What This Bill Does
This bill changes federal voting rules by requiring most states to allow people to register to vote on the same day they vote in federal elections. People could register at the polling place either on Election Day or during early voting periods, and they could immediately cast their ballot.
Who It Affects
States and eligible individuals (people who meet the requirements to vote in federal elections).
Key Provisions
• States must allow eligible individuals to register to vote at the polling place on the day of a federal election and on any day when early voting is permitted for that federal election (Sec. 304(a)(1)(A))
• States must allow registered individuals to revise their voter registration information at the polling place on the day of a federal election or during early voting (Sec. 304(a)(1)(A))
• Eligible individuals can cast a vote in the election on the same day they register (Sec. 304(a)(1)(B))
• States that have no voter registration requirement under their state law do not have to follow this requirement (Sec. 304(a)(2))
• States must begin complying with these rules for the regularly scheduled general federal election in November 2024 and all federal elections after that (Sec. 304(c))
What Changes
If this bill becomes law, states would be required to permit same-day voter registration at polling places during federal elections, whereas current law may not require this in all states.
Important Definitions
Eligible individual means a person who is otherwise qualified to vote in that election.
Effective Date
November 2024 general election for federal office and any subsequent election for federal office (Sec. 304(c)).
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 239
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require States to provide
for same day registration.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 10, 2023
Ms. BROWNLEY (for herself, Ms. NORTON, and Mr. GARAMENDI) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Admin-
istration
A BILL
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require
States to provide for same day registration.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Same Day Registration
4
Act of 2023’’.
5
SEC. 2. SAME DAY REGISTRATION.
6
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title III of the Help America
7
Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended—
8
(1) by redesignating sections 304 and 305 as
9
sections 305 and 306, respectively; and
10
VerDate Sep 11 2014
01:54 Jan 20, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H239.IH
H239
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2
•HR 239 IH
(2) by inserting after section 303 the following
1
new section:
2
‘‘SEC. 304. SAME DAY REGISTRATION.
3
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—
4
‘‘(1) REGISTRATION.—Notwithstanding section
5
8(a)(1)(D) of the National Voter Registration Act of
6
1993 (52 U.S.C. 20507(a)(1)(D)), each State shall
7
permit any eligible individual on the day of a Fed-
8
eral election and on any day when voting, including
9
early voting, is permitted for a Federal election—
10
‘‘(A) to register to vote in such election at
11
the polling place using a form that meets the
12
requirements under section 9(b) of the National
13
Voter Registration Act of 1993 (or, if the indi-
14
vidual is already registered to vote, to revise
15
any of the individual’s voter registration infor-
16
mation); and
17
‘‘(B) to cast a vote in such election.
18
‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—The requirements under
19
paragraph (1) shall not apply to a State in which,
20
under a State law in effect continuously on and after
21
the date of the enactment of this section, there is no
22
voter registration requirement for individuals in the
23
State with respect to elections for Federal office.
24
VerDate Sep 11 2014
01:54 Jan 20, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H239.IH
H239
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3
•HR 239 IH
‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUAL.—For purposes of this
1
section, the term ‘eligible individual’ means, with respect
2
to any election for Federal office, an individual who is oth-
3
erwise qualified to vote in that election.
4
‘‘(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Each State shall be re-
5
quired to comply with the requirements of subsection (a)
6
for the regularly scheduled general election for Federal of-
7
fice occurring in November 2024 and for any subsequent
8
election for Federal office.’’.
9
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT RELATING TO EN-
10
FORCEMENT.—Section 401 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21111)
11
is amended by striking ‘‘and 303’’ and inserting ‘‘303, and
12
304’’.
13
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents
14
of such Act is amended—
15
(1) by redesignating the items relating to sec-
16
tions 304 and 305 as relating to sections 305 and
17
306, respectively; and
18
(2) by inserting after the item relating to sec-
19
tion 303 the following new item:
20
‘‘Sec. 304. Same day registration.’’.
Æ
VerDate Sep 11 2014
01:54 Jan 20, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H239.IH
H239
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS