[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4543 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4543
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to establish certain
requirements for the timely processing and reporting of results with
respect to a District of Columbia election, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 11, 2023
Mr. Donalds introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on House Administration
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A BILL
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to establish certain
requirements for the timely processing and reporting of results with
respect to a District of Columbia election, and for other purposes.
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 ``American Confidence in Elections:
District of Columbia Timely Reporting of Election Results Act''.
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS FOR PROCESSING AND REPORTING RESULTS WITH RESPECT
TO DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ELECTIONS.
(a) Requirements.--Title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002
(52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by redesignating sections 304 and 305 as sections 305
and 306, respectively; and
(2) by inserting after section 303 the following new
section:
``SEC. 304. TIMELY PROCESSING AND REPORTING OF RESULTS WITH RESPECT TO
A DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ELECTION.
``(a) Time for Processing Ballots and Reporting Results.--The
District of Columbia shall begin processing ballots received by mail in
a District of Columbia election as soon as such ballots are received
and shall ensure to the greatest extent practicable that the results of
such District of Columbia election are reported to the public not later
than 10:00 am on the date following the date of the election, but in no
case shall such ballots be tabulated or such results be reported
earlier than the closing of polls on the date of the election.
``(b) Requirement To Publish Number of Voted Ballots on Election
Day.--The District of Columbia shall, as soon as practicable after the
closing of polls on the date of a District of Columbia election, make
available on a publicly accessible website the total number of voted
ballots in the possession of election officials in the District of
Columbia as of the time of the closing of polls on the date of such
election, which shall include, as of such time--
``(1) the number of voted ballots delivered by mail;
``(2) the number of ballots requested for such election by
individuals who are entitled to vote by absentee ballot under
the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (52
U.S.C. 20301 et seq.); and
``(3) the number of voted ballots for such election
received from individuals who are entitled to vote by absentee
ballot under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee
Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 20301 et seq.), including from
individuals who, under such Act, voted by absentee ballot
without requesting such a ballot.
``(c) Requirements To Ensure Bipartisan Election Administration
Activity.--With respect to a District of Columbia election, District of
Columbia election officials shall ensure that all activities are
carried out in a bipartisan manner, which shall include a requirement
that, in the case of an election worker who enters a room which
contains ballots, voting equipment, or non-voting equipment as any part
of the election worker's duties to carry out such election, the
election worker is accompanied by an individual registered to vote with
respect to a different political party than such election worker, as
determined pursuant to the voting registration records of the District
of Columbia.
``(d) District of Columbia Election Defined.--The term `District of
Columbia election' means any election for public office in the District
of Columbia, including an election for Federal office, and any ballot
initiative or referendum.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment Relating to Enforcement.--Section 401 of
the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21111) is amended by
striking ``and 303'' and inserting ``303, and 304''.
(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 305 and 306, respectively; and
(2) by inserting after the item relating to section 303 the
following new item:
``Sec. 304. Timely processing and reporting of results with respect to
a District of Columbia election.''.
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