,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dfeb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #bb1
 #bjbj,ms4 ,klobuchar introduced the    
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,rules   
and ,administration  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
require the ,united ,states ,postal     
,service to treat election mail as      
first-class mail and deliver such mail  
at no cost to the sender1 and for other 
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,election ,mail ,act
 of #bjbj4  #b4 ,election mail  7a7     
,treatment of election mail  7#a7       
,treatment as first-class mail2 free    
postage ,chapter #cd of title #ci1      
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following3  #cdjg4
 ,domestic election mail  7a7           
,definition ,in this section1 the term  
election mail-- 7#a7 means-- 7,a7 a     
blank or completed voter registration   
application form1 voter registration    
card1 or similar materials1 relating to 

an election for ,federal office2  7,b7 a
 blank or completed absentee and other  
mail-in ballot application form1 and a  
blank or completed absentee or other    
mail-in ballot1 relating to an election 
for ,federal office1 and  7,c7 other    
materials relating to an election for   
,federal office that are mailed by a    
,state or local election official to an 
individual who is registered to vote2   
and  7#b7 does not include balloting    
materials covered under section #cdjf   
7relating to the ,uniformed and         
,overseas ,citizens ,absentee ,voting   
,act74  7b7 ,carriage of election mail  
,election mail 7individually or in bulk7
 shall be carried-- 7#a7 in accordance  
with the service standards established  
for first-class mail under section      
#cfia2 and  7#b7 free of postage4  7c7  
,postmark required for ballots ,in the  
case of any election mail carried by the
 ,postal ,service that consists of a    
ballot1 the ,postal ,service shall      
indicate on the ballot envelope1 using a

 postmark or otherwise-- 7#a7 the fact  
that the ballot was carried by the      
,postal ,service2 and  7#b7 the date on 
which the ballot was mailed4  4  7#b7   
,reimbursement of ,postal ,service for  
revenue forgone ,section #bdja7;c7 of   
title #ci1 ,united ,states ,code1 is    
amended by striking #cdjf and inserting 
#cdjg4  7b7 ,technical and conforming   
amendment ,the table of sections for    
chapter #cd of title #ci1 ,united       
,states ,code1 is amended by adding at  
the end the following3  #cdjg4 ,domestic
 election mail4  4  7c7 ,effective date 
7#a7 ,in general ,the amendments made by
 this section shall apply to election   
mail relating to an election for        
,federal office occurring on or after   
,january #a1 #bjbb4  7#b7 ,sense of     
congress relating ,to application ,to   
#bjbj general election ,it is the sense 
of ,congress that the ,united ,states   
,postal ,service should make all        
reasonable efforts to comply with       
subsections 7b77#a7 and 7c7 of section  

#cdjg of title #ci1 ,united ,states     
,code1 as added by subsection 7a77#a7 of
 this section1 with respect to election 
mail relating to the general election   
for ,federal office in #bjbj4  #c4      
,intelligent mail barcodes for ballots  
7a7 ,in general ,title ,,iii of the     
,help ,america ,vote ,act of #bjjb 7#eb 
,u4,s4,c4 #bajha7 is amended by adding  
at the end the following new subtitle3  
,c ,requirements relating to mailed     
ballots  #cba4 ,use of intelligent mail 
barcodes  7a7 ,in general ,each ,state  
and jurisdiction shall provide with each
 ballot for an election for ,federal    
office that is sent by mail a return    
envelope that contains an intelligent   
mail barcode1 as prescribed by the      
,united ,states ,postal ,service4  7b7  
,exception ,subsection 7a7 shall not    
apply to any ballot for which a ,state  
or jurisdiction uses an alternative     
system that enables voters to track the 
ballot through the mail4  7c7 ,state    
,for purposes of this section1 the term 

,state includes 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  4  7b7 ,enforcement 
,section #dja of the ,help ,america     
,vote ,act of #bjjb 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4      
#baaaa7 is amended by inserting or the  
requirements for mailed ballots under   
subtitle ,c of title ,,iii before the   
period at the end4  7c7 ,clerical       
amendment ,the table of contents of such
 ,act is amended by inserting after the 
item relating to section #cab the       
following3  ,subtitle ,c--,requirements 
relating to mailed ballots ,sec4 #cba4  
,use of intelligent mail barcodes4  4   
#d4 ,deadlines for ballots submitted by 
mail  7a7 ,in general ,subtitle ,c of   
title ,,iii of the ,help ,america ,vote 
,act of #bjjb1 as added by section #c1  
is amended by adding at the end the     
following new section3  #cbb4 ,deadline 
for ballots submitted by mail  7a7 ,in  

general ,each ,state and jurisdiction   
shall count a ballot submitted by an    
individual by mail with respect to an   
election for ,federal office in the     
,state-- 7#a7 if it is postmarked1      
signed1 or otherwise indicated by the   
,united ,states ,postal ,service to have
 been mailed on or before the close of  
polls on the date of the election2 and  
7#b7 received by the appropriate ,state 
election official on or before the date 
that is #aj days after the date of such 
election4  7b7 ,no inference ,nothing in
 this section shall be construed as     
prohibiting a ,state or jurisdiction    
from having a law that allows for       
counting ballots in an election for     
,federal office that are received       
through the mail after the date that is 
#aj days after the date of the election4
  4  7b7 ,private right of action ,title
 ,,iv of the ,help ,america ,vote ,act  
of #bjjb 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #baaaa et seq47 
is amended by adding at the end the     
following new section3  #djc4 ,private  

right of action for violations of       
mail-in ballot deadline  7a7 ,in general
 ,in the case of a violation of section 
#cbb1 section #djb shall not apply and  
any person who is aggrieved by such     
violation may provide written notice of 
the violation to the chief election     
official of the ,state involved4  7b7   
,relief ,if the violation is not        
corrected within #e days after receipt  
of the notice1 the aggrieved person may1
 in a civil action1 obtain declaratory  
or injunctive relief with respect to the
 violation4  7c7 ,notice not required   
,the aggrieved person need not provide  
notice to the chief election official of
 the ,state involved under subsection   
7a7 before bringing a civil action under
 subsection 7b74  4  7c7 ,clerical      
amendments ,the table of contents of    
such ,act1 as amended by section #c1 is 
amended-- 7#a7 by inserting after the   
item relating to section #cba the       
following new item3  ,sec4 #cbb4        
,deadline for ballots submitted by mail4

  2  and  7#b7 by inserting after the   
item relating to section #djb the       
following3  ,sec4 #djc4 ,private right  
of action for violations of mail-in     
ballot deadline4  4  #e4 ,greater       
visibility for ballots  7a7 ,in general 
,subtitle ,c of title ,,iii of the ,help
 ,america ,vote ,act of #bjjb1 as added 
by section #c and amended by section #d1
 is amended by adding at the end the    
following new section3  #cbc4 ,ballot   
visibility ,each ,state or local        
election official shall-- 7#a7 affix    
,tag #aia1 ,domestic and ,international 
,mail-,in ,ballots 7or any successor tag
 designated by the ,united ,states      
,postal ,service71 to any tray or sack  
of ballot mail relating to an election  
for ,federal office that is destined for
 a domestic or international address2   
7#b7 use the ,official ,election ,mail  
logo to designate mail pieces relating  
to an election for ,federal office that 
is destined for a domestic or           
international address2 and  7#c7 if an  

intelligent mail barcode 7as described  
in section #cba7 is utilized for any    
mail relating to an election for        
,federal office that is destined for a  
domestic or international address1      
ensure the specific ballot service type 
identifier for such mail is visible4  4 
7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of   
contents for such ,act1 as amended by   
sections #c and #d1 is amended by       
inserting after the item relating to    
section #cbb the following new item3    
,sec4 #cbc4 ,ballot visibility4  4  #f4 
,effective date  7a7 ,in general        
,subtitle ,c of title ,,iii of the ,help
 ,america ,vote ,act of #bjjb 7#eb      
,u4,s4,c4 #bjija et seq471 as added by  
section #c and amended by sections #d   
and #e1 is amended by adding at the end 
the following new section3  #cbd4       
,effective date ,the requirements of    
this subtitle shall apply to elections  
for ,federal office occurring on and    
after ,january #a1 #bjbb4  4  7b7       
,clerical amendment ,the table of       

contents for such ,act1 as amended by   
sections #c1 #d1 and #e1 is amended by  
inserting after the item relating to    
section #cbc the following new item3    
,sec4 #cbd4 ,effective date4  4  7c7    
,sense of ,congress relating to         
application to #bjbj general election   
,it is the sense of ,congress that      
,states and jurisdictions should make   
all reasonable efforts to comply with   
the provisions of subtitle ,c of title  
,,iii of the ,help ,america ,vote ,act  
of #bjjb1 as added by this ,act1 for the
 general election for ,federal office in
 #bjbj4