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HR 1460 116th Congress House Crime and Law Enforcement Congressional elections Crime prevention Elections, voting, political campaign regulation Government information and archives Postal service State and local government operations Voting rights

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit voter caging and other questionable challenges.

Introduced: February 28, 2019 See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 8, 2019
Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
Apr 8, 2019
Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
Feb 28, 2019
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Feb 28, 2019
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

This bill prohibits voter caging and establishes penalties for violations. Voter caging is a practice of preventing or challenging voter registration, oftentimes by sending direct mail to individuals on the voter rolls, compiling a list of the undeliverable mail (voter caging list), and using the list to remove or challenge voter registrations.

First, the bill generally prohibits state or local election officials from preventing an individual from registering or voting in any federal election, or from permitting a formal challenge under state law to an individual's registration status or eligibility to vote, if the decision is based on certain evidence. Such evidence includes (1) a voter caging document or voter caging list, (2) an unverified match list, (3) an error or omission on a voter document that is immaterial to the individual's eligibility to vote, or (4) other evidence as designated by the Election Assistance Commission (EAC).

Additionally, it requires a private individual who challenges the right of another citizen to vote to set forth in writing, under penalty of perjury, a good faith factual basis for the ineligibility.

Further, it prohibits certain challenges to an individual's eligibility to vote in a federal election within 10 days of the election.

A violator is subject to penalties—a fine, up to one year in prison, or both.

Finally, the EAC must develop and publish best practices for preventing voter caging, and include such practices in voter information materials.

What's happening now April 8, 2019

Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

 Committees of jurisdiction 4