1.This Act may be cited as
the Online Voter Registration Act of
2010
.
2.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.
3.In this Act:
(1)The term election means any
general, special, primary, or runoff election.
(2)The term participating State
means a State receiving a grant under the Online Voter Registration grant
program under section 4.
(3)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.
4.Online voter registration grant
program
(a)The Election Assistance Commission shall
establish an Online Voter Registration grant program (in this section referred
to as the program).
(b)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 fundsIn 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)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)The amount of an implementation grant made
to a participating State shall be $150,000.
(B)Continuing availability of funds after
appropriationAn
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)The Election Assistance Commission shall
award implementation grants during each year in which the program is
conducted.
(B)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)The program shall be conducted for a period
of 5 years.
(f)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)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)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)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)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)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.).