,,ii #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #ahhg ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,may #bb1 #bjbe,mr4 ,wyden 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,cantwell1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,mr4 ,welch1 ,ms4 ,warren1 ,mr4 ,booker1 ,mr4 ,schatz1 ,mr4 ,bennet1 ,mr4 ,markey1 and ,mr4 ,whitehouse7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,rules and ,administration ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,help ,america ,vote ,act of #bjjb to allow all eligible voters to vote by mail in ,federal elections1 to amend the ,national ,voter ,registration ,act of #aiic to streamline the procedures under which individuals may apply to register to vote in such elections through ,state motor vehicle authorities1 to permit automatic voter registration through such authorities for eligible citizens of the ,united ,states who do not complete voter registration applications1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short ,title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,vote at ,home ,act of #bjbe4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,an inequity of voting rights exists in the ,united ,states because voters in some ,states have the universal right to vote by mail while voters in other ,states do not4 7#b7 ,many voters often have work1 family1 or other commitments that make getting to polls and waiting in line on the date of an election difficult or impossible4 ,many citizens with disabilities are physically unable to vote due to long lines1 inadequate parking1 no curb cuts1 steep ramps1 and large crowds4 ,in the #bjbb election1 the ,election ,assistance ,commission found that #bj percent of voters with disabilities faced difficulties voting in person4 7#c7 ,in #bjbj1 despite a global pandemic1 the general election saw record high turnout as a result of increased vote by mail options1 which allowed voters to cast a ballot and stay safe at the same time4 7#d7 ,thirty-five ,states and the ,district of ,columbia allow universal absentee voting 7also known as no-excuse absentee voting71 which permits any voter to request a mail-in ballot without providing a reason for the request4 ,no ,state which has implemented no-excuse absentee voting has repealed it4 7#e7 ,eight states and ,washington1 ,,dc1 conduct elections entirely by mail4 ,at least #ac ,states currently allow some elections to be conducted by mail1 especially in large and rural jurisdictions where voting by mail is especially convenient4 ,polling stations in rural jurisdictions tend to have higher costs per voter1 smaller staffs1 and limited resources4 ,transportation is often a crucial barrier for rural voters4 7#f7 ,in #bjbj1 in order to provide greater accessibility and to protect the public health1 #cj ,states adopted or changed their laws for the general election to allow voters to cast their ballots from home4 ,these changes included removing strict excuse requirements or allowing ,,covid-#ai concerns to be a valid excuse to vote absentee1 allowing ballot drop boxes1 offering prepaid postage on election mail1 and proactively sending all active registered voters applications to request an absentee ballot1 with some ,states even skipping that step and sending the actual ballots4 7#g7 ,voting by mail gives voters more time to consider their choices1 which is especially important as many ballots contain greater numbers of questions about complex issues than in the past due to the expanded use of the initiative and referendum process in many ,states4 7#h7 ,voting by mail is cost effective4 ,after the ,state of ,oregon adopted vote-by-mail for all voters in #aiif1 the cost to administer an election in the ,state dropped by nearly #cj percent over the next few elections1 from #c4jg per voter to #b4ba per voter4 ,after ,colorado implemented all-mail balloting in #bjac1 voting administration costs decreased by an average of #dj percent4 ,the cost of conducting vote-by-mail elections is generally one-third to one-half less than conducting polling place elections4 ,voting by mail also saves a substantial amount by getting rid of the temporary labor costs of hiring poll workers4 ,in addition to that cost1 many jurisdictions have been facing difficulty in obtaining sufficient numbers of poll workers4 7#i7 ,allowing all voters the option to vote by mail can reduce waiting times for those voters who choose to vote at the polls4 ,in #bjbd1 voters in ,illinois reported waiting in line up to #d hours to vote2 in ,pennsylvania1 voters reported waiting more than #f hours to cast a ballot4 7#aj7 ,voting by mail is preferable to many voters as an alternative to going to the polls4 ,in #bjbd1 nearly #cj percent of ballots in the ,united ,states were cast by mail1 up from #aj percent in #bjjj4 ,voting by mail has become increasingly popular with voters who want to be certain that they are able to vote no matter what comes up on ,election ,day1 as it reduces the physical obstacles and eases the time constraints connected with the act of voting4 7#aa7 ,despite attempts to claim that voting by mail is susceptible to fraud1 it is not4 ,strategies such as the tracking systems for ballots and ,postal ,service cooperation in preventing ballots from being delivered to names not recognized as receiving mail at an address nearly eliminate the potential for fraud in vote-by-mail elections4 ,evidence of undue influence or voter coercion after vote-by-mail implementation in ,oregon has been nonexistent to minimal4 7#ab7 ,many of the reasons which voters in many ,states are required to provide in order to vote by mail require the revelation of personal information about health1 travel plans1 or religious activities1 which violate voters' privacy while doing nothing to prevent voter fraud4 7#ac7 ,state laws which require voters to obtain a notary signature to vote by mail only add cost and inconvenience to voters without increasing security4 7#ad7 ,vote-by-mail typically increases turnout in all elections1 but can be particularly effective in increasing voter participation in special elections and primary elections4 ,oregon1 ,washington1 and ,colorado1 #c ,states with entirely vote-by-mail systems1 continue to have consistently high voter turnout rates4 7#ae7 ,a crucial component of a modern voting system is making it easy1 affordable1 and accessible to register to vote4 ,twenty-four ,states and the ,district of ,columbia have enacted automatic voter registration policies1 with ,oregon and ,california becoming the first to automatically register their citizens to vote when they apply for a driver's license4 ,automatic1 permanent voter registration has the potential to increase participation1 protect election integrity1 and reduce registration costs4 #c4 ,promoting ability of voters to vote by mail in ,federal elections 7a7 ,voting by mail in ,federal elections 7#a7 ,in general ,subtitle ,a of title ,,iii of the ,help ,america ,vote ,act of #bjjb 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bajha et seq47 is amended by inserting after section #cjc the following new section3 #cjc;,a4 ,promoting ability of voters to vote by mail 7a7 ,in ,general ,if an individual in a ,state is eligible to cast a vote in an election for ,federal office1 the ,state may not impose any additional conditions or requirements on the eligibility of the individual to cast the vote in such election by mail1 except to the extent that the ,state imposes a deadline for requesting the ballot and related voting materials from the appropriate ,state or local election official and for returning the ballot to the appropriate ,state or local election official4 7b7 ,provision of ballot materials ,not later than #b weeks before the date of any election for ,federal office1 each ,state shall mail ballots to individuals who are registered to vote in such election4 7c7 ,accessibility for individuals with disabilities ,all ballots provided under this section shall be accessible to individuals with disabilities in a manner that provides the same opportunity for access and participation 7including for privacy and independence7 as for other voters4 7d7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the authority of ,states to conduct elections for ,federal office through the use of polling places at which individuals cast ballots4 7e7 ,effective date ,a ,state shall be required to comply with the requirements of this section with respect to elections for ,federal office held in years beginning with #bjbf4 4 7#b7 ,conforming amendment relating to enforcement ,section #dja of such ,act 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #baaaa7 is amended by striking and #cjd and inserting #cjc;,a1 and #cjd4 7#c7 ,clerical ,amendment ,the table of contents for such ,act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section #cjc the following new item3 ,sec4 #cjc;,a4 ,promoting ability of voters to vote by mail4 4 7b7 ,free postage for voting by mail 7#a7 ,in general ,chapter #cd of title #ci1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #cdjg4 ,ballots provided for voting in ,federal elections ,blank ballots mailed pursuant to section #cjc;,a7b7 of the ,help ,america ,vote ,act of #bjjb which are mailed by a ,state or local election official 7individually or in bulk7 to a voter1 and voted ballots which are mailed by a voter to an election official1 shall be carried expeditiously and free of postage4 4 7#b7 ,technical and conforming amendments 7,a7 ,table of sections ,the table of sections for chapter #cd of title #ci1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #cdjg4 ,ballots provided for voting in ,federal elections4 4 7,b7 ,authorization of appropriations ,section #bdja7;c7 of title #ci1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by striking #cdjc through #cdjf and inserting #cdjc through #cdjg4 #d4 ,voter registration through ,state motor vehicle authorities 7a7 ,streamlining existing procedures ,section #e of the ,national ,voter ,registration ,act of #aiic 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bjejd7 is amended to read as follows3 #e4 ,voter registration through motor vehicle authority 7a7 ,streamlined registration through application for driver's license 7#a7 ,in general ,each ,state shall include a voter registration application form for elections for ,federal office as part of an application for a ,state motor vehicle driver's license for each applicable individual other than an applicable individual described in subsection 7b77#a74 7#b7 ,forms and procedures ,the voter registration application portion of an application for a ,state motor vehicle driver's license-- 7,a7 may not require any information that duplicates information required in the driver's license portion of the form2 7,b7 may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to-- 7i7 prevent duplicate voter registrations2 and 7ii7 enable ,state election officials to assess the eligibility of an applicable individual and to administer voter registration2 7,c7 shall include a statement that-- 7i7 states each eligibility requirement 7including citizenship72 7ii7 contains an attestation that the applicant meets each such requirement2 and 7iii7 requires the signature of the applicant1 under penalty of perjury2 7,d7 shall include-- 7i7 a statement that1 if an applicant declines to register to vote1 the fact that the applicant has declined to register will remain confidential and will be used only for voter registration purposes2 and 7ii7 a statement that if an applicant does register to vote1 the office at which the applicant submits a voter registration application will remain confidential and will be used only for voter registration purposes2 and 7,e7 shall be made available 7as submitted by the applicant1 or in machine readable or other format7 to the appropriate ,state election official as provided by ,state law-- 7i7 subject to clause 7ii71 not later than #aj days after the date of acceptance2 or 7ii7 if a registration application is accepted within #e days before the last day for registration to vote in an election1 not later than #e days after the date of acceptance4 7#c7 ,treatment of attestations of eligibility ,for purposes of an application for voter registration with respect to elections for ,federal office in a ,state under this subsection1 an attestation of eligibility1 including an attestation that the applicant is a ,united ,states citizen1 shall be treated as the presumptive minimum amount of information necessary for the ,state to assess the eligibility of an applicable individual to vote in such elections and for the ,state to administer voter registration1 except that a ,state shall prevent the completion of or reject the voter registration application of an applicable individual based upon reliable information in its possession demonstrating that the individual is not a ,united ,states citizen or is otherwise ineligible to register to vote in elections for ,federal office in the ,state at the time of the application for a motor vehicle driver's license4 7b7 ,automatic registration of eligible citizens 7#a7 ,duties of motor vehicle authority ,each ,state motor vehicle authority shall transmit the voter registration information described in paragraph 7#b7 with respect to an applicable individual to the appropriate election official if-- 7,a7 such individual has presented a document as part of an application for a ,state motor vehicle driver's license 7including a document presented in a previous application retained by the ,state's motor vehicle authority7 demonstrating that the individual is a ,united ,states citizen2 or 7,b7 based on information provided to the ,state motor vehicle authority by the appropriate election official1 such individual is currently registered to vote in elections for ,federal office in the ,state4 7#b7 ,voter registration information described ,the voter registration information transmitted by the ,state motor vehicle authority described in this paragraph is1 with respect to an applicable individual1 the minimum amount of information necessary to-- 7,a7 prevent duplicate voter registrations2 7,b7 enable ,state election officials to assess the eligibility of such an individual who is not at that time registered to vote in elections for ,federal office in the ,state and to administer voter registration2 and 7,c7 enable ,state election officials to update the address of such an individual who is currently registered to vote in elections for ,federal office in the ,state4 7#c7 ,deadline for transmission to election official ,the voter registration information described in paragraph 7#b7 shall be made available 7in machine readable or other format7 to the appropriate ,state election official as provided by ,state law-- 7,a7 subject to subparagraph 7,b71 not later than #aj days after the date of acceptance2 or 7,b7 if the voter registration information is accepted within #e days before the last day for registration to vote in an election1 not later than #e days after the date of acceptance4 7#d7 ,determination of registration status by election officials receiving information ,upon receiving the voter registration information with respect to an individual under paragraph 7#a71 the appropriate ,state election official shall determine-- 7,a7 whether such individual is at that time registered to vote in elections for ,federal office in the ,state2 7,b7 if the individual is at that time registered to vote in such elections1 the address at which the individual is registered42 and 7,c7 if the individual at that time is not registered to vote in elections for ,federal office in the ,state1 whether such individual is eligible to vote in such elections1 including as provided by section #h7;a77#c77;,b7 through the procedure set forth in section #cjc7;a77#b77;,a77ii77,i7 of the ,help ,america ,vote ,act of #bjjb 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bajhc7;a77#b77;,a77ii77,i774 7#e7 ,registration of eligible unregistered individuals 7,a7 ,notice ,in the case of an applicable individual who is determined by the appropriate ,state election official to be eligible to vote in elections for ,federal office in the ,state and who is not at the time registered to vote in such elections1 the appropriate ,state election official shall issue a notice1 which may be combined with the notice described in section #h7;a77#b71 to the individual containing-- 7i7 a statement that the individual's records and signature shall constitute a completed registration for the individual unless the individual notifies the election official in response to the notice that the individual declines to be registered to vote in elections for ,federal office held in the ,state2 and 7ii7 a description of the process by which the individual may decline to be registered to vote in elections for ,federal office in the ,state4 7,b7 ,registration ,upon the issuance of a notice to an individual under subparagraph 7,a71 the official shall ensure that the individual is registered to vote in elections for ,federal office held in the ,state unless in response to the notice1 the individual notifies the official that the individual declines to be registered to vote in such elections4 7,c7 ,removal of individuals incorrectly registered ,if1 after an individual is registered under subparagraph 7,b7 to vote in elections for ,federal office held in the ,state1 the appropriate ,state election official later determines that the individual does not meet the eligibility requirements for registering to vote in such elections1 including as provided by section #h7;a77#c77;,b7 or as a result of error relating to the duties of the ,state motor vehicle authority under paragraph 7#a71 the individual shall be removed from the official list of registered voters in the ,state and deemed never to have registered to vote or attempted to register to vote4 7#f7 ,correcting addresses of individuals registered at different addresses 7,a7 ,notice ,in the case of an applicable individual who is registered to vote in elections for ,federal office in the ,state at a different address in the ,state than the address provided in the information transmitted under this subsection1 the appropriate ,state election official shall issue a notice1 which may be combined with the notice described in section #h7;a77#b71 to the individual containing-- 7i7 a statement that the address provided in such information shall be used as the individual's address for voter registration purposes2 and 7ii7 a description of the process by which the individual may correct an address for voter registration purposes4 7,b7 ,change of address ,upon the issuance of a notice to an individual under subparagraph 7,a71 the official shall ensure that the individual is registered to vote in elections for ,federal office at the address provided in the information transmitted under this subsection unless the individual corrects the change of address for voter registration purposes4 7#g7 ,voter protections 7,a7 ,protections for errors in registration ,an individual shall not be prosecuted under any ,federal or ,state law1 adversely affected in any civil adjudication concerning immigration status or naturalization1 or subject to an allegation in any legal proceeding that the individual is not a citizen of the ,united ,states on any of the following grounds3 7i7 ,the individual notified an election office of the individual's automatic registration to vote under this subsection4 7ii7 ,the individual is not eligible to vote in elections for ,federal office but was automatically registered to vote under this subsection due to agency error4 7iii7 ,the individual was automatically registered to vote under this subsection at an incorrect address4 7iv7 ,the individual did not make an affirmation of citizenship1 including through automatic registration under this subsection4 7,b7 ,limits on use of automatic registration ,the automatic registration of any individual under this subsection or the fact that an individual did not make an affirmation of citizenship1 including through automatic registration under this subsection1 may not be used as evidence against that individual in any ,state or ,federal law enforcement proceeding or any civil adjudication concerning immigration status or naturalization1 and an individual's lack of knowledge or willfulness of such registration may be demonstrated by the individual's testimony alone4 7,c7 ,protection of election integrity ,nothing in subparagraphs 7,a7 or 7,b7 may be construed to prohibit or restrict any action under color of law against an individual who-- 7i7 knowingly and willfully makes a false statement to effectuate or perpetuate automatic voter registration under this subsection by any individual2 or 7ii7 casts a ballot knowingly and willfully in violation of ,state law or the laws of the ,united ,states4 7c7 ,general provisions 7#a7 ,prohibiting transmission of information on noncitizens ,the ,state motor vehicle authority shall not transmit voter registration information under this section with respect to an applicable individual if1 as part of the application for a ,state motor vehicle driver's license1 the individual-- 7,a7 presents a document demonstrating that the individual is not a ,united ,states citizen at the time of the application2 or 7,b7 makes an attestation demonstrating that the individual is not a ,united ,states citizen at the time of the application1 if such attestation is required by ,state law for purposes of the application for a ,state motor vehicle driver's license4 7#b7 ,limitation on use of information ,no information relating to the failure of an applicant for a ,state motor vehicle driver's license to sign a voter registration application or to an applicant's decision to decline voter registration may be used for any purpose other than voter registration4 7#c7 ,applicable individual ,for purposes of this section1 the term applicable individual means any individual who submits an application for a ,state motor vehicle driver's license1 including an initial application1 renewal application1 or change of address form1 whether submitted in person1 by mail1 or by electronic means4 4 7b7 ,conforming ,amendment ,relating to ,timing of ,registration ,prior to ,elections ,section #h7;a77#a77;,a7 of such ,act 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bjejg7;a77#a77;,a77 is amended to read as follows3 7,a7 in the case of registration through a motor vehicle authority under section #e-- 7i7 if the valid voter registration form of the applicant is submitted to the motor vehicle authority under section #e7;a71 not later than the lesser of #cj days1 or the period provided by ,state law1 before the date of the election2 or 7ii7 in the case of registration under section #e7;b71 if the voter registration information described in section #e7;b77#b7 which is transmitted by the motor vehicle authority is submitted by the applicant to the authority1 not later than the lesser of #cj days1 or the period provided by ,state law1 before the date of the election2 or 4 7c7 ,other ,conforming ,amendment ,section #d7;a77#a7 of such ,act 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bjejc7;a77#a77 is amended to read as follows3 7#a7 through the ,state motor vehicle authority pursuant to section #e2 4 7d7 ,effective date ,the amendments made by this section shall take effect upon the expiration of the #ahj-;day period which begins on the date of the enactment of this ,act4