I 112th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6593 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 16, 2012 Mr. Olson introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration A BILL To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to increase the penalties imposed for intimidating, threatening, or coercing any person from engaging in voter registration activities or for procuring, submitting, or casting false voter registration applications or ballots, to amend the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to require election officials to transmit balloting materials to absent uniformed services voters using the automated tagging and tracing services provided by the United States Postal Service, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Voter Fraud Prevention Act of 2012.

2.

Increase in penalties for criminal activities involving voter registration and voting

(a)

Increase in length of term of imprisonment

Section 12 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg–10) is amended in the matter following paragraph (2) by striking 5 years and inserting 10 years. (b)

Prohibition from voting in subsequent elections

Section 12 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg–10) is amended in the matter following paragraph (2) by striking the period at the end and inserting the following: and, in the case of an individual, shall not be permitted to cast a ballot in any subsequent election for Federal office.. (c)

Effective date

The amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to violations occurring on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

3.

Requiring use of automated tagging and tracing services for balloting materials transmitted to absent uniformed services voters

(a)

Requirement for election officials

(1)

In general

Section 102 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff–1) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: (j)

Requiring use of automated tagging and tracing services for balloting materials transmitted to absent uniformed services voters

In transmitting balloting materials to absent uniformed services voters, the appropriate State election official shall— (1)ensure that any tray or sack containing such materials is tagged with Tag 191 or some other similar tagging device used by the United States Postal Service to provide greater visibility to containers of such materials; and (2)use IMb Tracing or other similar tracking methods made available by the United States Postal Service to provide real-time tracking information for such materials. . (2)

Effective date

The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall apply with respect to elections occurring after the date of the enactment of this Act. (b)

Report on efforts To deter and prevent loss and theft of balloting materials

(1)

Report

Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Postmaster General shall submit a report to Congress detailing the efforts that the Postmaster General has undertaken to deter and prevent the loss and theft of balloting materials transmitted to or by absent uniformed services voters in elections for Federal office. (2)

Definitions

In paragraph (1), the terms absent uniformed services voter and balloting materials have the meaning given such terms in section 107 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff–6).