,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #hjec ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,august #ad1 #bjbj,mr4 ,pappas 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,neguse1 ,mr4 ,gallego1 ,ms4 ,meng1 and ,mrs4 ,murphy of ,florida7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,a ,,bill ,to enforce the ,twenty-sixth ,amendment1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,protect the ,youth ,vote ,act of #bjbj4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,the right to vote is a fundamental right of citizens of the ,united ,states4 7#b7 ,the ,twenty-sixth ,amendment of the ,united ,states ,constitution guarantees that ,the right of citizens of the ,united ,states1 who are eighteen years of age or older1 to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the ,united ,states or by any ,state on account of age44 7#c7 ,the ,twenty-sixth ,amendment of the ,united ,states ,constitution grants ,congress the power to enforce the ,amendment by appropriate legislation4 7#d7 ,the language of the ,twenty-sixth ,amendment closely mirrors that of the ,fifteenth ,amendment and the ,nineteenth ,amendment4 ,like those ,amendments1 the ,twenty-sixth ,amendment not only prohibits denial of the right to vote but also prohibits any actions that abridge the right to vote4 7#e7 ,youth voter suppression undercuts participation in our democracy by introducing arduous obstacles to new voters and discouraging a culture of democratic engagement4 7#f7 ,voting is habit forming1 and allowing youth voters unobstructed access to voting ensures that more ,americans will start a life-long habit of voting as soon as possible4 7#g7 ,youth voter suppression is a clear1 persistent1 and growing problem4 ,the actions of ,states and political subdivisions resulting in at least four findings of ,twenty-sixth ,amendment violations as well as pending litigation demonstrate the need for ,congress to take action to enforce the ,twenty-sixth ,amendment4 7#h7 ,in ,league of ,women ,voters of ,florida1 ,inc4 v4 ,detzner 7#bjah71 the ,united ,states ,district ,court in the ,northern ,district of ,florida found that the ,secretary of ,state's actions that prevented in-person early voting sites from being located on university property revealed a stark pattern of discrimination that was unexplainable on grounds other than age and thus violated university students' ,twenty-sixth ,amendment rights4 7#i7 ,in #bjai1 ,michigan agreed to a settlement to enhance college-age voters' access after a ,twenty-sixth ,amendment challenge was filed in federal court4 ,the challenge prompted the removal of a ,michigan voting law which required first time voters who registered by mail or through a third-party voter registration drive to vote in person for the first time1 as well as the removal of another law which required the address listed on a voter's driver license to match the address listed on their voter registration card4 7#aj7 ,youth voter suppression tactics are often linked to other tactics aimed at minority voters4 ,for example1 students at ,prairie ,view ,a,m ,university 7,,pvamu71 a historically black university in ,texas1 have been the targets of voter suppression tactics for decades4 ,before the #bjah election1 ,,pvamu students sued ,waller ,county on the basis of both racial and age discrimination over the ,county's failure to ensure equal early voting opportunities for students1 spurring the ,county to reverse course and expand early voting access for students4 7#aa7 ,the more than #be million ,united ,states citizens ages #ah-bd deserve equal opportunity to participate in the electoral process as guaranteed by the ,twenty-sixth ,amendment4 #c4 ,preventing age discrimination in voting 7a7 ,right to vote ,no voting qualification or prerequisite to voting or standard1 practice1 or procedure shall be imposed or applied by any ,state or political subdivision in a manner which results in a denial or abridgement of the right of any citizen of the ,united ,states to vote on account of age1 as provided in subsection 7b74 7b7 ,violation of right ,to vote 7#a7 ,in general ,a violation of subsection 7a7 is established if1 based on the totality of circumstances1 it is shown that the political processes leading to nomination or election in the ,state or political subdivision are not equally open to participation by members of a class of citizens protected by subsection 7a7 in that its members have less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate in the political process and to elect representatives of their choice3 ,provided1 ,that nothing in this section establishes a right to have members of a protected class under subsection 7a7 elected in numbers equal to their proportion in the population4 7#b7 ,violations ,a violation under subsection 7a7 shall include3 7,a7 ,laws or requirements implemented in a ,state or political subdivision that reduce or abridge the ability for students who attend an institution of higher education and reside in the jurisdiction of the institution while attending the institution to register to vote in elections in that jurisdiction4 7,b7 ,addition of seats elected at-large in a ,state or political subdivision or conversion of one or more seats elected from a single member district to one or more at-large seats or seats from a multi-member district in a ,state or political subdivision with a significant proportion of youth age voters4 7,c7 ,boundaries of a political subdivision designed to reduce the proportion of the political subdivision's voting-age population that is comprised of youth age voters in a ,state or political subdivision with a significant proportion of youth age voters4 7,d7 ,requirements for documentation or proof of identity to vote that exceed or are more stringent than the requirements for voting that are described in section #cjc7;b7 of the ,help ,america ,vote ,act of #bjjb 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bajhc7;b77 or any other requirements for documentation or proof of identity to vote that have the purpose or effect of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of age4 7,e7 ,reduction of voting materials or alternation of the manner in which such materials are provided or distributed at institutions of higher education1 where no similar reduction or alteration occurs in materials provided at other sites for such election4 7,f7 ,any reduction1 consolidation1 or relocation of voting locations1 including early1 absentee1 and election day voting locations in a single political subdivision with a significant proportion of youth age voters4 #d4 ,federal observers to prevent age discrimination 7a7 ,federal observers ,whenever the ,attorney ,general or an aggrieved person institutes a proceeding under any statute to enforce the voting guarantees of the ,twenty-sixth ,amendment in any ,state or political subdivision the court shall authorize the appointment of ,federal observers by the ,united ,states ,office of ,personnel ,management to serve for such period of time and for such political subdivisions as the court shall determine is appropriate to enforce the voting guarantees of the ,twenty-sixth ,amendment 7#a7 as part of any interlocutory order if the court determines that the appointment of such observers is necessary to enforce such voting guarantees or 7#b7 as part of any final judgment if the court finds that violations of the ,twenty-sixth ,amendment1 violations of this ,act1 or violations of any ,federal law that prohibits discrimination in voting on the basis of age1 justifying equitable relief have occurred in such ,state or subdivision3 ,provided1 ,that the court need not authorize the appointment of observers if any incidents of denial or abridgement of the right to vote on account of age1 7#a7 have been few in number and have been promptly and effectively corrected by ,state or local action1 7#b7 the continuing effect of such incidents has been eliminated1 and 7#c7 there is no reasonable probability of their recurrence in the future4 7b7 ,jurisdiction ,if any action under any statute in which a party 7including the ,attorney ,general7 seeks to enforce the voting guarantees of the ,twenty-sixth ,amendment in any ,state or political subdivision the court finds that violations of the ,twenty-sixth ,amendment1 violations of this ,act1 or violations of any ,federal law that prohibits discrimination in voting on the basis of age1 justifying equitable relief have occurred within the territory of such ,state or political subdivision1 the court1 in addition to such relief as it may grant1 shall retain jurisdiction for such period as it may deem appropriate and during such period no voting qualification or prerequisite to voting1 or standard1 practice1 or procedure with respect to voting different from that in force or effect at the time the action was commenced shall be enforced unless and until the court finds that such qualification1 prerequisite1 standard1 practice1 or procedure does not have the purpose and will not have the effect of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of age3 ,provided1 ,that such qualification1 prerequisite1 standard1 practice1 or procedure may be enforced if the qualification1 prerequisite1 standard1 practice1 or procedure has been submitted by the chief legal officer or other appropriate official of such ,state or subdivision to the ,attorney ,general and the ,attorney ,general has not interposed an objection within sixty days after such submission1 except that neither the court's finding nor the ,attorney ,general's failure to object shall bar a subsequent action to enjoin enforcement of such qualification1 prerequisite1 standard1 practice1 or procedure4 7c7 ,enforcement by ,attorney ,general ,the ,attorney ,general is authorized to monitor and enforce the voting guarantees of the ,twenty-sixth ,amendment1 violations of this ,act1 or violations of any ,federal law that prohibits discrimination in voting on the basis of age1 whenever ,federal observers are appointed under any provision of ,federal law4 #e4 ,determination of voting rights violation ,for purposes of this ,act1 a voting rights violation occurred in a ,state or political subdivision if any of the following applies3 7#a7 ,final judgement2 ,violation of ,twenty-sixth amendment ,in a final judgment 7which has not been reversed on appeal71 any court of the ,united ,states has determined that a denial or abridgement of the right of any citizen of the ,united ,states to vote on account of age1 in violation of the ,twenty-sixth ,amendment1 occurred anywhere within the ,state or subdivision4 7#b7 ,final judgement2 ,violations of this ,act ,in a final judgment 7which has not been reversed on appeal71 any court of the ,united ,states has determined that a voting qualification or prerequisite to voting or standard1 practice1 or procedure with respect to voting was imposed or applied or would have been imposed or applied anywhere within the ,state or subdivision in a manner that resulted or would have resulted in a denial or abridgement of the right of any citizen of the ,united ,states to vote on account of age1 in violation of section #c4 7#c7 ,final judgement2 ,denial of declaratory judgement ,in a final judgment 7which has not been reversed on appeal71 any court of the ,united ,states has denied the request of the ,state or subdivision for a declaratory judgment under section #c7;b71 and thereby prevented a voting qualification or prerequisite to voting or standard1 practice1 or procedure with respect to voting from being enforced anywhere within the ,state or subdivision4 7#d7 ,objection by ,attorney ,general ,the ,attorney ,general has interposed an objection under section #c7;b7 7and the objection has not been overturned by a final judgment of a court or withdrawn by the ,attorney ,general71 and thereby prevented a voting qualification or prerequisite to voting or standard1 practice1 or procedure with respect to voting from being enforced anywhere within the ,state or subdivision4 7#e7 ,timing of determinations 7,a7 ,determinations of voting rights violations 7i7 ,in general ,as early as practicable during each calendar year1 the ,attorney ,general shall make the determinations required by this subsection1 including updating the list of voting rights violations occurring in each ,state and political subdivision for the previous calendar year4 7ii7 ,publication ,the ,attorney ,general shall make the list required under clause 7i7 public on the internet website of the ,department of ,justice4 7,b7 ,federal register publication ,a determination or certification of the ,attorney ,general under this section shall be effective upon publication in the ,federal ,register4 #f4 ,transparency regarding changes to protect voting rights 7a7 ,notice of enacted changes 7#a7 ,notice of changes ,if a ,state or political subdivision makes any change in any prerequisite to voting or standard1 practice1 or procedure with respect to voting in any election for ,federal office that will result in the prerequisite1 standard1 practice1 or procedure being different from that which was in effect as of #ahj days before the date of the election for ,federal office1 the ,state or political subdivision shall provide reasonable public notice in such ,state or political subdivision and on the ,internet1 of a concise description of the change1 including the difference between the changed prerequisite1 standard1 practice1 or procedure and the prerequisite1 standard1 practice1 or procedure which was previously in effect4 ,the public notice described in this paragraph1 in such ,state or political subdivision and on the ,internet1 shall be in a format that is reasonably convenient and accessible to voters with disabilities1 including voters who have low vision or are blind4 7#b7 ,deadline for notice ,a ,state or political subdivision shall provide the public notice required under paragraph 7#a7 not later than #dh hours after making the change involved4 7b7 ,transparency regarding polling place resources 7#a7 ,in general ,in order to identify any changes that may impact the right to vote of any person1 prior to the #cjth day before the date of an election for ,federal office1 each ,state or political subdivision with responsibility for allocating registered voters1 voting machines1 and official poll workers to particular precincts and polling places shall provide reasonable public notice in such ,state or political subdivision and on the ,internet1 of the information described in paragraph 7#b7 for precincts and polling places within such ,state or political subdivision4 ,the public notice described in this paragraph1 in such ,state or political subdivision and on the ,internet1 shall be in a format that is reasonably convenient and accessible to voters with disabilities including voters who have low vision or are blind4 7#b7 ,information described ,the information described in this paragraph with respect to a precinct or polling place is each of the following3 7,a7 ,the name or number4 7,b7 ,in the case of a polling place1 the location1 including the street address1 and whether such polling place is accessible to persons with disabilities4 7,c7 ,the voting-age population of the area served by the precinct or polling place1 broken down by demographic group if such breakdown is reasonably available to such ,state or political subdivision4 7,d7 ,the number of registered voters assigned to the precinct or polling place1 broken down by demographic group if such breakdown is reasonably available to such ,state or political subdivision4 7,e7 ,the number of voting machines assigned1 including the number of voting machines accessible to voters with disabilities1 including voters who have low vision or are blind4 7,f7 ,the number of official paid poll workers assigned4 7,g7 ,the number of official volunteer poll workers assigned4 7,h7 ,in the case of a polling place1 the dates and hours of operation of such polling place4 7#c7 ,updates in information reported ,if a ,state or political subdivision makes any change in any of the information described in paragraph 7#b71 the ,state or political subdivision shall provide reasonable public notice in such ,state or political subdivision and on the ,internet1 of the change in the information not later than #dh hours after the change occurs or1 if the change occurs fewer than #dh hours before the date of the election for ,federal office1 as soon as practicable after the change occurs4 ,the public notice described in this paragraph in such ,state or political subdivision and on the ,internet shall be in a format that is reasonably convenient and accessible to voters with disabilities including voters who have low vision or are blind4 7c7 ,transparency of changes relating to demographics and electoral districts 7#a7 ,requiring public notice of changes ,not later than #aj days after making any change in the constituency that will participate in an election for ,federal1 ,state1 or local office or the boundaries of a voting unit or electoral district in an election for ,federal1 ,state1 or local office 7including through redistricting1 reapportionment1 changing from at-large elections to district-based elections1 or changing from district-based elections to at-large elections71 a ,state or political subdivision shall provide reasonable public notice in such ,state or political subdivision and on the ,internet1 of the demographic and electoral data described in paragraph 7#c7 for each of the geographic areas described in paragraph 7#b74 7#b7 ,geographic areas described ,the geographic areas described in this paragraph are as follows3 7,a7 ,the ,state as a whole1 if the change applies statewide1 or the political subdivision as a whole1 if the change applies across the entire political subdivision4 7,b7 ,if the change includes a plan to replace or eliminate voting units or electoral districts1 each voting unit or electoral district that will be replaced or eliminated4 7,c7 ,if the change includes a plan to establish new voting units or electoral districts1 each such new voting unit or electoral district4 7#c7 ,demographic and electoral data ,the demographic and electoral data described in this paragraph with respect to a geographic area described in paragraph 7#b7 are each of the following3 7,a7 ,the voting-age population1 disaggregated by age group4 7,b7 ,the number of voting-age students4 7,c7 ,if it is reasonably available to the ,state or political subdivision involved1 an estimate of the population of the area which consists of citizens of the ,united ,states who are #ah years of age or older1 disaggregated by age group and status as a student4 7,d7 ,the number of registered voters1 disaggregated by age group and status as a student if such breakdown is reasonably available to the ,state or political subdivision involved4 7,e7 ,if the change applies-- 7i7 to a ,state1 the actual number of votes1 or 7if it is not reasonably practicable for the ,state to ascertain the actual number of votes7 the estimated number of votes received by each candidate in each statewide election held during the #e-year period which ends on the date the change involved is made2 and 7ii7 to only one political subdivision1 the actual number of votes1 or 7if it is not reasonably practicable for the political subdivision to ascertain the actual number of votes7 in each subdivision-wide election held during the #e-year period which ends on the date the change involved is made4 7#d7 ,voluntary compliance by smaller jurisdiction 7,a7 ,in general ,compliance with this subsection shall be voluntary for a political subdivision of a ,state unless the subdivision is one of the following3 7i7 ,a county or parish4 7ii7 ,a municipality with a population greater than #aj1jjj1 as determined by the ,bureau of the ,census under the most recent decennial census4 7iii7 ,a school district with a population greater than #aj1jjj1 as determined by the ,bureau of the ,census under the most recent decennial census4 7,b7 ,school district defined ,for purposes of this subparagraph1 the term school district means the geographic area under the jurisdiction of a local educational agency 7as defined in section #iaja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife74 7d7 ,rules regarding format of information ,the ,attorney ,general may issue rules specifying a reasonably convenient and accessible format that ,states and political subdivisions shall use to provide public notice of information under this section4 7e7 ,no denial of right ,to vote ,the right to vote of any person shall not be denied or abridged because the person failed to comply with any change made by a ,state or political subdivision to a voting qualification1 standard1 practice1 or procedure if the ,state or political subdivision involved did not meet the applicable requirements of this section with respect to the change4 #g4 ,voting offenses 7a7 ,permission ,to vote ,no person acting under color of law shall fail or refuse to permit any person to vote who is entitled to vote under any provision of this ,act or is otherwise qualified to vote1 or willfully fail or refuse to tabulate1 count and report such person's vote4 7b7 ,intimidation ,no person1 whether acting under color of law or otherwise1 shall intimidate1 threaten1 or coerce1 or attempt to intimidate1 threaten1 or coerce any person for voting or attempting to vote1 or intimidate1 threaten1 or coerce1 or attempt to intimidate1 threaten1 or coerce any person for urging or aiding any person to vote or attempt to vote1 or intimidate1 threaten1 or coerce any person for exercising the right to vote4 7c7 ,false information ,whoever knowingly or willfully give false information as to their name1 address1 or period of residence in the voting district for the purpose of establishing his eligibility to register or vote1 or conspires with another individual for the purpose of encouraging his false registration to vote or illegal voting1 or pays or offers to pay or accepts payment either for registration to vote or for voting shall be fined not more than #e1jjj or imprisoned not more than five years1 or both3 ,provided1 however1 ,that this provision shall be applicable only to a general1 special1 or primary elections held solely or in part for the purpose of selecting or electing any candidate for the office of ,president1 ,vice ,president1 presidential elector1 ,member of the ,united ,states ,senate1 ,member of the ,united ,states ,house of ,representatives1 ,delegate from the ,district of ,columbia1 ,guam1 ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 ,american ,samoa1 or the ,virgin ,islands1 or ,resident ,commissioner of the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico4 7d7 ,duplicative voting 7#a7 ,in general ,whoever votes more than once in an election referred to in paragraph 7#b7 shall be fined not more than #e1jjj or imprisoned not more than five years1 or both4 7#b7 ,applicable elections ,the prohibition of this subsection applies with respect to any general1 special1 or primary election held solely or in part for the purpose of selecting or electing any candidate for the office of ,president1 ,vice ,president1 presidential elector1 ,member of the ,united ,states ,senate1 ,member of the ,united ,states ,house of ,representatives1 ,delegate from the ,district of ,columbia1 ,guam1 ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 ,american ,samoa1 or the ,virgin ,islands1 or ,resident ,commissioner of the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico4 7#c7 ,votes more than once defined ,as used in this subsection1 the term votes more than once does not include the casting of an additional ballot if all prior ballots of that voter were in validated1 nor does it include the voting in two jurisdictions under section #bjb of the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajejb71 to the extent two ballots are not cast for an election to the same candidacy or office4 #h4 ,voting offenses and relief 7a7 ,offense for depriving voting rights ,whoever shall deprive or attempt to deprive any person of any right secured by the ,twenty-sixth ,amendment1 this ,act1 or any ,federal voting rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of age1 shall be fined not more than #e1jjj1 or imprisoned not more than five years1 or both4 7b7 ,offense for manipulation of ballots ,whoever1 within a year following an election in a political subdivision in which an observer has been assigned 7#a7 destroys1 defaces1 mutilates1 or otherwise alters the marking of a paper ballot which has been cast in such election1 or 7#b7 alters any official record of voting in such election tabulated from a voting machine or otherwise1 shall be fined not more than #e1jjj1 or imprisoned not more than five years1 or both4 7c7 ,conspiracy ,whoever conspires to violate the provisions of subsection 7a7 or 7b7 of this section1 or interferes with any right secured by the ,twenty-sixth ,amendment1 this ,act1 or any ,federal voting rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of age shall be fined not more than #e1jjj1 or imprisoned not more than five years1 or both4 7d7 ,preventative relief 7#a7 ,in general ,whenever any person has engaged or there are reasonable grounds to believe that any person is about to engage in any act or practice prohibited by the ,twenty-sixth ,amendment1 this ,act1 or any ,federal voting rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of age1 the aggrieved person or 7in the name of the ,united ,states7 the ,attorney ,general may institute an action for preventative relief1 including an application for a temporary or permanent injunction1 restraining order1 or other order1 and including an order directed to the ,state and ,state or local election officials to require them-- 7,a7 to permit persons listed under this ,act to vote2 and 7,b7 to count such votes4 7#b7 ,preliminary relief 7,a7 ,in general ,in any action for preliminary relief described in this subsection1 the court shall grant the relief if the court determines that the complainant has raised a serious question whether the challenged voting qualification or prerequisite to voting or standard1 practice1 or procedure violates this ,act or the ,constitution and1 on balance1 the hardship imposed upon the defendant by the grant of the relief will be less than the hardship which would be imposed upon the plaintiff if the relief were not granted4 ,in balancing the harms1 the court shall give due weight to the fundamental right to cast an effective ballot4 7,b7 ,additional ,factors to be considered ,in making its determination under this paragraph1 with respect to a change in any voting qualification1 prerequisite to voting1 or standard1 practice1 or procedure with respect to voting1 the court shall consider all relevant factors and give due weight to the following factors1 if they are present3 7i7 ,whether the qualification1 prerequisite1 standard1 practice1 or procedure in effect prior to the change was adopted as a remedy for a ,federal court judgment1 consent decree1 or admission regarding-- 7,i7 discrimination on the basis of age in violation of the ,twenty-sixth ,amendment2 7,,ii7 a violation of this ,act2 or 7,,iii7 voting discrimination on the basis of age in violation of any other ,federal or ,state law4 7ii7 ,whether the qualification1 prerequisite1 standard1 practice1 or procedure in effect prior to the change served as a ground for the dismissal or settlement of a claim alleging-- 7,i7 discrimination on the basis of age in violation of the ,twenty-sixth ,amendment2 7,,ii7 a violation of this ,act2 or 7,,iii7 voting discrimination on the basis of age in violation of any other ,federal or ,state law4 7iii7 ,whether the change was adopted fewer than #ahj days before the date of the election with respect to which the change is to take effect4 7iv7 ,whether the defendant failed to provide timely or complete notice of the adoption of the change as required by applicable ,federal or ,state law4 7#c7 ,public interest ,a jurisdiction's inability to enforce its voting or election laws1 regulations1 policies1 or redistricting plans1 standing alone1 shall not be deemed to constitute irreparable harm to the public interest or to the interests of a defendant in an action arising under the ,u4,s4 ,constitution or any ,federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of age in the voting process1 for the purposes of determining whether a stay of a court's order or an interlocutory appeal under section #abec of title #bh1 ,united ,states ,code1 is warranted4 7e7 ,notification to ,attorney ,general ,whenever in any political subdivision in which there are observers appointed pursuant to this ,act1 a person alleges to such observer within forty-eight hours after the closing of the polls1 that notwithstanding 7#a7 their listing under this ,act or registration by an appropriate election official and 7#b7 their eligibility to vote1 they have not been permitted to vote in such election1 the observer shall forthwith notify the ,attorney ,general if such allegations in the opinion of such observer appear to be well founded4 ,upon receipt of such notification the ,attorney ,general may forthwith file with the district court an application for an order providing for the marking1 casting1 and counting of the ballots of such persons and requiring the inclusion of their votes in the total vote before the results of such election shall be deemed final and any force or effect given thereto4 ,the district court shall hear and determine such matters immediately after the filing of such application4 ,the remedy provided in this subsection shall not preclude any other remedy available under ,state or ,federal law4 7f7 ,jurisdiction of proceedings ,the district courts of the ,united ,states shall have jurisdiction of proceedings instituted pursuant to this ,act and shall exercise the same without regard to whether a person asserting rights under the provisions of this ,act shall have exhausted any administrative or other remedies that may be provided by law4 7g7 ,attorney's fees ,in any action or proceeding to enforce the voting guarantees of the ,twenty-sixth ,amendment1 the court1 in its discretion1 may allow the prevailing party1 other than the ,united ,states1 a reasonable attorney's fee1 reasonable expert fees1 and other reasonable litigation expenses1 as part of the costs4 #i4 ,severability ,if any provision of this ,act or the application of such provision to any person or circumstance is held invalid1 the remainder of this ,act and the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby4 #aj4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,age group ,the term age group means the number of individuals who are #ah years or older1 disaggregated by the number of individuals in each five year age period4 7#b7 ,demographic group ,the term demographic group means each group which section #c protects from the denial or abridgement of the right to vote on account of age4 7#c7 ,institution of higher education ,the term institution of higher education has the meaning given that term in section #aja7;a7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja7;a774 7#d7 ,election for ,federal office ,the term election for ,federal office means any general1 special1 primary1 or runoff election held solely or in part for the purpose of electing any candidate for the office of ,president1 ,vice ,president1 ,presidential elector1 ,senator1 ,member of the ,house of ,representatives1 or ,delegate or ,resident ,commissioner to the ,congress4 7#e7 ,persons with disabilities the term persons with disabilities1 means individuals with a disability1 as defined in section #c of the ,americans with ,disabilities ,act of #aiij4 7#f7 ,student ,the term student means an individual who is enrolled at the institution of higher education as an undergraduate or graduate student on a full-time or part-time basis1 including an individual who is solely enrolled in an online course4 7#g7 ,voting-age population ,the term voting-age population means the numerical size of the population within a ,state1 within a political subdivision1 or within a political subdivision that contains ,indian lands1 that consists of persons #ah years of age or older1 as calculated by the ,bureau of the ,census under the most recent decennial census4 7#h7 ,youth age voter ,the term youth age voter means any eligible voter under the age of #be years old on the date of the election in which such eligible voter is voting4