H.R. 1280 — Introduced in House

I 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1280 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 20, 2013 Mr. Olson introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration A BILL To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to increase the penalties imposed for intimidating, threatening, or coercing any person from engaging in voter registration activities or for procuring, submitting, or casting false voter registration applications or ballots, to require election officials to transmit voter registration cards and absentee ballots to voters in elections for Federal office through the use of the automated tagging and tracing services provided by the United States Postal Service, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Voter Fraud Prevention Act. 2. Increase in penalties for criminal activities involving voter registration and voting (a) Increase in length of term of imprisonment Section 12 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg–10) is amended in the matter following paragraph (2) by striking 5 years and inserting 10 years. (b) Prohibition from voting in subsequent elections Section 12 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg–10) is amended in the matter following paragraph (2) by striking the period at the end and inserting the following: and, in the case of an individual, shall not be permitted to cast a ballot in any subsequent election for Federal office.. (c) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to violations occurring on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 3. Requiring use of automated tagging and tracing services for voter registration cards and absentee ballots (a) Voter registration cards (1) In general Section 8(a) of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg–6(a)) is amended— (A) by striking and at the end of paragraph (5); (B) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (6) and inserting ; and; and (C) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (7) in transmitting voter registration cards to individuals who are registered to vote— (A) ensure that any tray or sack containing such cards is tagged with Tag 191 or some other similar tagging device used by the United States Postal Service to provide greater visibility to containers of such cards, and (B) use IMb Tracing or other similar tracking methods made available by the United States Postal Service to provide real-time tracking information for such cards. . (2) Effective date The amendments made by paragraph (1) shall apply with respect to elections for Federal office held on or after January 1, 2014. (b) Absentee ballots (1) In general Title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15481 et seq.) is amended— (A) by redesignating sections 304 and 305 as sections 305 and 306; and (B) by inserting after section 303 the following new section: 304. Use of automated tagging and tracing services for absentee ballots (a) Requiring use of automated tagging and tracing In transmitting blank absentee ballots to individuals who are eligible to vote by absentee ballot in an election for Federal office, the appropriate State election official shall— (1) ensure that any tray or sack containing such ballots is tagged with Tag 191 or some other similar tagging device used by the United States Postal Service to provide greater visibility to containers of such ballots; and (2) use IMb Tracing or other similar tracking methods made available by the United States Postal Service to provide real-time tracking information for such ballots. (b) Effective date Subsection (a) shall apply with respect to elections for Federal office held on or after January 1, 2014. . (2) Conforming amendment relating to enforcement Section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 15511) is amended by striking sections 301, 302, and 303 and inserting subtitle A of title III. (3) Clerical amendment The table of contents of such Act is amended— (A) by redesignating the items relating to sections 304 and 305 as relating to sections 305 and 306; and (B) by inserting after the item relating to section 303 the following new item: Sec. 304. Use of automated tagging and tracing services for absentee ballots. . (c) Report on efforts To deter and prevent loss and theft of voter registration cards and absentee ballots Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Postmaster General shall submit a report to Congress detailing the efforts that the Postmaster General has undertaken to deter and prevent the loss and theft of voter registration cards and blank absentee ballots which are transmitted to voters in elections for Federal office.