Election Integrity Act of 2017
This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to prohibit a state or local election official from providing a ballot for a federal election to an individual who desires to vote in person unless the individual presents a valid photo identification.
If an individual does not present a valid photo identification, the individual shall be permitted to cast a provisional ballot. An election official may not determine that such an individual is eligible under state law to vote in the election unless, not later than 10 days after casting the provisional ballot, the individual presents: (1) the identification required, or (2) an affidavit attesting that the individual does not possess the identification because the individual has a religious objection to being photographed.
With an exception for overseas military voters, an election official may not accept a ballot for a federal election provided by an individual who votes other than in person unless the individual submits with the ballot a copy of a valid photo identification.
If an individual presents an election official with an affidavit attesting that the individual is unable to afford to obtain a valid photo identification, the official shall provide the individual with a valid photo identification without charge.
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2090 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2090
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require voters in
elections for Federal office to provide photo identification as a
condition of casting a ballot in such elections, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 12, 2017
Mr. Messer 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 voters in
elections for Federal office to provide photo identification as a
condition of casting a ballot in such elections, 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 ``Election Integrity Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. REQUIRING VOTERS TO PROVIDE PHOTO IDENTIFICATION.
(a) Requirement To Provide Photo Identification as Condition of
Casting Ballot.--
(1) In general.--Title III of the Help America Vote Act of
2002 (52 U.S.C. 15481 et seq.) is amended by inserting after
section 303 the following new section:
``SEC. 303A. PHOTO IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.
``(a) Provision of Identification Required as Condition of Casting
Ballot.--
``(1) Individuals voting in person.--
``(A) Requirement to provide identification.--
Notwithstanding any other provision of law and except
as provided in subparagraph (B), the appropriate State
or local election official may not provide a ballot for
an election for Federal office to an individual who
desires to vote in person unless the individual
presents to the official a valid photo identification.
``(B) Availability of provisional ballot.--
``(i) In general.--If an individual does
not present the identification required under
subparagraph (A), the individual shall be
permitted to cast a provisional ballot with
respect to the election under section 302(a),
except that the appropriate State or local
election official may not make a determination
under section 302(a)(4) that the individual is
eligible under State law to vote in the
election unless, not later than 10 days after
casting the provisional ballot, the individual
presents to the official--
``(I) the identification required
under subparagraph (A); or
``(II) an affidavit attesting that
the individual does not possess the
identification required under
subparagraph (A) because the individual
has a religious objection to being
photographed.
``(ii) No effect on other provisional
balloting rules.--Nothing in clause (i) may be
construed to apply to the casting of a
provisional ballot pursuant to section 302(a)
or any State law for reasons other than the
failure to present the identification required
under subparagraph (A).
``(2) Individuals voting other than in person.--
``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law and except as provided in subparagraph
(B), the appropriate State or local election official
may not accept any ballot for an election for Federal
office provided by an individual who votes other than
in person unless the individual submits with the ballot
a copy of a valid photo identification.
``(B) Exception for overseas military voters.--
Subparagraph (A) does not apply with respect to a
ballot provided by an absent uniformed services voter
who, by reason of active duty or service, is absent
from the United States on the date of the election
involved. In this subparagraph, the term `absent
uniformed services voter' has the meaning given such
term in section 107(1) of the Uniformed and Overseas
Citizens Absentee Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 20310(1)),
other than an individual described in section 107(1)(C)
of such Act.
``(b) Provision of Identifications Without Charge to Individuals
Unable To Pay Costs of Obtaining Identification.--If an individual
presents a State or local election official with an affidavit attesting
that the individual is unable to pay the costs associated with
obtaining a valid photo identification under this section, the official
shall provide the individual with a valid photo identification under
this subsection without charge to the individual.
``(c) Valid Photo Identifications Described.--For purposes of this
section, a `valid photo identification' means, with respect to an
individual who seeks to vote in a State, any of the following:
``(1) A valid State-issued motor vehicle driver's license
that includes a photo of the individual and an expiration date.
``(2) A valid State-issued identification card that
includes a photo of the individual and an expiration date.
``(3) A valid United States passport for the individual.
``(4) A valid military identification for the individual.
``(5) Any other form of government-issued identification
that the State may specify as a valid photo identification for
purposes of this subsection.
``(d) Notification of Identification Requirement to Applicants for
Voter Registration.--
``(1) In general.--Each State shall ensure that, at the
time an individual applies to register to vote in elections for
Federal office in the State, the appropriate State or local
election official notifies the individual of the photo
identification requirements of this section.
``(2) Special rule for individuals applying to register to
vote online.--Each State shall ensure that, in the case of an
individual who applies to register to vote in elections for
Federal office in the State online, the online voter
registration system notifies the individual of the photo
identification requirements of this section before the
individual completes the online registration process.
``(e) Treatment of States With Photo Identification Requirements in
Effect as of Date of Enactment.--If, as of the date of the enactment of
this section, a State has in effect a law requiring an individual to
provide a photo identification as a condition of casting a ballot in
elections for Federal office held in the State and the law remains in
effect on and after the effective date of this section, the State shall
be considered to meet the requirements of this section if--
``(1) the State submits a request to the Attorney General
and provides such information as the Attorney General may
consider necessary to determine that the State has in effect
such a law and that the law remains in effect; and
``(2) the Attorney General approves the request.
``(f) Effective Date.--This section shall apply with respect to
elections for Federal office held in 2020 or any succeeding year.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents of such Act
is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 303
the following new item:
``Sec. 303A. Photo identification requirements.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment Relating to Voluntary Guidance by Election
Assistance Commission.--Section 311(b) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21101(b))
is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (2);
(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (3) and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(4) in the case of the recommendations with respect to
section 303A, October 1, 2018.''.
(c) Conforming Amendment Relating to Enforcement.--Section 401 of
such Act (52 U.S.C. 21111) is amended by striking ``and 303'' and
inserting ``303, and 303A''.
(d) Conforming Amendments Relating to Repeal of Existing Photo
Identification Requirements for Certain Voters.--
(1) In general.--Section 303 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 15483)
is amended--
(A) in the heading, by striking ``and requirements
for voters who register by mail'';
(B) in the heading of subsection (b), by striking
``for Voters Who Register by Mail'' and inserting ``for
Mail-In Registration Forms'';
(C) in subsection (b), by striking paragraphs (1)
through (3) and redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as
paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively; and
(D) in subsection (c), by striking ``subsections
(a)(5)(A)(i)(II) and (b)(3)(B)(i)(II)'' and inserting
``subsection (a)(5)(A)(i)(II)''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents of such Act
is amended by amending the item relating to section 303 to read
as follows:
``Sec. 303. Computerized statewide voter registration list
requirements.''.
(e) Effective Date.--This section and the amendments made by this
section shall apply with respect to elections for Federal office held
in 2020 or any succeeding year.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line