Sec. 1305. Requiring States to provide secured drop boxes for voted ballots in elections for Federal office
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Subtitle A of title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 ( 52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq. ), as amended by section 1031(a), section 1044(a), section 1101(a), section 1102(a), section 1103(a), section 1104(a), section 1201(a), section 1301(a), section 1302(a), and section 1303(b) is amended— by redesignating sections 314 and 315 as sections 315 and 316, respectively; and by inserting after section 313 the following new section: Each jurisdiction shall provide in-person, secured, and clearly labeled drop boxes at which individuals may, at any time during the period described in subsection (b), drop off voted ballots in an election for Federal office.
The period described in this subsection is, with respect to an election, the period that begins on the first day on which the jurisdiction sends mail-in ballots or absentee ballots (other than ballots for absent uniformed overseas voters (as defined in section 107(1) of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act ( 52 U.S.C. 20310(1) )) or overseas voters (as defined in section 107(5) of such Act ( 52 U.S.C. 20310(5) ))) to voters for such election and which ends at the time the polls close for the election in the jurisdiction involved.
Except as provided in subparagraph (B), each drop box provided under this section shall be accessible to voters for a reasonable number of hours each day. Of the number of drop boxes provided in any jurisdiction, not less than the required number shall be accessible for 24 hours per day during the period described in subsection (b). The required number is the greater of— 25 percent of the drop boxes required under subsection (d); or 1 drop box. Drop boxes provided under this section shall be accessible for use— by individuals with disabilities, as determined in consultation with the protection and advocacy systems (as defined in section 102 of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 ( 42 U.S.C. 15002 )) of the State; by individuals with limited proficiency in the English language; and by homeless individuals (as defined in section 103 of the McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 11302 )) within the State.
For purposes of this paragraph, drop boxes shall be considered to be accessible for use by individuals with disabilities if the drop boxes meet such criteria as the Attorney General may establish for such purposes. If a drop box provided under this section is on the grounds of or inside a building or facility which serves as a polling place for an election during the period described in subsection (b), nothing in this subsection may be construed to waive any requirements regarding the accessibility of such polling place for the use of individuals with disabilities, individuals with limited proficiency in the English language, or homeless individuals.
Each jurisdiction shall have— in the case of any election for Federal office prior to the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 2026, not less than 1 drop box for every 45,000 registered voters located in the jurisdiction; and in the case of the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 2026 and each election for Federal office occurring thereafter, not less than the greater of— 1 drop box for every 45,000 registered voters located in the jurisdiction; or 1 drop box for every 15,000 votes that were cast by mail in the jurisdiction in the most recent general election that includes an election for the office of President.
In no case shall a jurisdiction have fewer than 1 drop box for any election for Federal office. The State shall determine the location of drop boxes provided under this section in a jurisdiction on the basis of criteria which ensure that the drop boxes are— available to all voters on a non-discriminatory basis; accessible to voters with disabilities (in accordance with subsection (c)); accessible by public transportation to the greatest extent possible; available during all hours of the day; sufficiently available in all communities in the jurisdiction, including rural communities and on Tribal lands within the jurisdiction (subject to subsection (f)); and geographically distributed to provide a reasonable opportunity for voters to submit their voted ballot in a timely manner.
For purposes of section 311(g) (relating to the timing of the processing and scanning of ballots for tabulation), a vote cast using a drop box provided under this section shall be treated in the same manner as a ballot cast by mail. On or adjacent to each drop box provided under this section, the State shall post information on the requirements that voted absentee ballots must meet in order to be counted and tabulated in the election. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a State from providing for the security of drop boxes through remote or electronic surveillance.
This section shall apply with respect to the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 2024 and each succeeding election for Federal office. . The table of contents of such Act, as amended by section 1031(c), section 1044(b), section 1101(c), section 1102(c), section 1103(a), section 1104(c), section 1201(c), section 1301(c), section 1302(a), and section 1303(b), is amended— by redesignating the items relating to sections 314 and 315 as relating to sections 315 and 316, respectively; and by inserting after the item relating to section 313 the following new item:
Sec. 314. Use of secured drop boxes for voted absentee ballots. .
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Sec. 1305
Requiring States to provide secured drop boxes for voted ballots in elections for Federal office
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