,i  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fdj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,february #a1        
#bjba,mr4 ,brown 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 allow   
individuals to vote in an election for  
,federal office during an early voting  
period which occurs prior to the date of
 the election1 and for other purposes4  
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,expanding ,access to ,early    
,voting ,act of #bjba4  #b4 ,early      
voting  7a7 ,requirements ,subtitle ,a  
of title ,,iii of the ,help ,america    
,vote ,act of #bjjb 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4      
#bajha et seq47 is amended-- 7#a7 by    
redesignating sections #cjd and #cje as 
sections #cje and #cjf2 and  7#b7 by    
inserting after section #cjc the        
following new section3  #cjd4 ,early    
voting  7a7 ,requiring ,voting ,prior to
 ,date of ,election  7#a7 ,in general   

,each ,state shall allow individuals to 
vote in an election for ,federal office 
during an early voting period which     
occurs prior to the date of the         
election1 in the same manner as voting  
is allowed on such date4  7#b7 ,length  
of period ,the early voting period      
required under this subsection with     
respect to an election shall consist of 
a period of consecutive days 7including 
weekends7 which begins on the #aeth day 
before the date of the election 7or1 at 
the option of the ,state1 on a day prior
 to the #aeth day before the date of the
 election7 and ends on the date of the  
election4  7b7 ,minimum early voting    
requirements ,each polling place which  
allows voting during an early voting    
period under subsection 7a7 shall-- 7#a7
 allow such voting for no less than #aj 
hours on each day2  7#b7 have uniform   
hours each day for which such voting    
occurs2 and  7#c7 allow such voting to  
be held for some period of time prior to
 #i3jj a4m 7local time7 and some period 

of time after #e3jj p4m4 7local time74  
7c7 ,location of polling places  7#a7   
,proximity to public transportation ,to 
the greatest extent practicable1 a      
,state shall ensure that each polling   
place which allows voting during an     
early voting period under subsection 7a7
 is located within walking distance of a
 stop on a public transportation route4 
7#b7 ,availability in rural areas ,the  
,state shall ensure that polling places 
which allow voting during an early      
voting period under subsection 7a7 will 
be located in rural areas of the ,state1
 and shall ensure that such polling     
places are located in communities which 
will provide the greatest opportunity   
for residents of rural areas to vote    
during the early voting period4  7d7    
,standards  7#a7 ,in general ,the       
,commission shall issue standards for   
the administration of voting prior to   
the day scheduled for a ,federal        
election4 ,such standards shall include 
the nondiscriminatory geographic        

placement of polling places at which    
such voting occurs4  7#b7 ,deviation    
,the standards described in paragraph   
7#a7 shall permit ,states1 upon         
providing adequate public notice1 to    
deviate from any requirement in the case
 of unforeseen circumstances such as a  
natural disaster1 terrorist attack1 or a
 change in voter turnout4  7e7 ,ballot  
processing and scanning requirements    
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,state shall begin
 processing and scanning ballots cast   
during early voting for tabulation at   
least #ad days prior to the date of the 
election involved4  7#b7 ,limitation    
,nothing in this subsection shall be    
construed to permit a ,state to tabulate
 ballots in an election before the      
closing of the polls on the date of the 
election4  7f7 ,effective date ,this    
section shall apply with respect to the 
regularly scheduled general election for
 ,federal office held in ,november #bjbb
 and each succeeding election for       
,federal office4  4  7b7 ,conforming    

amendment relating to issuance of       
voluntary guidance by ,election         
,assistance ,commission ,section        
#caa7;b7 of such ,act 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4    
#baaja7;b77 is amended-- 7#a7 by        
striking and at the end of paragraph    
7#b72  7#b7 by striking the period at   
the end of paragraph 7#c7 and inserting 
2 and2 and  7#c7 by adding at the end   
the following new paragraph3  7#d7 in   
the case of the recommendations with    
respect to section #cjd1 ,june #cj1     
#bjbb4  4  7c7 ,conforming amendment    
relating to enforcement ,section #dja of
 such ,act 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #baaaa7 is    
amended by striking and #cjc and        
inserting #cjc1 and #cjd4  7d7 ,clerical
 amendment ,the table of contents of    
such ,act1 is amended-- 7#a7 by         
redesignating the items relating to     
sections #cjd and #cje as relating to   
sections #cje and #cjf2 and  7#b7 by    
inserting after the item relating to    
section #cjc the following new item3    
,sec4 #cjd4 ,early voting4  4