[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6591 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6591

    To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require States to 
  establish a minimum period of 15 days for early voting prior to the 
date of an election for Federal office and to ensure that no individual 
will be required to wait for longer than one hour to cast a ballot at a 
            polling place in an election for Federal office.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 15, 2012

Mr. George Miller of California (for himself, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. 
  Brady of Pennsylvania, Mr. Conyers, Ms. Fudge, Mr. Blumenauer, Ms. 
 Bonamici, Mrs. Capps, Ms. Castor of Florida, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Costa, 
   Mr. Cummings, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Ms. DeLauro, Ms. Eshoo, Mr. 
Faleomavaega, Mr. Farr, Mr. Filner, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Al 
   Green of Texas, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Hahn, Mr. Honda, Mr. Johnson of 
     Georgia, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mr. Larson of 
Connecticut, Ms. Lee of California, Ms. Zoe Lofgren of California, Ms. 
 Matsui, Mr. McDermott, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Moore, Mrs. Napolitano, Ms. 
 Norton, Mr. Peters, Ms. Pingree of Maine, Mr. Polis, Mr. Rangel, Mr. 
Rothman of New Jersey, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mr. Ryan of Ohio, Ms. Loretta 
    Sanchez of California, Mr. Sarbanes, Ms. Schwartz, Mr. Scott of 
   Virginia, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mr. Stark, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. 
Waxman, Mr. Welch, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Ms. DeGette, Mr. 
   Cohen, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Himes, and Mr. 
   Dingell) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                   Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require States to 
  establish a minimum period of 15 days for early voting prior to the 
date of an election for Federal office and to ensure that no individual 
will be required to wait for longer than one hour to cast a ballot at a 
            polling place in an election for Federal office.

    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 ``Streamlined and Improved Methods at 
Polling Locations and Early Voting Act'' or the ``SIMPLE Voting Act''.

SEC. 2. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR EARLY VOTING AND FOR REDUCING WAITING 
              TIMES FOR VOTERS IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS.

    (a) Requirements for States.--Subtitle A of title III of the Help 
America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15481 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating sections 304 and 305 as sections 306 
        and 307; and
            (2) by inserting after section 303 the following new 
        sections:

``SEC. 304. EARLY VOTING.

    ``(a) In General.--Each State shall allow individuals to vote in an 
election for Federal office on each day occurring during the 15-day 
period which ends 2 days before the date of the election, in the same 
manner as voting is allowed on such day.
    ``(b) Minimum Early Voting Requirements.--Each polling place which 
allows voting prior to the date of a Federal election pursuant to 
subsection (a) shall--
            ``(1) allow such voting for not less than 10 hours on each 
        day; and
            ``(2) have uniform hours each day for which such voting 
        occurs.
    ``(c) Location of Polling Places Near Public Transportation.--To 
the greatest extent practicable, a State shall ensure that each polling 
place which allows voting prior to the date of a Federal election 
pursuant to subsection (a) is located within reasonable walking 
distance of a stop on a public transportation route.
    ``(d) Standards.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Commission shall issue standards for 
        the administration of voting prior to the date scheduled for a 
        Federal election. Such standards shall include the 
        nondiscriminatory geographic placement of polling places at 
        which such voting occurs.
            ``(2) Deviation.--The standards described in paragraph (1) 
        shall permit States, upon providing adequate public notice, to 
        deviate from any requirement in the case of unforeseen 
        circumstances such as a natural disaster, terrorist attack, or 
        a change in voter turnout.
    ``(e) Effective Date.--This section shall apply with respect to 
elections held on or after January 1, 2014.

``SEC. 305. PREVENTING UNREASONABLE WAITING TIMES FOR VOTERS.

    ``(a) Preventing Unreasonable Waiting Times.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each State shall provide a sufficient 
        number of voting systems, poll workers, and other election 
        resources (including physical resources) at a polling place 
        used in any election for Federal office, including a polling 
        place at which individuals may cast ballots prior to the date 
        of the election, to ensure--
                    ``(A) a fair and equitable waiting time for all 
                voters in the State; and
                    ``(B) that no individual will be required to wait 
                longer than one hour to cast a ballot at the polling 
                place.
            ``(2) Criteria.--In determining the number of voting 
        systems, poll workers, and other election resources provided at 
        a polling place for purposes of paragraph (1), the State shall 
        take into account the following factors:
                    ``(A) The voting age population.
                    ``(B) Voter turnout in past elections.
                    ``(C) The number of voters registered.
                    ``(D) The number of voters who have registered 
                since the most recent Federal election.
                    ``(E) Census data for the population served by such 
                voting site, such as the proportion of the voting-age 
                population who are under 25 years of age or who are 
                naturalized citizens.
                    ``(F) The educational levels and socio-economic 
                factors of the population served by such voting site.
                    ``(G) The needs and numbers of voters with 
                disabilities and voters with limited English 
                proficiency.
                    ``(H) The type of voting systems used.
                    ``(I) The length and complexity of initiatives, 
                referenda, and other questions on the ballot.
                    ``(J) Such other factors as the State considers 
                appropriate.
            ``(3) Guidelines.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        of the enactment of this section, the Commission shall 
        establish and publish guidelines to assist States in meeting 
        the requirements of this subsection.
            ``(4) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection may 
        be construed to authorize a State to meet the requirements of 
        this subsection by closing any polling place, prohibiting an 
        individual from entering a line at a polling place, or refusing 
        to permit an individual who has arrived at a polling place 
        prior to closing time from voting at the polling place.
    ``(b) Development and Implementation of Contingency Plans.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each State shall develop, and implement 
        to the greatest extent practicable, a contingency plan under 
        which the State shall provide additional poll workers, 
        machines, ballots, and other equipment and supplies (as the 
        case may be) on the date of the election to any polling place 
        used in an election for Federal office, including a polling 
        place at which individuals may cast ballots prior to the date 
        of the election, at which waiting times exceed one hour.
            ``(2) Approval of plan by commission.--The State shall 
        ensure that the contingency plan developed under paragraph (1) 
        is approved by the Commission prior to the date of the election 
        involved, in accordance with such procedures as the Commission 
        may establish.
    ``(c) Effective Date.--This section shall apply with respect to 
elections held on or after January 1, 2014.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment Relating to Enforcement.--Section 401 of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 15511) is amended by striking ``sections 301, 302, 
and 303'' and inserting ``subtitle A of title III''.
    (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents of such Act is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating the items relating to sections 304 and 
        305 as relating to sections 306 and 307; and
            (2) by inserting after the item relating to section 303 the 
        following new items:

``Sec. 304. Early voting.
``Sec. 305. Preventing unreasonable waiting times for voters.''.

SEC. 3. NO EFFECT ON AUTHORITY OF STATE TO PROVIDE FOR LONGER PERIODS 
              OF EARLY VOTING OR GREATER AMOUNT OF RESOURCES AT POLLING 
              PLACES.

    Nothing in this Act or in any amendment made by this Act may be 
construed to prohibit a State, with respect to any election for Federal 
office--
            (1) from providing (in an equitable and nondiscriminatory 
        manner) a longer period for early voting than the minimum 
        period required under section 304 of the Help America Vote Act 
        of 2002 (as added by section 2(a)); or
            (2) from providing (in an equitable and nondiscriminatory 
        manner) a greater number of systems, poll workers, and other 
        election resources at any polling place than the minimum number 
        required under section 305 of such Act (as added by section 
        2(a)).
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