,,ii #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #edha ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,september #bc1 #bjbf,ms4 ,warren 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,booker1 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 ,mr4 ,markey1 ,mr4 ,sanders1 ,mr4 ,schiff1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1 and ,mr4 ,wyden7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,rules and ,administration ,a ,,bill ,to expand youth access to voting1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title2 table of contents 7a7 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,youth ,voting ,rights ,act4 7b7 ,table of contents ,the table of contents of this ,act is as follows3 ,sec4 #a4 ,short title2 table of contents4,sec4 #b4 ,sense of ,congress4,sec4 #c4 ,findings4,sec4 #d4 ,enforcement of the #bfth ,amendment4,sec4 #e4 ,treatment of public institutions of higher education as voter registration agencies under ,national ,voter ,registration ,act of #aiic4,sec4 #f4 ,pre-registration of minors for voting in ,federal elections4,sec4 #g4 ,on-campus polling locations4,sec4 #h4 ,prohibition of residency requirements4,sec4 #i4 ,requirements for voter identification4,sec4 #aj4 ,grants to ,states for activities to encourage involvement of youth in election activities4,sec4 #aa4 ,absentee voting4,sec4 #ab4 ,studies and data collection4 #b4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 #ej years ago1 our ,nation came together unanimously to expand the franchise to those #ah years of age and older and to outlaw age-based discrimination in accessing the franchise2 7#b7 #ej years later1 the promises of the #bfth ,amendment to the ,constitution of the ,united ,states 7referred to in this ,act as the #bfth ,amendment7 remain unfulfilled although the reasons that motivated its ratification endure2 and 7#c7 pursuant to section #b of the #bfth ,amendment1 ,congress is empowered to enforce the article by appropriate legislation and acts accordingly in this ,act4 #c4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,over #ej years ago1 on ,july #a1 #aiga1 this ,nation ratified into the ,constitution of the ,united ,states the #bfth ,amendment1 lowering the voting age from #ba to #ah years of age and outlawing the denial or abridgement of the right to vote on account of age4 7#b7 ,support for the #bfth ,amendment was nearly unanimous4 ,the proposed constitutional amendment passed with bipartisan supermajorities1 passing in the ,senate with a vote of #id-j1 and passing in the ,house of ,representatives with a vote of #dja-ai4 ,the #bfth ,amendment was approved by the requisite #ch ,states in less than #ajj days1 making it the quickest constitutional amendment to be ratified in ,united ,states history4 7#c7 ,support for lowering the voting age to #ah was championed across the aisle4 ,president ,dwight ,eisenhower1 former ,commander of the ,allied ,forces1 included the issue in his #aied ,state of the ,union ,address4 ,moreover1 ,president ,richard ,nixon emphasized his support for the #bfth ,amendment during its certification ceremony1 describing that young people serve a critical role by infusing the practice of democracy with some idealism1 some courage1 some stamina1 some high moral purpose that this ,nation always needs1 because a country1 throughout history1 we find1 goes through ebbs and flows of idealism44 ,similarly1 ,senate majority leader ,michael ,mansfield and ,senator ,ted ,kennedy were key advocates of the measure1 having first proposed a statutory route for lowering the voting age in the ,voting ,rights ,act ,amendments of #aigj 7,public ,law #ia-bhe71 in addition to supporting a path through constitutional ratification4 7#d7 ,the ,voting ,rights ,act ,amendments of #aigj 7,public ,law #ia-bhe7 marked the first ,federal law to enfranchise youth and outlaw age discrimination in accessing the franchise4 ,in title ,,iii of that ,act1 ,congress declared1 with strong bipartisan support1 that the #ba-year age requirement-- 7,a7 denies and abridges the inherent constitutional rights of citizens eighteen years of age but not yet twenty-one years of age to vote2 7,b7 has the effect of denying those disenfranchised the due process and equal protection of the laws that are guaranteed to them under the ,fourteenth ,amendment2 and 7,c7 does not bear a reasonable relationship to any compelling ,state interest44 7#e7 ,the age-based expansion of the franchise via the ,voting ,rights ,act ,amendments of #aigj was ultimately found by a strongly divided ,supreme ,court to be unconstitutional as applied to ,state and local races and constitutional as applied to ,federal races4 ,thus1 to ensure uniform election administration in ,federal and ,state races1 a constitutional solution was required4 7#f7 ,a variety of reasons were advanced to support ratification of the #bfth ,amendment4 ,the emerging themes included-- 7,a7 the value of idealism1 courage1 and moral purpose that youth provide in reenergizing the practice of democracy2 7,b7 the increased political competence of young people compared to prior generations1 due to greater access to information through standardized education and technology such as then-widely available television sets2 7,c7 the increased responsibilities assumed by the group as they fought in war1 assumed debt1 and lived independently2 7,d7 a general recognition of the ,nation's expansion toward a more inclusive suffrage2 and 7,e7 the stemming of unrest by encouraging institutionalized mechanisms to advance change4 7#g7 ,in referring the #bfth ,amendment to the ,states for ratification1 ,congress invoked the ,voting ,rights ,act and the principles protected by the #adth ,amendment to the ,constitution of the ,united ,states1 explaining that ,forcing young voters to undertake special burdens--obtaining absentee ballots1 or traveling to one centralized location in each city1 for example--in order to exercise their right to vote might well serve to dissuade them from participating in the election4 ,this result1 and the election procedures that create it1 are at least inconsistent with the purpose of the ,voting ,rights ,act1 which sought to encourage greater political participation on the part of the young2 such segregation might even amount to a denial of their #adth ,amendment right to equal protection of the laws in the exercise of the franchise44 7#h7 ,according to the ,center for ,information ,research on ,civic ,learning and ,engagement 7referred to in this ,act as ,,circle7 of ,tufts ,university1 a record-high #bh percent of young people voted in the #bjah midterm elections1 more than doubling the record-low #ac percent youth turnout in #bjad4 ,still1 young people vote at lower levels than older adults4 7#i7 ,lower youth voting rates are not a sign of generational apathy but of systemic barriers and issues with the culture of political engagement that have plagued young people of various generations for decades4 ,individuals that were part of older generations voted at similar rates as individuals in the ,millennial and ,gen ,z generations when those older generations were youth4 ,for the first presidential election in which a generation's entire #ah-bd age cohort was eligible to vote 7#aigb for ,boomers1 #aiib for ,gen ,x1 and #bjjh for ,millennials71 each participated at about #ej percent4 7#aj7 ,the outsized reliance by young voters on provisional ballots in recent years demonstrates the structural obstacles young voters face due to voter restrictions4 ,a #bjaf survey found that #a in #d ,millennials voted provisionally in the #bjaf race1 compared to #f percent of ,baby ,boomers1 and #b percent of the ,greatest ,generation4 7#aa7 ,in addition to voting provisionally at disproportionate rates1 young voters' provisional ballots are also disproportionally rejected4 ,as determined by a recent ,federal court1 voters aged #ah to #ba in ,florida had their provisional ballots rejected at a rate more than #d times higher than the rejection rate for provisional ballots cast by voters between the ages of #de to #fd4 7#ab7 ,similarly1 young voters experience a higher rejection rate of vote-by-mail ballots compared to older voters4 ,one study found that voters aged #ah to #ba had their vote-by-mail ballots rejected at a rate of over #e times that of voters between the ages of #de to #fd and over #h times those over the age of #fe4 ,these rejection rates trend with those of voters of color4 ,for example1 the study found that the rate of rejection of vote-by-mail ballots for ,hispanic and ,african ,american voters is over #b times that of ,white voters4 7#ac7 ,moreover1 when special burdens are removed1 young people vote more frequently4 ,once polling places were finally situated on campuses during the early voting period1 pursuant to successful #bfth ,amendment litigation1 one study found that on #ab campuses alone1 nearly #fj1jjj registered voters participated in the #bjah general election through early in-person voting4 ,young voters1 people of color1 and those who did not cast a ballot in #bjaf disproportionately voted at the on-campus voting locations4 ,voter turnout is bolstered by on-campus voting locations because those locations lower the opportunity costs for voting for all registered voters1 particularly for young registered voters4 7#ad7 ,young people are passionate about political issues and often want to engage in the political process1 but they face barriers to participation4 ,for example1 they may face structural obstacles such as proof requirements that obscure a young person's right to vote1 barriers to voter registration1 inaccessible or poorly equipped polling places1 campus gerrymanders1 over-reliance on provisional ballots1 unequal access to vote-by-mail1 and unfair treatment of provisional and vote-by-mail ballots4 ,some of these barriers are acute for the youngest voters who are particularly transient and move every year1 thereby struggling to update their voter registration1 or who are less likely to have a driver's license to use as voter identification4 ,youth voters are similarly vulnerable to confusion about their right to vote from their campus residences4 ,although the ,supreme ,court summarily affirmed the right of college students to vote from their campus residences in #aigi1 pursuant to the #bfth ,amendment1 misinformation1 disinformation1 and legal challenges persist about this right4 ,congress finds that students indeed have a right to vote from their campus residences4 ,relatedly1 many young people have not been taught about elections and voting1 including the practicalities of registering and casting a ballot and the reasons why their voices and votes matter in democracy4 7#ae7 ,seven ,states restrict access to vote-by-mail on account of age1 allowing voters above a certain age to vote with no excuse1 and requiring that voters below #fj or #fe meet a narrow list of excuses to vote-by-mail4 ,in those ,states1 voters #fe and older comprise nearly #fe percent of all at-home ballots1 whereas the use of at-home ballots is more evenly distributed across age cohorts in ,states without the age-restriction4 ,in age-discriminatory vote-at-home ,states1 #ba percent of adults over #fe voted at home in #bjah1 but less than #f percent of voters #ah-cd did so4 ,congress further finds that eligible voters1 including youth1 have the right to vote by mail in ,federal elections free of prima facie age restrictions4 7#af7 ,studies reinforce the habit-forming nature of voting1 making it all the more important that voting becomes normalized at an early age through unobstructed access to the ballot4 ,for example1 a recent study found that on average1 voting in #a election increases the probability of voting in a future election by #aj percentage points4 7#ag7 ,according to ,,circle1 youth without college experience also tend to vote at lower rates than young people in college4 ,for example1 in #bjah1 #bh percent of youth 7ages #ah-bi7 voted1 while the ,institute for ,democracy ,higher ,education of ,tufts ,university estimated that #dj percent of college students cast a ballot4 ,there are disparities by age1 and even among youth2 the youngest group 7ages #ah and #ai7 vote at lower rates4 ,there are also disparities by urbanicity1 with young people in rural areas and other civic deserts having lower voter turnout4 7#ah7 ,according to ,,circle1 low-income youth are acutely impacted1 since their economic struggles translate into multiple logistical barriers to voting4 ,a recent survey of low-income youth found that young voters reported barriers to voting1 including-- 7,a7 confusion with voter identification rules 7#hh percent72 7,b7 confusion about the impact of voter disenfranchisement 7#db percent reported lack of clarity about whether someone who paid a fine for driving under the influence could vote or if someone with a suspended driver's license could vote72 7,c7 confusion about the location of polling places 7#ci percent did not know where to vote72 and 7,d7 a high lack of confidence that they would be fully prepared to vote if an election happened next week 7only half of surveyed youth reported confidence74 7#ai7 ,moreover1 youth reported negative voting experiences due to failure to see young people working at the polls 7#hg percent71 failure to see poll workers that look like them 7#gd percent71 and not believing that election officials make an effort to ensure that people like them can vote 7#ei percent74 7#bj7 ,presidential election years are particularly consequential for youth voter engagement4 ,for example1 #fa percent of #ah- to #bi-year-olds were registered to vote in #bjjh1 compared to #di percent in #bjaj4 ,moreover1 youth who registered to vote are considerably more likely to vote4 ,among youth registered in #bjjh1 #hd percent cast a ballot4 7#ba7 ,while direct youth voter registration1 outreach1 and engagement is typically heightened in the ,summer and ,fall months leading up to presidential elections1 unprecedented obstacles presented themselves amid the ,,covid-#ai pandemic as the economy slowed1 the ,nation shut down1 and institutions of higher education1 technical and vocational schools1 and high schools1 along with county election offices1 changed their normal operations4 7#bb7 ,the #bjbj primary cycle shed light on the unique obstacles faced by young voters in uncertain times as they were displaced from the college domiciles where they would eventually return4 ,confused and misinformed about their right to vote from campus despite the temporary relocation1 these voters had to adjust for the first time to obtaining1 printing1 properly filling out and submitting along with required proofs1 and mailing postage-required official forms and paperwork1 such as voter registration forms1 absentee ballot requests1 and absentee ballots4 7#bc7 ,the #bjbj election resulted in unprecedented voter turnout overall1 boasting the highest turnout in ,united ,states history1 with #ag1jjj1jjj more voters compared to the last presidential cycle4 ,the unprecedented trend tracked for youth voters as well4 #bjbj was the first election in which the majority of voters under the age of #cj voted4 ,states with the highest youth voter rates were those with more robust registration and vote by mail laws1 such as those with pre-registration1 same day registration1 election day registration1 early voting1 and accessible no-excuse vote by mail opportunities4 7#bd7 ,the response to increased voter turnout has been an unprecedented number of ,state legislative proposals to make it harder to cast a valid ballot1 such as the imposition of limitations on the availability of drop-boxes1 limitations on the counting of out-of-precinct ballots1 and the removal of student identification as valid voter identification where required4 ,pressures have also mounted on the local level1 with continued efforts to prevent or remove on-campus polling locations1 which are key to youth engagement since they allow students to vote where they study1 work1 eat1 and sleep4 7#be7 ,state and local election administration impacts youth at large1 including high school youth in their ability to pre-register in advance of turning #ah1 college students matriculating in traditional public and private #b- or #d-year institutions of higher education or vocational and technical programs1 and the most vulnerable or overlooked youth populations1 such as those in less stable housing and those who do not pursue college education4 7#bf7 ,the #adth and #bfth ,amendments1 and the ,elections ,clause of section #d of article ,i and ,guarantee ,clause of section #d of article ,,iv1 of the ,constitution empower ,congress to protect the right to vote in ,federal elections4 7#bg7 ,the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife was always understood to be privately enforceable1 and to contain a private right of action by which all voters of the ,united ,states could guarantee the rights guaranteed therein4 ,recently1 in light of the continued development of the law concerning privately enforceable statutes1 academic discussion and jurisprudential dicta have incorrectly questioned the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife's private right of action4 ,this ,act and the amendments made by this ,act recognize the hundreds of cases brought by private plaintiffs to enforce the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife and re-affirms that such a private right of action has always existed for the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife4 #d4 ,enforcement of the #bfth ,amendment ,title ,,iii of the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgja et seq47 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #cjc4 ,private right of action2 standard of review2 fees 7a7 ,private right of action ,any person eighteen years of age and older who is aggrieved by a denial or abridgment of the right of a citizen of the ,united ,states to vote on account of age may commence a civil action in any appropriate district court of the ,united ,states for relief4 7b7 ,standard of review ,a denial or abridgment of the right of a citizen of the ,united ,states to vote on account of age shall be established in a private right of action under subsection 7a7 if a qualification or prerequisite to voting or standard1 practice1 or procedure-- 7#a7 has the effect of denying or abridging to citizens eighteen years of age and older the due process or equal protection of the laws that are guaranteed to them under the #adth and #bfth ,amendments of the ,constitution of the ,united ,states2 and 7#b7 is not necessary to advance any compelling interest of a ,state or political subdivision4 7c7 ,fees and costs ,the court1 in an action under this section1 shall allow the plaintiff1 if the prevailing party1 to recover from the defendant reasonable attorneys' and expert witness fees1 and other costs of the action4 4 #e4 ,treatment of public institutions of higher education as voter registration agencies under ,national ,voter ,registration ,act of #aiic 7a7 ,in general ,section #g7;a77#b7 of the ,national ,voter ,registration ,act of #aiic 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bjejf7;a77#b77 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking and at the end of subparagraph 7,a72 7#b7 by striking the period at the end of subparagraph 7,b7 and inserting 2 and2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following new subparagraph3 7,c7 all offices within public institutions of higher education1 as defined in section #aja and section #ajb7;c7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja2 #bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajjb7;c771 that provide assistance to students4 4 7b7 ,application ,section #d7;b7 of the ,national ,voter ,registration ,act of #aiic 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bjejc7;b77 is amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b7 as subparagraphs 7,a7 and 7,b71 respectively1 and indenting appropriately2 7#b7 by striking ,states4--,this ,act and inserting ,states4--2 7#a7 ,in general ,except as provided in paragraph 7#b71 this ,act 2 7#c7 in paragraph 7#a71 as added by paragraph 7#b7 of this subsection1 by striking paragraphs and inserting subparagraphs2 and 7#d7 by adding at the end the following new paragraph3 7#b7 ,application of certain requirements ,notwithstanding paragraph 7#a71 in the case of a ,state described in paragraph 7#a77;,b71 subsection 7a77#c77;,b71 section #g1 and paragraphs 7#a77;,c71 7#e71 and 7#f7 of section #h7;a7 shall apply1 but only with respect to institutions described in section #g7;a77#b77;,c74 4 #f4 ,pre-registration of minors for voting in ,federal elections 7a7 ,pre-,registration of minors for voting in ,federal elections ,the ,national ,voter ,registration ,act of #aiic 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bjeja et seq47 is amended by inserting after section #h the following new section3 #h;,a4 ,pre-registration process for minors 7a7 ,requiring ,implementation of ,pre-,registration ,process ,each ,state shall implement a process under which-- 7#a7 an individual who is a resident of the ,state may apply to register to vote in elections for ,federal office in the ,state at any time on or after the date on which the individual turns #af years of age2 7#b7 if the individual is not #ah years of age or older at the time the individual applies under paragraph 7#a7 but would be eligible to vote in such primary or general elections if the individual were #ah years of age1 the ,state shall ensure that the individual is registered to vote in elections for ,federal office in the ,state that are held on or after the date on which the individual turns #ah years of age2 and 7#c7 the activities the ,state implements in order to comply with sections #e and #g shall include pre-registration services 7to the same extent as registration services7 for qualifying individuals1 as described in this subsection4 7b7 ,permitting ,availability of ,process for ,younger ,individuals ,a ,state may1 at its option1 make the process implemented under subsection 7a7 available to individuals who are younger than #af years of age4 4 7b7 ,application ,section #d7;b77#b7 of the ,national ,voter ,registration ,act of #aiic 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bjejc7;b77#b771 as added by section #e7;b71 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking paragraph 7#a77;,b71 subsection 7a77#c77;,b7 and inserting 8paragraph 7#a77;,b7-- 7,a7 subsection 7a77#c77;,b7 2 7#b7 in subparagraph 7,a71 as added by paragraph 7#a71 by striking the period at the end and inserting 2 and2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following new subparagraph3 7,b7 section #h;,a shall apply4 4 7c7 ,effective ,date ,the amendments made by this section shall take effect upon the expiration of the #ij-;day period that begins on the date of the enactment of this ,act4 #g4 ,on-campus polling locations 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,campus ,the term campus-- 7,a7 means a geographic site of an institution of higher education that is permanent in nature and offers courses in educational or training programs which are available for students to attend in person2 and 7,b7 includes main campuses1 branch campuses1 and additional locations in the ,united ,states4 7#b7 ,institution of higher education ,the term institution of higher education has the meaning given that term in subsections 7a7 and 7b7 of section #aja and subsections 7b7 and 7c7 of section #ajb of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja7;a71 #ajja7;b71 #ajjb7;b71 #ajjb7;c774 7#c7 ,state ,the term ,state means each of the several ,states and the ,district of ,columbia4 7b7 ,in general ,each ,state shall ensure that polling places for each election for ,federal office 7referred to in this section as a ,federal election7 are made available1 on the date of a ,federal election1 on-- 7#a7 each campus of any ,state public institution of higher education in the ,state1 except any such campus for which the ,state has received a waiver under subsection 7e72 and 7#b7 each campus of any other institution of higher education in the ,state for which the ,state has received the institution's written permission to have a polling place on campus4 7c7 ,non-,state institutions ,not less than #ij days before the ,state's deadline for certifying polling place locations in advance of each ,federal election1 the ,state shall request in writing permission to place a polling place for a ,federal election1 to be available on the date of that election1 on the campus of each institution of higher education that is not a ,state public institution of higher education-- 7#a7 for the next ,federal election2 or 7#b7 for a longer period of time1 as agreed to by the ,state and the institution of higher education4 7d7 ,alternative polling places ,for each institution of higher education that is not a ,state public institution of higher education and that does not give written permission as described in subsection 7c7 for placement of a polling place on the institution's campus1 the ,state shall implement alternative procedures to ensure voting is accessible to youth on that campus who are age #ah and over4 ,such procedures may include-- 7#a7 offering free shuttles for such youth to other nearby polling locations2 7#b7 making available on the campus absentee voting drop boxes for such youth2 or 7#c7 offering an on-campus early voting option or a mobile unit on the campus for early voting or election day voting for such youth4 7e7 ,waivers 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,attorney ,general may1 upon the request of a ,state1 waive the requirement under subsection 7b77#a7 with respect to a ,federal election for a campus described in such paragraph for which the ,state1 in accordance with the guidance under paragraph 7#c7-- 7,a7 determines is an unsuitable polling location in the ,state for that ,federal election2 and 7,b7 agrees to require alternative procedures at such campus to ensure voting in ,federal elections is accessible to youth who are age #ah and over for that ,federal election4 7#b7 ,applications to include alternative procedures ,to request a waiver under paragraph 7#a7 with respect to a ,federal election and for a campus described in subsection 7b77#a71 a ,state shall submit an application to the ,attorney ,general that includes information on the alternative procedures the ,state will require the ,state public institution of higher education to implement with respect to that ,federal election for that campus to ensure voting is accessible to youth who are age #ah and over4 ,such procedures may include-- 7,a7 offering free shuttles for such youth to other polling locations2 7,b7 making available on the campus absentee voting drop boxes for such youth2 or 7,c7 offering an on-campus early voting option or a mobile unit on the campus for early voting or election day voting for such youth4 7#c7 ,guidance ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,attorney ,general shall issue guidance on the administration of this section1 including guidance on the coverage under this section of campuses and institutions of higher education1 as defined in subsection 7a71 acceptable reasons for allowing a waiver under this subsection1 and alternative procedures described in paragraph 7#b71 with respect to a campus described in subsection 7b77#a74 ,such guidance shall include considerations of issues relating to the accessibility of the campus1 including-- 7,a7 the inability to modify the physical attributes of the campus to make the campus accessible for voting2 7,b7 the proximity of the campus to local population centers2 7,c7 the ability of youth age #ah and over who are from historically disadvantaged communities to access the campus2 7,d7 the ability of the institution of higher education to comply with other ,federal or ,state laws relating to ,federal elections at that campus location2 and 7,e7 the number of students enrolled at the institution of higher education in the year of the relevant ,federal election4 7f7 ,enforcement 7#a7 ,attorney ,general ,the ,attorney ,general may bring a civil action in an appropriate district court for such declaratory or injunctive relief as is necessary to carry out this section4 7#b7 ,private right of action 7,a7 ,a person who is aggrieved by a violation of this section may provide written notice of the violation to the chief election official of the ,state involved4 7,b7 ,if the violation is not corrected within #ij days after receipt of a notice under subparagraph 7,a71 or within #bj days after receipt of the notice if the violation occurred within #abj days before the date of a ,federal election1 the aggrieved person may bring a civil action in an appropriate district court for declaratory or injunctive relief with respect to the violation4 7,c7 ,if the violation occurred within #cj days before the date of a ,federal election1 the aggrieved person need not provide notice to the chief election official of the ,state under subparagraph 7,a7 before bringing a civil action under subparagraph 7,b74 7,d7 ,the court1 in an action under this section1 shall allow the plaintiff1 if the prevailing party1 to recover from the defendant reasonable attorneys' and expert witness fees and other costs of the action4 #h4 ,prohibition of residency requirements 7a7 ,applicability to all elections for ,federal office ,section #bjb of the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajejb7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7a7-- 7,a7 in the matter preceding paragraph 7#a7-- 7i7 by striking the offices of ,president and ,vice ,president and inserting ,federal office2 and 7ii7 by striking presidential elections and inserting elections for ,federal office2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#a71 by striking their ,president and ,vice ,president and inserting ,federal office2 7,c7 in paragraph 7#e71 by striking 2 and and inserting 1 and in some cases1 the twenty-sixth amendment1 including the right to vote from a college domicile2 and2 and 7,d7 in paragraph 7#f71 by striking presidential elections and inserting elections for ,federal office2 7#b7 in subsection 7b7-- 7,a7 by striking voting for ,president and ,vice ,president and inserting voting in elections for ,federal office2 and 7,b7 by striking presidential elections and inserting elections for ,federal office2 7#c7 in subsection 7c7-- 7,a7 by striking election for ,president and ,vice ,president and inserting election for ,federal office2 and 7,b7 by striking electors for ,president and ,vice ,president1 or for ,president and ,vice ,president1 and inserting ,federal office1 each place the term appears2 7#d7 in subsection 7d71 by striking the choice of electors for ,president and ,vice ,president or for ,president and ,vice ,president and inserting ,federal office2 7#e7 in subsection 7e7-- 7,a7 by striking election for ,president and ,vice ,president and inserting election for ,federal office2 and 7,b7 by striking the choice of electors for ,president and ,vice ,president1 or for ,president and ,vice ,president1 and inserting ,federal office2 and 7#f7 in subsection 7f7-- 7,a7 by striking election for ,president and ,vice ,president and inserting election for ,federal office2 and 7,b7 by striking for the choice of electors for ,president and ,vice ,president1 or for ,president and ,vice ,president1 and inserting for ,federal office4 7b7 ,private right of action relating to residence requirements for voting ,section #bjb of the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajejb7 is further amended by adding at the end the following3 7j7 ,private right of action ,any person who is aggrieved by a violation of this section may commence a civil action in any appropriate district court of the ,united ,states for relief4 ,the court1 in an action under this section1 shall allow the plaintiff1 if the prevailing party1 to recover from the defendant reasonable attorneys' and expert witness fees and other costs of the action4 4 #i4 ,requirements for voter identification 7a7 ,in general ,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 #cje and #cjf as sections #cjf and #cjg1 respectively2 and 7#b7 by inserting after section #cjd the following new section3 #cje4 ,treatment of student identification cards as voter identification 7a7 ,in general ,to the extent that a ,state or local jurisdiction has a voter identification requirement1 the ,state or local jurisdiction shall treat a student identification card issued by an institution of higher education as meeting such voter identification requirement4 7b7 ,institution of higher education ,for purposes of this section1 the term institution of higher education has the meaning given that term in subsections 7a7 and 7b7 of section #aja and subsections 7b7 and 7c7 of section #ajb of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja7;a71 #ajja7;b71 #ajjb7;b71 #ajjb7;c774 4 7b7 ,conforming amendment relating to enforcement ,section #dja of such ,act 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #baaaa7 is amended by striking and #cjd and inserting 1 #cjd1 and #cje4 7c7 ,clerical amendments ,the table of contents of such ,act is amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating the items relating to sections #cje and #cjf as relating to sections #cjf and #cjg1 respectively2 and 7#b7 by inserting after the item relating to section #cjd the following new item3 ,sec4 #cje4 ,treatment of student identification cards as voter identification4 4 #aj4 ,grants to ,states for activities to encourage involvement of youth in election activities 7a7 ,in general ,subtitle ,d of title ,,ii of the ,help ,america ,vote ,act of #bjjb 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 et seq47 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #g ,grants to encourage youth involvement in election activities #big4 ,grants to encourage youth involvement in election activities 7a7 ,in general ,the ,commission shall make grants to eligible ,states to increase the involvement of youth1 including those under #ah years of age1 in public election activities in the ,state4 7b7 ,eligibility 7#a7 ,application ,a ,state is eligible to receive a grant under this section if the ,state submits to the ,commission1 at such time and in such form as the ,commission may require1 an application containing-- 7,a7 a description of the ,state's plan2 7,b7 a description of the performance measures and targets the ,state will use to determine its success in carrying out the plan2 and 7,c7 such other information and assurances as the ,commission may require4 7#b7 ,contents of plan ,a ,state's plan under this subsection shall include-- 7,a7 methods to promote the use of the pre-registration process implemented under section #h;,a of the ,national ,voter ,registration ,act of #aiic2 7,b7 modifications to the curriculum of secondary schools in the ,state to promote civic engagement2 7,c7 a description of how the ,state will provide funding to secondary schools and institutions of higher education to enable those schools and institutions to support activities 7including activities carried out by student organizations7 to increase voter registration and voter turnout1 including pre-registration where allowable2 7,d7 the creation of a paid fellowship program for youth to work with ,state and local election officials to support youth civic and political engagement2 7,e7 a description of how the grant funding will reduce disparities in access to the electoral process among youth who are members of protected classes1 as defined by the ,commission1 under ,federal law2 and 7,f7 such other activities to encourage the involvement of youth in the electoral process as the ,state considers appropriate1 including encouraging youth to serve as poll workers1 deputy voter registrars1 or election workers where allowable1 and outreach activities to engage secondary schools1 postsecondary educational institutions1 and the most vulnerable or overlooked youth populations1 such as those in less stable housing and those who do not pursue college education4 7c7 ,period of ,grant2 ,report 7#a7 ,period of grant ,a ,state receiving a grant under this section shall use the funds provided by the grant over a #b-year period agreed to between the ,state and the ,commission4 7#b7 ,report ,not later than #f months after the end of the #b-year period agreed to under paragraph 7#a71 the ,state shall submit to the ,commission a report on the activities the ,state carried out with the funds provided by the grant1 and shall include in the report an analysis of the extent to which the ,state met the performance measures and targets included in its application under subsection 7b77#b74 7d7 ,state ,defined ,in this section1 the term ,state means each of the several ,states1 the ,district of ,columbia1 the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1 the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands1 ,guam1 ,american ,samoa1 and the ,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands4 7e7 ,youth ,engagement ,fund 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,commission shall establish a ,youth ,engagement ,fund for the purpose of making grants under this section4 7#b7 ,authorization of appropriation ,there is authorized to be appropriated to the ,youth ,engagement ,fund to carry out this section-- 7,a7 for fiscal year #bjbg1 #bf1jjj1jjj2 and 7,b7 for each subsequent fiscal year1 the difference between #bf1jjj1jjj and the amount of unobligated funds in the ,youth ,engagement ,fund as of the close of the preceding fiscal year4 7#c7 ,availability ,funds appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in paragraph 7#b7 shall remain available for a period of #aj years from the fiscal year in which appropriated4 4 7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of contents of such ,act is amended by adding at the end of the items relating to subtitle ,d of title ,,ii the following3 ,,part #g--;,grants ,to encourage youth involvement in election activities,sec4 #big4 ,grants to encourage youth involvement in election activities4 4 #aa4 ,absentee voting 7a7 ,enforcement of #bfth amendment ,section #cja7;a77#a7 of the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgja7;a77#a77 is amended by inserting before the period at the end the following3 1 including denials or abridgements of the rights of citizens of the ,united ,states to vote on account of age as a result of age-based restrictions for individuals of legal voting age to voting by mail4 7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that age-based restrictions for individuals of legal voting age to vote by mail constitute a violation of the #bfth ,amendment to the ,constitution of the ,united ,states4 #ab4 ,studies and data collection 7a7 ,,gao ,study 7#a7 ,in ,general ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states shall submit to ,congress a report on voter registration trends1 absentee voting trends1 and provisional voting trends1 disaggregated by age and 7where information on race is available7 race in accordance with paragraph 7#b71 including-- 7,a7 an examination of the reliance on absentee and provisional ballots by age2 7,b7 an examination of the availability of polling places on the campuses of institutions of higher education as defined in section #g of this ,act1 including consideration of the characteristics of those institutions and the populations they serve2 7,c7 the rejection rates for voter registration applications and absentee ballot applications2 7,d7 the rejection rates for absentee ballots and provisional ballots2 and 7,e7 the reasons for those rejections4 7#b7 ,disaggregation ,the information described in paragraph 7#a7 shall be disaggregated according to 7where information on race is available7 race and according to the following age cohorts3 7,a7 #af to #ag4 7,b7 #ah to #ba4 7,c7 #bb to #bd4 7,d7 #be to #bi4 7,e7 #cj to #cd4 7,f7 #ce to #ci4 7,g7 #dj to #dd4 7,h7 #de to #di4 7,i7 #ej to #ed4 7,j7 #ee to #ei4 7,k7 #fj to #fd4 7,l7 #fe to #fi4 7,m7 #gj to #gd4 7,n7 #ge to #gi4 7,o7 #hj to #hd4 7,p7 #he and over4 7b7 ,election ,assistance ,commission data collection 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,election ,assistance ,commission shall collect1 as a part of the ,election ,administration and ,voting ,survey effort1 and make publicly available1 data from ,states on-- 7,a7 application and rejection rates of voter registration applications and absentee ballot applications for elections for ,federal office based on age and 7where information on race is available7 race2 7,b7 application and rejection rates of absentee ballots and the issuance and rejection rates of provisional ballots cast for elections for ,federal office based on age and 7where information on race is available7 race2 7,c7 the reasons provided by the ,state for the rejection of such ballots2 and 7,d7 information on the availability of polling places on the campuses of institutions of higher education as defined in section #g of this ,act1 including consideration of the characteristics of those institutions and the populations they serve4 7#b7 ,disaggregation ,the information described in paragraph 7#a7 shall be disaggregated according to each age cohort described in subparagraphs 7,a7 through 7,p7 of subsection 7a77#b74 7#c7 ,requiring ,state submission of information regarding rejected ballots 7,a7 ,requirement ,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 ,required submission of information regarding rejected applications and ballots 7a7 ,requirement ,each ,state shall furnish to the ,election ,assistance ,commission such information as the ,commission may request for purposes of carrying out section #ab7;b7 of the ,youth ,voting ,rights ,act4 7b7 ,effective date ,this section shall apply with respect to the elections for ,federal office held on or after the date of enactment of this section4 4 7,b7 ,enforcement ,section #dja of such ,act 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #baaaa7 is amended by striking and #cjc and inserting #cjc1 and #cjc;,a4 7,c7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of contents of such ,act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section #cjc the following new item3 ,sec4 #cjc;,a4 ,required submission of information regarding rejected applications and ballots4 4