Election Results Accountability Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Election Results Accountability Act adds federal election counting and certification deadlines to the Help America Vote Act. For federal elections, a State must count at least 90 percent of ballots and publicly release that count within 72 hours after polls close. Within two weeks, the State must complete the count, officially certify the result, and make it public. A State is excused if both the Election Assistance Commission and the Attorney General certify that noncompliance resulted from a bona fide emergency, technical difficulties, first-election implementation of new procedures or reforms, or a recount. If both officials certify noncompliance without an exception, the State cannot receive future Election Assistance Commission funds for subsequent election administration until it submits a compliance plan and both officials certify corrective actions.
Who Benefits and How
Voters benefit from faster public reporting and certification deadlines for federal election results. Candidates in federal elections benefit from a clearer timeline for knowing preliminary and certified results. Election transparency organizations benefit from public deadlines and grant consequences for missed counts. The Election Assistance Commission benefits from explicit authority to condition future election administration funds on compliance plans.
Who Bears the Burden and How
State election officials must count 90 percent of ballots within 72 hours and complete certification within two weeks. Local election administrators must adjust staffing, tabulation, ballot processing, and reporting to meet State deadlines. The Election Assistance Commission must evaluate exceptions, certify noncompliance, review plans, and condition future funding. The Attorney General must join certification decisions about emergencies, technical difficulties, recounts, reforms, or noncompliance.
Key Provisions
- Requires States to count at least 90 percent of Federal election ballots within 72 hours after polls close.
- Requires complete counting, official certification, and public release within two weeks.
- Provides exceptions for emergencies, technical failures, first-election reforms, and recounts when certified by EAC and the Attorney General.
- Blocks future EAC election administration funds after certified noncompliance until a State submits and follows a corrective plan.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Requires States to count at least 90 percent of Federal election ballots within 72 hours, complete counting and certification within two weeks, and submit compliance plans before receiving future Election Assistance Commission funds if deadlines are missed without certified exceptions.
Key Policy Areas
Elections, Federal Grants, State Government
Primary Purpose
Requires States to count at least 90 percent of Federal election ballots within 72 hours, complete counting and certification within two weeks, and submit compliance plans before receiving future Election Assistance Commission funds if deadlines are missed without certified exceptions.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Voters
- Federal candidates
- Election transparency organizations
- Election Assistance Commission
Identified Costs
- State election officials
- Local election administrators
- Election Assistance Commission
- Attorney General
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Obernolte (for himself, Mr. Calvert, Mr. Kiley of California, …
Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Election Assistance Commission, Federal candidates, Local election administrators
Positive-direction: Federal candidates
Negative-direction: Election Assistance Commission, Local election administrators, State election officials
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology