[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3301 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3301

        To establish an Online Voter Registration grant program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 4, 2010

 Mr. Wyden (for himself and Mr. Kerry) introduced the following bill; 
    which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and 
                             Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
        To establish an Online Voter Registration grant program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Online Voter Registration Act of 
2010''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Americans have become increasingly comfortable with 
        using the Internet for a wide range of purposes, including 
        gathering information, purchasing items, performing financial 
        transactions, and obtaining information and services from the 
        Government.
            (2) In 2008, 74 percent of adults in the United States 
        reported using the Internet, according to the Pew Internet and 
        American Life Project. Of those adults, 89 percent reported 
        using the Internet to find information, 71 percent made 
        purchases over the Internet, 70 percent read news online, 56 
        percent looked up campaign or political information, 55 percent 
        utilized online banking, and 59 percent visited Government 
        Internet Web sites.
            (3) The Internet is well-suited to allow individuals to 
        provide and update personal information. Completing such tasks 
        online saves time, reduces paper, increases efficiency, and 
        lowers costs.
            (4) Many States already allow citizens to access Government 
        services online, including renewing driver's licenses and 
        registering cars.
            (5) Two States, Arizona and Washington, have already 
        implemented online voter registration systems, and a number of 
        other States are in the process of adopting online voter 
        registration systems.
            (6) Although 2008 was the first election cycle that the 
        online voter registration system was in place in Washington 
        State, in the month prior to the general election, voter use of 
        the online voter registration system exceeded that of mail-in 
        registration cards by more than 20 percent.
            (7) Younger adults who are registering to vote for the 
        first time are the most adept Internet users and expect to be 
        able to accomplish most tasks online. In 2008, 87 percent of 
        adults age 18 to 29 used the Internet. In Washington State, 
        voters age 18 to 24 had the highest rate of use of its online 
        voter registration system.
            (8) During the 2008 election cycle, Washington State 
        processed about 130,000 online voter registration transactions.
            (9) Implementing an online voter registration requires an 
        initial investment to purchase the needed technology and to 
        input existing voter information into the registration 
        database. Washington State, for example, spent $278,000 to 
        establish its online voter registration system.
            (10) Once in place, online voter registration systems allow 
        the processing of new voter registrations, changes of address 
        or party, and requests for absentee ballots.
            (11) Washington State reports that it costs approximately 
        25 cents to process paper voter registration cards and 43 cents 
        to process those submitted via the department of motor vehicles 
        in compliance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 
        (42 U.S.C. 1973gg et seq.). Voters must also pay postage costs 
        for registration cards sent through the mail. Once in place, 
        the online voter registration system requires no processing by 
        staff in order to complete a transaction, and therefore has no 
        per transaction cost. For the 2008 general election, the online 
        voter registration system saved Washington State $32,500, and 
        saved consumers $54,600 in postage costs, which resulted in 
        total savings to the State and consumers of over $87,000.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Election.--The term ``election'' means any general, 
        special, primary, or runoff election.
            (2) Participating state.--The term ``participating State'' 
        means a State receiving a grant under the Online Voter 
        Registration grant program under section 4.
            (3) State.--The term ``State'' means a State of the United 
        States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto 
        Rico, or a territory or possession of the United States.

SEC. 4. ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Election Assistance Commission shall 
establish an Online Voter Registration grant program (in this section 
referred to as the ``program'').
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the program is to make grants to 
participating States solely for the implementation of online voter 
registration systems.
    (c) Limitation on Use of Funds.--In no case may grants made under 
this section be used to reimburse a State for costs incurred in 
implementing online voter registration systems at the State or local 
government level if such costs were incurred prior to October 1, 2009.
    (d) Application.--A State seeking to participate in the program 
under this section shall submit an application to the Election 
Assistance Commission containing such information, and at such time, as 
the Election Assistance Commission may specify.
    (e) Amount and Awarding of Implementation Grants; Duration of 
Program.--
            (1) Amount of implementation grants.--
                    (A) In general.--The amount of an implementation 
                grant made to a participating State shall be $150,000.
                    (B) Continuing availability of funds after 
                appropriation.--An implementation grant made to a 
                participating State under this section shall be 
                available to the State without fiscal year limitation.
            (2) Awarding of implementation grants.--
                    (A) In general.--The Election Assistance Commission 
                shall award implementation grants during each year in 
                which the program is conducted.
                    (B) One grant per state.--The Election Assistance 
                Commission shall not award more than 1 implementation 
                grant to any participating State under this section 
                over the duration of the program.
            (3) Duration.--The program shall be conducted for a period 
        of 5 years.
    (f) Requirements.--A participating State shall establish and 
implement an online voter registration system which individuals may use 
to register to vote, update voter registration information, and request 
an absentee ballot in the State.
    (g) Best Practices, Technical Assistance, and Reports.--
            (1) In general.--The Election Assistance Commission shall--
                    (A) develop, periodically issue, and, as 
                appropriate, update best practices for implementing 
                online voter registration systems;
                    (B) provide technical assistance to participating 
                States for the purpose of implementing online voter 
                registration systems; and
                    (C) submit to the appropriate committees of 
                Congress--
                            (i) annual reports on the implementation of 
                        such online voter registration systems by 
                        participating States during each year in which 
                        the program is conducted; and
                            (ii) upon completion of the program 
                        conducted under this section, a final report on 
                        the program, together with recommendations for 
                        such legislation or administrative action as 
                        the Election Assistance Commission determines 
                        to be appropriate.
            (2) Consultation.--In developing, issuing, and updating 
        best practices, developing materials to provide technical 
        assistance to participating States, and developing the annual 
        and final reports under paragraph (1), the Election Assistance 
        Commission shall consult with interested parties, including--
                    (A) State and local election officials; and
                    (B) voting rights groups, voter protection groups, 
                groups representing the disabled, and other civil 
                rights or community organizations.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) Grants.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        award grants under this section, for each of fiscal years 2010 
        through 2016, $1,800,000, to remain available without fiscal 
        year limitation until expended.
            (2) Administration.--There are authorized to be 
        appropriated to administer the program under this section, 
        $200,000 for the period of fiscal years 2010 through 2016, to 
        remain available without fiscal year limitation until expended.
    (i) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act may be construed to 
authorize or require conduct prohibited under any of the following 
laws, or to supersede, restrict, or limit the application of such laws:
            (1) The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15301 et 
        seq.).
            (2) The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973 et seq.).
            (3) The Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and 
        Handicapped Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ee et seq.).
            (4) The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 1973ff et seq.).
            (5) The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 
        1973gg et seq.).
            (6) The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
        12101 et seq.).
            (7) The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 701 et seq.).
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