management or in a political campaign for federal office over which such official has supervisory authority.

Mandatory response by the Attorney General is required to allegations of voter intimidation or suppression by law enforcement officers and other government officials.

The Election Assistance Commission shall study and, on the basis of the findings of the study, issue standards for states to follow in establishing an appropriate number and geographic distribution of voting sites in elections for federal office.
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-09-20 00:00:00

Election Infrastructure and Security Promotion Act of 2016

This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) designate voting systems used in the United States as critical infrastructure; (2) include threats of compromise, disruption, or destruction of voting systems in national planning scenarios; and (3) conduct a campaign to proactively educate local election officials about the designation of voting systems as critical infrastructure and election officials at all levels of government of voting system threats.

In furtherance of local election official preparedness and response, DHS shall conduct research and development to mitigate the consequences of voting systems threats.

DHS shall prepare and submit to Congress a comprehensive plan to protect and prepare the critical infrastructure of the voting systems used in the United States against threats, including from acts of terrorism.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shall develop standards for ensuring the operational security of the voting systems used in elections for federal office.

This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require a state, in operating the voting system, to comply with applicable standards for ensuring the operational security of voting systems.

The testing and certification of voting systems hardware and software shall test whether voting systems are in compliance with applicable standards developed by NIST for ensuring the operational security of voting systems.

NIST shall develop standards for ensuring that the process by which ballots are counted in elections for federal office is transparent and permits voters to verify that votes in such elections are counted correctly.

States shall comply with applicable standards, in operating the voting system, for ensuring that the process by which ballots are counted in elections for federal office is transparent and permits voters to verify that votes in such elections are counted correctly.

The National Science Foundation shall establish an election technology innovation research and development program.
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-09-27 00:00:00

All Ballots Count Act of 2016

This bill amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to prohibit an election official from enforcing any requirement that an individual produce a photo identification as a condition of registering to vote, or of voting, in an election for federal office, except to the extent that the requirement was in effect as of June 25, 2013.
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-12-08 00:00:00

Postage Free Ballot Act

Any absentee ballot for any election shall be carried through the mail expeditiously and free of charge.

This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to direct a state to use a requirements payment to reimburse the U.S. Postal Service for revenue it would have obtained from the mailing of absentee ballots but for the requirement that such ballots be mailed for free.
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-01-07 00:00:00

Voter Integrity Protection Act 

 Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make voting in a federal election (unless otherwise provided for under the federal criminal code) by an alien who is unlawfully in the United States an aggravated felony and a deportable offense.
Topic: Civil Rights — Voting Rights
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-01-21 00:00:00

Lines Interfere with National Elections Act of 2015 or the LINE Act of 2015

 Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require each jurisdiction where a substantial number of voters waited more than 30 minutes to cast a vote in the federal election held on November 6, 2012, or any federal election held after that date, to comply with a state remedial plan to minimize voter waiting times.