Dropbox Access Act of 2020

Dropbox Access Act of 2020

This bill requires each state to provide in each county secured drop boxes at which individuals may drop off their completed absentee ballots for federal elections.

Specifically, the bill requires these drop boxes to be (1) available beginning 45 days before the election; (2) accessible to individuals with disabilities; (3) accessible by public transit; and (4) located in urban, suburban, and rural communities within the county and on tribal lands.

Further, the bill outlines additional requirements that a state must meet in determining the number and location of drop boxes.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8754 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8754

  To require States to provide a minimum number of in-person, secured 
 drop boxes in each county in the State at which individuals may drop 
  off voted absentee ballots in elections for Federal office, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 16, 2020

    Ms. Scanlon (for herself, Ms. Escobar, and Ms. Garcia of Texas) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                          House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To require States to provide a minimum number of in-person, secured 
 drop boxes in each county in the State at which individuals may drop 
  off voted absentee ballots in elections for Federal office, 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 ``Dropbox Access Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. REQUIRING STATES TO PROVIDE SECURED DROP BOXES FOR VOTED 
              ABSENTEE BALLOTS IN ELECTIONS FOR FEDERAL OFFICE.

    (a) Requirement.--The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 
20901 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating sections 304 and 305 as sections 305 
        and 306; and
            (2) by inserting after section 303 the following new 
        section:

``SEC. 304. USE OF SECURED DROP BOXES FOR VOTED ABSENTEE BALLOTS.

    ``(a) Requiring Use of Drop Boxes.--In each county in the State, 
each State shall provide in-person, secured drop boxes at which 
individuals may, at any time during the period described in subsection 
(b), drop off voted absentee ballots in an election for Federal office.
    ``(b) Minimum Period for Availability of Drop Boxes.--The period 
described in this subsection is, with respect to an election, the 
period which begins 45 days before the date of the election and which 
ends at the time the polls close for the election in the county 
involved.
    ``(c) Accessibility for Individuals With Disabilities.--Each State 
shall ensure that the drop boxes provided under this section are 
accessible for use by individuals with disabilities.
    ``(d) Determination of Number and Location of Drop Boxes.--In 
determining the number and location of drop boxes provided under this 
section, the State shall meet the following requirements:
            ``(1) The number of drop boxes provided by a State in a 
        county shall be a number equal to or greater than the voting 
        age population of the county divided by 15,000 (rounded to the 
        nearest whole number).
            ``(2) The number and location of drop boxes within 
        particular areas of the county shall be determined by applying 
        such factors as will provide the maximum accessibility to the 
        drop boxes for the greatest number of voters in the county, 
        without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, 
        sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or disability status.
            ``(3) The drop boxes shall be placed at locations which are 
        convenient for use by individuals who use public 
        transportation.
            ``(4) The State shall ensure that drop boxes provided in a 
        county are located in urban, suburban, and rural communities 
        (if any) within the county and on Tribal lands (if any) within 
        the county, based on the density of the population in such 
        communities.''.
    (b) 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 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; and
            (2) by inserting after the item relating to section 303 the 
        following new item:

``Sec. 304. Use of secured drop boxes for voted absentee ballots.''.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to elections held during 2021 or any succeeding 
year.
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