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HR8499FEDERALFederal Billfiled

High Impact

Proposed Changes to Federal Absentee Voting Rules

Original title: Clean Elections in America Act

Record date · May 22, 2024

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Would Do

The Clean Elections in America Act would restrict who can vote by in federal elections to individuals who meet specific excusable reasons, such as work, caregiving, or physical disability. It also mandates that voters submit a sworn written statement of identity and apply by the Friday before election day.

Why it matters

This bill would change the eligibility criteria for absentee voting in federal elections, requiring voters to provide a specific reason and a sworn statement to receive a ballot, which could impact the accessibility of mail-in voting for millions of Americans.

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Voters in federal elections

Voters would be required to meet specific criteria and provide sworn statements to qualify for absentee ballots.

Directly affected

State and local election officials

Officials would be required to process applications based on the new eligibility and documentation standards.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who would be eligible to vote by absentee ballot under this bill?

Only individuals who cannot vote in person due to work, caregiving for a family member with a disability, physical ailment/disability, or being away from their voting .

What is the deadline to apply for an absentee ballot?

Applications must be received by the appropriate election official by noon on the Friday before the election.

What documentation is required to apply?

Voters must provide their name, address, the specific reason for their absence, and a sworn written statement attesting to their identity.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

Currently filed. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Committee.

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Standardization of Absentee Voting

The bill moves to federalize specific eligibility requirements for absentee voting, which are currently determined largely by individual states.

Help America Vote Act of 2002

Connected Entities

52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq., Grothman, House of Representatives and 3 more

bill number52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.“Title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002”Map →

PersonGrothman“Introduced the bill”Map →

OrganizationHouse of Representatives“Introduced in the House”Map →

OrganizationU.S. Government Publishing Office“Source of the document”Map →

bill numberHelp America Vote Act of 2002“The Act being amended”Map →

OrganizationCommittee on House Administration“Bill referred to this committee”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.congress.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance85
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy90
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz40
Current news / social attention level

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