,i  #aai? ,,congress  #a/ ,session  ,h4 
,r4 #gch  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(            
,,repres5tatives  ,janu>y #bd1 #bjbe,ms4
 ,sal9as 7= h]self1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4  
,cleav]1 ,mr4 ,v>gas1 ,mrs4 ,d+ell1 ,mr4
 ,mull91 ,mr4 ,johnson ( ,georgia1 ,ms4 
,tlaib1 & ,mr4 ,pocan7 introduc$ !      
foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 ref]r$ to !          
,committee on ,h\se ,adm9i/ration  ,a   
,,bill  ,to am5d ! ,help ,am]ica ,vote  
,act ( #bjjb to all[ all eligible vot]s 
to vote by mail 9 ,f$]al elections4  #a4
 ,%ort title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z !  
,univ]sal ,"r ,to ,vote by ,mail ,act ( 
#bjbe4  #b4 ,f9d+s ,congress f9ds !     
foll[+3 7#a7 ,an inequity ( vot+ rights 
exi/s 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates because vot]s 9 
"s ,/ates h ! univ]sal "r to vote by    
mail :ile vot]s 9 o!r ,/ates d n4  7#b7 
,_m vot]s (t5 h "w1 family1 or o!r      
commitm5ts t make gett+ to polls on !   
date ( an election difficult or         
impossible4 ,"u curr5t ,/ate laws1 _m ( 
^! vot]s are n p]mitt$ to vote by mail4 
7#c7 #cf ,/ates & ! ,di/rict ( ,columbia

 curr5tly all[ univ]sal abs5tee vot+    
7also kn[n z no-excuse abs5tee vot+71   
:i* p]mits any vot] to reque/ a mail-9  
ballot )\t provid+ a reason = ! reque/1 
& no ,/ate :i* has implem5t$ no-excuse  
abs5tee vot+ has swit*$ back4  7#d7     
,vot+ by mail gives vot]s m "t to       
consid] _! *oices1 :i* is especially    
important z _m ballots conta9 great]    
numb]s ( que/ions ab\t complex issues   
?an 9 ! pa/ due to ! exp&$ use ( !      
initiative & ref]5dum process 9 _m      
,/ates4  7#e7 ,all[+ all vot]s ! option 
to vote by mail c lead to increas$ vot] 
p>ticipation4  7#f7 ,all[+ all vot]s !  
option to vote by mail c r$uce wait+    
times = ^? vot]s :o *oose to vote at !  
polls4  7#g7 ,vot+ by mail is pref]able 
to _m vot]s z an alt]native to go+ to ! 
polls4 ,vot+ by mail has become         
increas+ly popul> ) vot]s :o want to be 
c]ta9 t !y are able to vote no matt] :at
 comes up on ,election ,day4  7#h7 ,no  
evid5ce exi/s sugge/+ ! pot5tial = fraud
 9 abs5tee ballot+ is great] ?an !      

pot5tial = fraud by any o!r me?od (     
vot+4  7#i7 ,_m ( ! reasons :i* vot]s 9 
_m ,/ates are requir$ to provide 9 ord] 
to vote by mail require ! revelation (  
p]sonal in=mation ab\t heal?1 travel    
plans1 or religi\s activities1 :i*      
violate vot]s' privacy :ile do+ no?+ to 
prev5t vot] fraud4  7#aj7 ,/ate laws :i*
 require vot]s to obta9 a not>y         
signature to vote by mail only add co/ &
 inconv5i5ce to vot]s )\t increas+      
security4  #c4 ,promot+ ability ( vot]s 
to vote by mail 9 ,f$]al elections  7a7 
,9 g5]al ,subtitle ,a ( title ,,iii ( ! 
,help ,am]ica ,vote ,act ( #bjjb 7#eb   
,u4,s4,c4 #bajha et seq47 is am5d$ by   
ins]t+ aft] section #cjc ! foll[+ new   
section3  #cjc;,a4 ,promot+ ability (   
vot]s to vote by mail  7a7 ,9 ,g5]al ,if
 an individual 9 a ,/ate is eligible to 
ca/ a vote 9 an election = ,f$]al (fice1
 ! ,/ate may n impose any additional    
conditions or requirem5ts on !          
eligibility ( ! individual to ca/ ! vote
 9 su* election by mail1 except to !    

ext5t t ! ,/ate imposes a deadl9e =     
reque/+ ! ballot & relat$ vot+ mat]ials 
f ! appropriate ,/ate or local election 
(ficial & = return+ ! ballot to !       
appropriate ,/ate or local election     
(ficial4  7b7 ,notice & opportunity ,to 
cure discrepancy or defect  7#a7 ,notice
 & opportunity to cure discrepancy 9    
signatures ,if an individual submits a  
mail-9 ballot or an abs5tee ballot & !  
appropriate ,/ate or local election     
(ficial det]m9es t a discrepancy exi/s  
betwe5 ! signature on su* ballot & !    
signature ( su* individual on ! (ficial 
li/ ( regi/]$ vot]s 9 ! ,/ate or o!r    
(ficial record or docum5t us$ by ! ,/ate
 to v]ify ! signatures ( vot]s1 su*     
election (ficial1 prior to mak+ a f9al  
det]m9ation z to ! validity ( su*       
ballot1 %all-- 7,a7 z soon z practical1 
b n lat] ?an ! next bus9ess day aft] su*
 det]m9ation is made1 make a good fai?  
ef=t to notify ! individual by mail1    
telephone1 & 7if available7 text message
 & electronic mail t-- 7i7 a discrepancy

 exi/s betwe5 ! signature on su* ballot 
& ! signature ( ! individual on !       
(ficial li/ ( regi/]$ vot]s 9 ! ,/ate or
 o!r (ficial record or docum5t us$ by ! 
,/ate to v]ify ! signatures ( vot]s2 &  
7ii7 if su* discrepancy is n cur$ prior 
to ! expiration ( ! ?ird day foll[+ !   
,/ate's deadl9e = receiv+ mail-9 ballots
 or abs5tee ballots1 su* ballot w n be  
c\nt$2 &  7,b7 cure su* discrepancy &   
c\nt ! ballot if1 prior to ! expiration 
( ! ?ird day foll[+ ! ,/ate's deadl9e = 
receiv+ mail-9 ballots or abs5tee       
ballots1 ! individual provides ! (ficial
 ) in=mation to cure su* discrepancy1   
ei!r 9 p]son1 by telephone1 or by       
electronic me?ods4  7#b7 ,notice &      
opportunity to cure miss+ signature or  
o!r defect ,if an individual submits a  
mail-9 ballot or an abs5tee ballot )\t a
 signature or submits a mail-9 ballot or
 an abs5tee ballot ) ano!r defect :i*1  
if left uncur$1 w\ld cause ! ballot to n
 be c\nt$1 ! appropriate ,/ate or local 
election (ficial1 prior to mak+ a f9al  

det]m9ation z to ! validity ( ! ballot1 
%all-- 7,a7 z soon z practical1 b n lat]
 ?an ! next bus9ess day aft] su*        
det]m9ation is made1 make a good fai?   
ef=t to notify ! individual by mail1    
telephone1 & 7if available7 text message
 & electronic mail t-- 7i7 ! ballot did 
n include a signature or has "s o!r     
defect2 &  7ii7 if ! individual does n  
provide ! miss+ signature or cure ! o!r 
defect prior to ! expiration ( ! ?ird   
day foll[+ ! ,/ate's deadl9e = receiv+  
mail-9 ballots or abs5tee ballots1 su*  
ballot w n be c\nt$2 &  7,b7 c\nt !     
ballot if1 prior to ! expiration ( !    
?ird day foll[+ ! ,/ate's deadl9e =     
receiv+ mail-9 ballots or abs5tee       
ballots1 ! individual provides ! (ficial
 ) ! miss+ signature on a =m proscrib$  
by ! ,/ate or cures ! o!r defect4  ,?is 
p>agraph does n apply ) respect to a    
defect consi/+ ( ! failure ( a ballot to
 meet ! applicable deadl9e = !          
acceptance ( ! ballot "u ,/ate law4  7c7
 ,rule ( ,con/ruction ,no?+ 9 ?is       

section %all be con/ru$ to affect !     
au?ority ( ,/ates to conduct elections =
 ,f$]al (fice ?r\gh ! use ( poll+ places
 at :i* individuals ca/ ballots on !    
date ( ! election4  7d7 ,effective ,date
 ,a ,/ate %all be requir$ to comply ) ! 
requirem5ts ( ?is section ) respect to  
elections = ,f$]al (fice held 9 ye>s    
beg9n+ ) #bjbf4  4  7b7 ,con=m+ am5dm5t 
relat+ to en=cem5t ,section #dja ( su*  
,act 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #baaaa7 is am5d$ by 
/rik+ & #cjd & ins]t+ #cjc;,a1 & #cjd4  
7c7 ,cl]ical am5dm5t ,! table ( cont5ts 
= su* ,act is am5d$ by ins]t+ aft] !    
item relat+ to section #cjc ! foll[+ new
 item3  ,sec4 #cjc;,a4 ,promot+ ability 
( vot]s to vote by mail4  4