VoteSafe Act of 2020

Key: what the circles and colors mean

Each circle is a bill. The ring fills as it moves through Congress:

IntroducedPassed one chamberPassed both chambersBecame law (gold)Resolution agreed to (full, dark)Failed or vetoed (gray)

Under the number: the Yea · Nay count of its final (or latest) recorded vote. On a member's page, the small badge is how that member voted: Y Yea / Aye, N Nay / No, P Present, – Not voting.

Gold and violet are only for Yea and Nay; they never mean a party. A member's party is the letter on their photo.

Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 116th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.

D ClyburnSponsor

87 cosponsors · 87 D

68 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.

This bill expands vote-by-mail and early in-person voting during the 2020 federal elections. It also directs polling places to follow certain guidance related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) preparedness.

What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Jun 1, 2020

VoteSafe Act of 2020

Specifically, each state and local jurisdiction must permit no-excuse mail-in absentee voting. Among other things, each state and jurisdiction must (1) provide a mail-in ballot with prepaid return postage to each registered voter who requests such a ballot, (2) allow voters to submit online ballot requests, (3) allow voters to cure certain signature discrepancies, and (4) provide secured drop-off boxes from 45 days before the date of the election.

Each state and local jurisdiction must maintain an early in-person voting period of at least 20 days.

Additionally, each state must establish a plan to ensure that polling places are implementing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention related to COVID-19 preparedness. Among other requirements, each plan must (1) keep as many voting locations open as possible, (2) prepare polling locations to implement social distancing protocols, (3) provide sufficient quantities of hygiene and cleaning supplies at polling locations, and (4) provide additional compensation and protective equipment to poll workers.

The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) must make a payment, within 30 days, to each state to carry out these requirements.

Finally, the EAC must make payments to eligible states to carry out certain activities related to in-person voting, such as ensuring that elections are accessible to individuals with disabilities and implementing curbside voting.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov

About this bill and sources

Official title: VoteSafe Act of 2020

Latest action (Jun 1, 2020): Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Policy area: Government Operations and Politics · Origin: House · Introduced: Jun 1, 2020

Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)

No recorded floor vote found.