,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bedg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #g1 #bjai,mr4   
,deutch 7for himself and ,mr4 ,hastings7
 introduced the following bill2 which   
was referred to the ,committee on ,house
 ,administration  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend  
the ,help ,america ,vote ,act of #bjjb  
to require ,states to allow an          
individual to cure a mismatched         
signature on a mail-in or provisional   
ballot1 and for other purposes4  #a4    
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,protecting ,american ,votes ,act4  
#b4 ,purpose ,the purpose of this ,act  
is--  7#a7 to protect the due process   
rights of ,american voters2  7#b7 to    
preserve free and fair elections2 and   
7#c7 to prevent the disenfranchisement  
of eligible voters4  #c4 ,notice and    
cure process required for mismatched    
signatures on mail-in and provisional   
ballots  7a7 ,in general ,title ,,iii of
 the ,help ,america ,vote ,act of #bjjb 
7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bajhc et seq47 is       

amended--  7#a7 by redesignating        
sections #cjd and #cje as sections #cje 
and #cjf1 respectively2 and  7#b7 by    
inserting after section #cjc the        
following new section3  #cjd4 ,signature
 mismatch on ballot submitted by mail or
 provisional ballot  7a7 ,covered ,state
 defined ,in this section1 the term     
covered ,state means a ,state in which1 
under ,state law1 a ballot submitted by 
mail or a provisional ballot is not     
counted as a vote in an election for    
,federal office unless the ,state       
verifies the signature of the individual
 who submitted such ballot by comparing 
the signature on the envelope containing
 such ballot or a document accompanying 
such ballot and the signature of such   
individual on the official list of      
registered voters in the ,state or other
 official record1 or other document4    
7b7 ,notice required  7#a7 ,in general  
,if an individual submits a ballot by   
mail or a provisional ballot in an      
election for ,federal office in a       

covered ,state1 and the appropriate     
,state or local election official       
determines that a discrepancy exists    
between the signature on the envelope   
containing such ballot or a document    
accompanying such ballot used to verify 
the signature and the signature of such 
individual on the official list of      
registered voters in the ,state or other
 official record1 or other document used
 by the ,state to verify the signatures 
of voters1 such election official1 prior
 to making a final determination as to  
the validity of such ballot1 shall make 
a good faith effort to immediately      
notify such individual that--  7,a7 a   
discrepancy exists between the signature
 on the envelope containing such ballot 
or a document accompanying such ballot  
used to verify the signature and the    
signature of such individual on the     
official list of registered voters in   
the ,state or other official record1 or 
other document used by the ,state to    
verify the signatures of voters2  7,b7  

such individual may provide information 
to cure such discrepancy in accordance  
with the procedures established pursuant
 to subsection 7c77#a77;,a72 and  7,c7  
if such discrepancy is not cured1 such  
ballot will not be counted4  7#b7 ,form 
of notice ,an election official shall   
provide the notice required by paragraph
 7#a7--  7,a7 by regular mail2 and  7,b7
 by phone1 electronic mail1 or text     
message4  7#c7 ,no effect on other      
notice requirements related to          
provisional ballots ,in the case of an  
individual who submits a provisional    
ballot1 the requirements of this        
subsection shall be in addition to the  
requirements applicable to such an      
individual under section #cjb7;a74  7c7 
,opportunity ,to cure  7#a7             
,establishment of procedures ,a covered 
,state shall1 in a uniform and          
nondiscriminatory manner1 establish     
procedures-- 7,a7 to allow an individual
 to whom notice is provided under       
subsection 7b7--  7i7 to provide        

information to cure the discrepancy     
described in subsection 7b77#a7 by a    
date that is not less than #aj calendar 
days following the date on which the    
notice required under subsection 7a7 is 
given2 and  7ii7 if such information is 
rejected1 to appeal the rejection2 and  
7,b7 prior to the date of final         
certification of ballots in the election
 by such ,state1 to provide such        
individual a final determination as to  
the validity of the ballot4  7#b7       
,counting of vote ,if the appropriate   
,state or local election official to    
whom information is provided under the  
procedures established pursuant to      
paragraph 7#a77;,a7 determines that the 
individual has a valid ballot1 such     
ballot shall be counted as a vote in    
that election in accordance with ,state 
law4  7d7 ,training required ,a covered 
,state shall prohibit an election       
official from participating in the      
counting of ballots submitted by mail or
 provisional ballots unless such        

official has completed formal signature 
matching training 7as determined        
appropriate by the covered ,state74  7e7
 ,report  7#a7 ,in general ,not later   
than #abj days after the end of a       
,federal election cycle1 each chief     
,state election official in a covered   
,state shall submit to ,congress a      
report containing the following         
information for the applicable ,federal 
election cycle in the ,state3  7,a7 ,the
 number of ballots invalidated due to a 
discrepancy under this section4  7,b7   
,description of attempts to contact     
voters to provide notice as required by 
this section4  7,c7 ,description of the 
cure process developed by such ,state   
pursuant to this section1 including the 
number of ballots determined valid as a 
result of such process4  7#b7 ,federal  
election cycle defined ,for purposes of 
this subsection1 the term ,federal      
election cycle means the period         
beginning on ,january #a of any odd     
numbered year and ending on ,december   

#ca of the following year4  4  7b7      
,conforming amendment relating to       
voluntary guidance by ,election         
,assistance ,commission ,section        
#caa7;b7 of such ,act 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4    
#baaja7 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph  
7#b71 by striking and2  7#b7 in         
paragraph 7#c71 by striking the period  
at the end and inserting 2 and2 and     
7#c7 by adding at the end the following3
  7#d7 in the case of the               
recommendations with respect to section 
#cjd1 #a year after the date of         
enactment of the ,protecting ,american  
,votes ,act4  4  7c7 ,conforming        
amendment relating to enforcement       
,section #dja of such ,act 7#eb         
,u4,s4,c4 #baaaa7 is amended by striking
 8and #cjc0 and inserting 8#cjc1 and    
#cjd04  7d7 ,clerical amendments ,the   
table of contents of such ,act is       
amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating the     
items relating to sections #cjd and #cje
 as relating to sections #cje and #cjf1 
respectively2 and  7#b7 by inserting    

after the item relating to section #cjc 
the following new item3  ,sec4 #cjd4    
,signature mismatch on ballot submitted 
by mail or provisional ballot4  4  #d4  
,effective date ,the amendments by made 
this ,act shall apply with respect to   
elections for ,federal office held in   
#bjbj or any succeeding year4