Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jan 15, 2013
Value Our Time Elections Act or VOTE Act - Amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) to require each state to make available official public websites for online voter registration.
Authorizes automated voter registration of certain individuals and establishes other initiatives to promote voter registration, such as same day registration and voter registration of individuals under 18 years of age.
Sets forth requirements for maintenance, privacy, and security of voter registration lists, including establishing deadlines for transmittal of change of address or other identifying information.
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Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) to direct each state to provide, according to standards issued by the Election Assistance Commission, for the minimum required number of voting systems, poll workers, and other election resources (including all other physical resources) for each voting site on the day of any federal election and on any days during which such state allows early voting for a federal election.
Require each state to submit a written plan to the Commission describing the measures it is implementing to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, an equitable waiting time for all voters in the state and a waiting time of less than one hour at any polling place in the election.
Requires each jurisdiction for which the Commission determines that a substantial number of voters waited more than 90 minutes to cast a vote in a federal election, or in which there were substantial violations of certain established standards, to comply with a state remedial plan established by the Commission to provide for the effective allocation of resources to administer elections in the state and to reduce voter waiting times.
Requires provision of an emergency paper ballot to any requesting voter in the event of a failure of voting equipment or other circumstances at a polling place that causes an unreasonable delay.
Requires each state to allow individuals to vote during the seven day period (or, at state option, a longer period) before a federal election in the same manner as voting is allowed on election day.
Establishes minimum early voting requirements.
Directs the Commission to issue standards for the administration of early voting.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Aug 12, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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