Federal agencies would improve voter registration and election access

Covered agencies would assess ways to help people register and vote and send a plan to the President and Congress. The provisions apply to agencies covered by the bill, but not independent regulatory agencies. If a state asks an agency to become a voter-registration agency, the agency must agree to the greatest extent practicable or explain its refusal to the President and Congress. Agencies must also assess where they serve the public and, to the greatest extent practicable, tell each state where they would agree to that designation. Each agency must submit its plan no later than 200 days after the Act's enactment.

The General Services Administration would improve Vote.gov, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology would publish accessibility steps and recommendations. The Vote.gov changes would cover people with disabilities and people who use languages spoken by language minority groups in the United States. Vote.gov must meet federal accessibility requirements and be translated into each specified language. The General Services Administration must submit a modernization plan within 200 days after enactment. The Institute must publish its accessibility steps and recommendations within 270 days.

Defense would offer active-duty service members annual voter-registration and absentee-ballot help and work toward tracking overseas ballots; agencies would also make recommendations about time off to vote and poll-worker service. The provisions cover active-duty service members, absent uniformed-services and overseas voters, and Federal employees, including those stationed outside the United States. Defense must take all practical steps toward a ballot-tracking system and evaluate whether an online system can provide the offered services. The annual offer and ballot-tracking plan are due within 200 days after enactment; the recommendations on Federal employee voting opportunities are also due within 200 days.

The Attorney General would set procedures for providing voting information and, when practicable, help with registration and voting. The provisions cover eligible people in Federal prisons, people in jails under Federal agreements, people under Federal probation or pretrial supervision, and formerly incarcerated people seeking identification. Jails would provide voting information and help with voting by mail only to the extent practicable and appropriate. Materials for people leaving Federal custody must explain any state voting restriction and when it ends.

An interagency group would consult Tribal Nations and Native leaders, then publish recommendations on protecting Native American voting rights. The group would consider voting access and barriers for Native American communities, including language, internet access, disability access, and the use of Tribal identification. The Department of the Interior would provide administrative support, and the group would end after its report is published. The group must publish its report within one year after enactment.