,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #haja  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,august #be1         
#bjbj,mrs4 ,demings introduced the      
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a    
,,bill  ,to prohibit ,states from       
denying or abridging the right to vote  
in elections for ,federal office of     
individuals on the grounds of conviction
 of a criminal offense1 and for other   
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,every ,american    
,has the ,right ,to ,vote ,act4  #b4    
,right to vote of individuals convicted 
of criminal offense  7a7 ,right ,to vote
 ,a ,state may not deny or abridge the  
right of an individual who is a citizen 
of the ,united ,states to vote in any   
election for ,federal office on the     
grounds that the individual has been    
convicted of a criminal offense1 and    
shall make such accommodations as the   
,state considers necessary to enable an 
individual who has been convicted of a  

criminal offense to cast a ballot in    
such an election1 including permitting  
the individual to vote by mail if the   
individual is unable to cast a ballot in
 person at a polling place4  7b7        
,guarantee of residency of incarcerated 
individuals for purposes of voting ,for 
the purposes of voting in any election  
for ,federal office1 an individual who  
is absent from a ,state or jurisdiction 
because the individual is incarcerated  
shall not1 solely by reason of that     
absence-- 7#a7 be deemed to have lost a 
residence or domicile in that ,state or 
jurisdiction2  7#b7 be deemed to have   
acquired a residence or domicile in any 
other ,state or jurisdiction2 or  7#c7  
be deemed to have become a resident in  
or a resident of any other ,state or    
jurisdiction4  #c4 ,notification of     
retention of voting rights  7a7 ,state  
notification ,at the time an individual 
is convicted of a criminal offense under
 the law of a ,state1 the ,state shall  
notify the individual in writing that   

the individual's conviction of the      
offense does not affect the individual's
 right to vote in an election for       
,federal office and that the individual 
may register to vote in an election for 
,federal office if the individual is    
otherwise eligible to vote in the       
election4  7b7 ,federal notification ,at
 the time an individual is convicted of 
a criminal offense under ,federal law1  
the court in which the individual is    
convicted shall notify the individual in
 writing that the individual's          
conviction of the offense does not      
affect the individual's right to vote in
 an election for ,federal office and    
that the individual may register to vote
 in an election for ,federal office if  
the individual is otherwise eligible to 
vote in the election4  #d4 ,enforcement 
7a7 ,declaratory and injunctive relief  
,the ,attorney ,general may bring a     
civil action against any ,state or      
jurisdiction in an appropriate ,united  
,states ,district ,court for such       

declaratory and injunctive relief       
7including a temporary restraining      
order1 a permanent or temporary         
injunction1 or other order7 as may be   
necessary to enforce this ,act4  7b7    
,private right of action  7#a7 ,in      
general ,a person who is aggrieved by a 
violation of this ,act may provide      
written notice of the violation to the  
chief ,state election official of the   
,state involved4  7#b7 ,relief ,except  
as provided in paragraph 7#c71 if the   
violation is not corrected within #bj   
days after receipt of a notice under    
paragraph 7#a71 or within #e days after 
receipt of the notice if the violation  
occurred within #abj days before the    
date of an election for ,federal office1
 the aggrieved person may1 in a civil   
action1 obtain declaratory or injunctive
 relief with respect to the violation4  
7#c7 ,exception ,if the violation       
occurred within #cj days before the date
 of an election for ,federal office1 the
 aggrieved person need not provide      

notice to the chief election official of
 the ,state under paragraph 7#a7 before 
bringing a civil action to obtain       
declaratory or injunctive relief with   
respect to the violation4  #e4          
,definitions ,in this ,act1 the         
following definitions apply3 7#a7 ,the  
term chief ,state election official     
means1 with respect to a ,state1 the    
individual designated by the ,state     
under section #aj of the ,national      
,voter ,registration ,act of #aiic 7#eb 
,u4,s4,c4 #bjeji7 to be responsible for 
coordination of the ,state's            
responsibilities under such ,act4  7#b7 
,the terms election and ,federal office 
have meaning given such terms in section
 #cja of the ,federal ,election         
,campaign ,act of #aiga 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4  
#cjaja et seq474  7#c7 ,the term ,state 
means each ,state1 the ,district of     
,columbia1 the ,commonwealth of ,puerto 
,rico1 ,guam1 ,american ,samoa1 the     
,united ,states ,virgin ,islands1 and   
the ,commonwealth of the ,northern      

,mariana ,islands4  #f4 ,effective date 
,this ,act shall apply with respect to  
elections for ,federal office held on or
 after the date of the enactment of this
 ,act4