[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7300 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7300
To promote the integrity and improve the administration of elections
for Federal office, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 30, 2026
Mr. Steil (for himself, Mrs. Miller of Illinois, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Carey,
Mr. Tiffany, Mr. Van Orden, Mr. Begich, Mrs. Bice, Mr. Tony Gonzales of
Texas, Mr. Bresnahan, Mr. Fong, Mr. Edwards, Mrs. Miller-Meeks, Mr.
Bilirakis, Mr. Hern of Oklahoma, Mr. Patronis, Mrs. Kim, Mr. Bean of
Florida, Mr. Hamadeh of Arizona, Mr. Walberg, Mr. Rose, Mr. Gooden, Mr.
Mackenzie, Mr. Allen, and Mr. Pfluger) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in
addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, the
Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), 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
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To promote the integrity and improve the administration of elections
for Federal office, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Make Elections Great Again Act''.
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of Contents.
TITLE I--ELECTION INTEGRITY
Subtitle A--Requiring Photo ID for Voting
Sec. 101. Requiring voters to provide photo identification.
Subtitle B--Voter Registration and List Maintenance Requirements
Sec. 111. Repeal of requirements with respect to administration of
voter registration.
Sec. 112. General requirements for administration of voter
registration.
Sec. 113. Requirements with respect to removal of ineligible voters
from official voter list.
Sec. 114. Computerized statewide voter registration list requirements.
Sec. 115. Requirements for applicants who register by mail.
Sec. 116. Civil enforcement and private right of action.
Sec. 117. Election Assistance Commission guidance.
Sec. 118. Inapplicability of Paperwork Reduction Act.
Sec. 119. Duty of Secretary of Homeland Security to notify election
officials of naturalization.
Sec. 120. Rule of construction regarding provisional ballots.
Sec. 121. Rule of construction regarding effect on State exemptions
from other Federal laws.
Sec. 122. Requiring applicants for motor vehicle driver's licenses in
new state to indicate whether state serves
as residence for voter registration
purposes.
Sec. 123. Definitions.
Subtitle C--Information Sharing Agreements With Attorney General
Sec. 131. Information sharing agreements with Attorney General.
Subtitle D--Election Security
Sec. 141. Indication of citizenship on driver's licenses and
identification cards.
Sec. 142. Requirement to notify State election officials of individuals
recused from jury service on grounds of
noncitizenship.
Sec. 143. Reports to Congress on foreign and domestic threats to
elections.
Sec. 144. Preservation of election records.
Sec. 145. Definitions.
Subtitle E--Prohibition on Federal Agency Political Activities
Sec. 151. Prohibiting political activities in Federal agencies.
TITLE II--ELECTION ADMINISTRATION
Subtitle A--Improving Administration of Elections
Sec. 201. Use of HAVA funds for post-election audits of results.
Subtitle B--Treatment of Ballots
Sec. 211. Requiring paper ballots.
Sec. 212. Limitation on possession of mail-in ballots.
Sec. 213. Prohibiting States from using ranked choice voting in general
elections for Federal office.
Sec. 214. Abolishing universal vote by mail.
Sec. 215. Barcode tracking for mail-in ballots.
Sec. 216. Receipt, processing, and counting of absentee and mail-in
ballots.
TITLE I--ELECTION INTEGRITY
Subtitle A--Requiring Photo ID for Voting
SEC. 101. REQUIRING VOTERS TO PROVIDE PHOTO IDENTIFICATION.
(a) Requirement to Provide Photo Identification as Condition of
Casting Ballot.--
(1) In general.--Title III of the Help America Vote Act of
2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended by inserting after
section 303 the following new section:
``SEC. 303A. PHOTO IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.
``(a) Provision of Identification Required as Condition of Casting
Ballot.--
``(1) Individuals voting in person.--
``(A) Requirement to provide identification.--
Notwithstanding any other provision of law and except
as provided in subparagraph (B), the appropriate State
or local election official may not provide a ballot for
an election for Federal office to an individual who
desires to vote in person unless the individual
presents to the official a valid physical photo
identification.
``(B) Availability of provisional ballot.--
``(i) In general.--If an individual does
not present the identification required under
subparagraph (A), the individual shall be
permitted to cast a provisional ballot with
respect to the election under section 302(a),
except that the appropriate State or local
election official may not make a determination
under section 302(a)(4) that the individual is
eligible under State law to vote in the
election unless, not later than 3 days after
casting the provisional ballot, the individual
presents to the official--
``(I) the identification required
under subparagraph (A); or
``(II) an affidavit developed and
made available to the individual by the
State attesting that the individual
does not possess the identification
required under subparagraph (A) because
the individual has a religious
objection to being photographed.
``(ii) No effect on other provisional
balloting rules.--Nothing in clause (i) may be
construed to apply to the casting of a
provisional ballot pursuant to section 302(a)
or any State law for reasons other than the
failure to present the identification required
under subparagraph (A).
``(2) Individuals voting other than in person.--
``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law and except as provided in subparagraph
(B), the appropriate State or local election official
may not accept any ballot for an election for Federal
office provided by an individual who votes other than
in person unless the individual submits with the
ballot--
``(i) a copy of a valid photo
identification; or
``(ii) the last four digits of the
individual's Social Security number and an
affidavit developed and made available to the
individual by the State attesting that the
individual is unable to obtain a copy of a
valid photo identification after making
reasonable efforts to obtain such a copy.
``(B) Exceptions.--
``(i) In general.--Subparagraph (A) does
not apply with respect to a ballot provided
by--
``(I) an absent uniformed services
voter who, by reason of active duty or
service, is absent from the United
States on the date of the election
involved; or
``(II) an individual provided the
right to vote otherwise than in person
under section 3(b)(2)(B)(ii) of the
Voting Accessibility for the Elderly
and Handicapped Act (52 U.S.C.
20102(b)(2)(B)(ii)).
``(ii) Absent uniformed services voter
defined.--In this subparagraph, the term
`absent uniformed services voter' has the
meaning given such term in section 107(1) of
the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee
Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 20310(1)), other than an
individual described in section 107(1)(C) of
such Act.
``(b) Providing Public Access to Digital Imaging Devices.--With
respect to each State, the appropriate State or local government
official of the State shall ensure, to the extent practicable, public
access to a digital imaging device, which shall include a printer,
copier, image scanner, or multifunction machine, at State and local
government buildings in the State, including courts, libraries, and
police stations, for the purpose of allowing individuals to use such a
device at no cost to the individual to make a copy of a valid photo
identification.
``(c) Valid Photo Identifications Described.--For purposes of this
section, a `valid photo identification' means, with respect to an
individual who seeks to vote in a State, any of the following:
``(1) A valid State-issued motor vehicle driver's license
that includes a photo of the individual and an expiration date.
``(2) A valid State-issued identification card that
includes a photo of the individual and an expiration date.
``(3) A valid United States passport for the individual.
``(4) A valid military identification for the individual.
``(5) A valid identification document issued by a Tribal
government that includes a photo of the individual and an
expiration date.
``(6) Any other form of government-issued identification
that the State may specify as a valid photo identification for
purposes of this subsection, excluding identification cards
provided by an educational institution.
``(d) Notification of Identification Requirement to Applicants for
Voter Registration.--
``(1) In general.--Each State shall ensure that, at the
time an individual applies to register to vote in elections for
Federal office in the State, the appropriate State or local
election official notifies the individual of the photo
identification requirements of this section.
``(2) Special rule for individuals applying to register to
vote online.--Each State shall ensure that, in the case of an
individual who applies to register to vote in elections for
Federal office in the State online, the online voter
registration system notifies the individual of the photo
identification requirements of this section before the
individual completes the online registration process.
``(e) Effective Date.--This section shall apply with respect to
elections for Federal office held in 2027 or any succeeding year.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents of such Act
is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 303
the following new item:
``Sec. 303A. Photo identification requirements.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment Relating to Voluntary Guidance by Election
Assistance Commission.--Section 311(b) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21101(b))
is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (2);
(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (3) and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(4) in the case of the recommendations with respect to
section 303A, October 1, 2025.''.
(c) Conforming Amendment Relating to Enforcement.--Section 401 of
such Act (52 U.S.C. 21111) is amended by striking ``sections 301, 302,
303, and 304'' and inserting ``subtitle A of title III''.
(d) Effective Date.--This section and the amendments made by this
section shall apply with respect to elections for Federal office held
in 2027 or any succeeding year.
Subtitle B--Voter Registration and List Maintenance Requirements
SEC. 111. REPEAL OF REQUIREMENTS WITH RESPECT TO ADMINISTRATION OF
VOTER REGISTRATION.
(a) Repeal of Existing Requirements.--
(1) National voter registration act of 1993.--Section 8 of
the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20507)
is repealed.
(2) Help america vote act of 2002.--
(A) Repeal.--Except as provided under subparagraph
(B), section 303 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002
(52 U.S.C. 21083) is repealed.
(B) Exception.--Subparagraph (A) does not apply
with respect to section 303(a)(5)(C) of such Act.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--The National Voter Registration Act of
1993 (52 U.S.C. 20501 et seq.) is amended--
(1) in section 5(c)(2)(D)(i), by striking ``section 8(a)(5)
(A) and (B)'' and inserting ``subparagraphs (A) and (B) of
section 112(a)(6) of the Make Elections Great Again Act'';
(2) in section 6(d) (52 U.S.C. 20505(d))--
(A) by striking ``section 8(a)(2)'' and inserting
``section 112(a)(2) of the Make Elections Great Again
Act''; and
(B) by striking ``section 8(d)'' and inserting
``section 113(c) of the Make Elections Great Again
Act''; and
(3) by amending section 9 to read as follows:
``SEC. 9. FEDERAL COORDINATION AND REGULATIONS.
``The Election Assistance Commission--
``(1) in consultation with the chief State election
official of each State, shall prescribe such regulations as are
necessary to carry out paragraphs (2) and (3);
``(2) in consultation with the chief State election
official of each State, shall develop a mail voter registration
application form for elections for Federal office;
``(3) not later than June 30 of each odd-numbered year,
shall submit to the Congress a report assessing the impact of
this Act on the administration of elections for Federal office
during the preceding 2-year period and including
recommendations for improvements in Federal and State
procedures, forms, and other matters affected by this Act; and
``(4) shall provide information to the States with respect
to the responsibilities of the States under this Act.''.
SEC. 112. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMINISTRATION OF VOTER
REGISTRATION.
(a) In General.--In the administration of voter registration for
elections for Federal office, each State shall--
(1) ensure that any eligible applicant is registered to
vote in an election if the applicant's voter registration form
is authenticated by the chief State election official of the
State and--
(A) in the case of registration with a motor
vehicle application under section 5 of the National
Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20504), if
the applicant submits the valid voter registration form
and required documentary proof described in paragraph
(5) to the appropriate State motor vehicle authority
not later than the lesser of 30 days, or the period
provided by State law, before the date of the election
in the case of registration with a motor vehicle
application under section 5 of such Act;
(B) in the case of registration by mail under
section 6 of the National Voter Registration Act of
1993 (52 U.S.C. 20505), if the valid voter registration
form and required documentary proof described in
paragraph (5) of the applicant are postmarked not later
than the lesser of 30 days, or the period provided by
State law, before the date of the election;
(C) in the case of registration at a voter
registration agency, if the valid voter registration
form and required documentary proof described in
paragraph (5) of the applicant are accepted at the
voter registration agency not later than the lesser of
30 days, or the period provided by State law, before
the date of the election; and
(D) in any other case, if the valid voter
registration form and required documentary proof
described in paragraph (5) of the applicant are
received by the appropriate State election official not
later than the lesser of 30 days, or the period
provided by State law, before the date of the election;
(2) require the appropriate State election official to send
notice to each applicant of the disposition of the application;
(3) provide that the name of a registrant may not be
removed from the official list of eligible voters except
pursuant to a reason described in section 113(a)(1);
(4) take such affirmative steps as are necessary to remove
ineligible voters pursuant to the requirements under section
113;
(5) ensure that the State does not accept and process an
application to register to vote in an election for Federal
office unless the applicant satisfies the eligibility
requirements as described in subsection (c)(1), including with