To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to establish requirements for the administration of elections for public office in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
The American Confidence in Elections Act imposes new federal requirements on how the District of Columbia conducts elections. It mandates voter photo ID for both in-person and mail-in voting, prohibits same-day voter registration, bans third-party ballot collection (known as ballot harvesting), requires election results be reported by 10am the day after Election Day, and restricts the use of ballot drop boxes.
Who Benefits and How
- Election transparency advocates: Gain expanded poll watcher rights allowing observers to stand within 3 feet of election procedures and challenge ballots.
- Candidates and political parties: Receive authority to designate poll watchers who can challenge ballot casting, tabulation, and recounts.
- General public: Receives mandatory post-election audits within 30 days and real-time ballot count reporting on election night.
Who Bears the Burden and How
- District of Columbia government: Must implement new voter ID systems, annual voter roll purges, bipartisan election worker requirements, and 24-hour drop box surveillance.
- DC voters without photo ID: Must obtain free government-issued ID or provide last 4 digits of SSN; those unable to meet ID requirements due to religious beliefs receive alternative ID.
- Voters who have not voted in 2 years: Subject to removal from voter rolls if they fail to respond to notices and don't vote in the subsequent 4 years.
- Third-party ballot collection organizations: Prohibited from collecting and transmitting ballots (except family members, household members, and caregivers).
Key Provisions
- Requires photo ID or last 4 SSN digits for all DC voters; free ID must be provided to those who cannot afford it
- Prohibits same-day voter registration (30-day advance registration required)
- Bans third-party ballot harvesting except for family/household members/caregivers
- Mandates election results reported by 10am the day after Election Day
- Requires ballot drop boxes be inside government buildings with 24-hour surveillance
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Establishes comprehensive election administration requirements for the District of Columbia including voter ID mandates, voter roll maintenance, ballot collection restrictions, and enhanced election transparency measures.
Key Policy Areas
Elections, Voting Rights, District of Columbia, Government Administration
Primary Purpose
Establishes comprehensive election administration requirements for the District of Columbia including voter ID mandates, voter roll maintenance, ballot collection restrictions, and enhanced election transparency measures.
Policy Domains
Subtitle C - Requirements for Elections in District of Columbia
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Election integrity advocates
- Political party poll watchers
- Candidates
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- District of Columbia government
- DC voters without photo ID
- Infrequent voters
- Community ballot collection organizations
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Cline introduced the following bill; which was referred to …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
DC agencies with voter photos, District of Columbia Board of Elections, District of Columbia government
DC voters using drop boxes, DC voters who vote by mail, DC voters without photo ID
Positive-direction: Election transparency advocates, Military and overseas voters
Negative-direction: DC voters using drop boxes, DC voters who vote by mail, DC voters without photo ID, Infrequent voters in DC, Voters seeking same-day registration, Voters with mobility limitations, Voters without proper ID
Ballot initiative committees, Political campaigns, Political parties and candidates
Positive-direction: Ballot initiative committees, Political parties and candidates
Negative-direction: Political campaigns
Community organizations engaged in ballot collection
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_mayor"
- → Mayor of the District of Columbia
- "dc_board_of_elections"
- → District of Columbia Board of Elections
- "chief_election_official"
- → Chief Election Official of the District of Columbia
- "the_district_of_columbia"
- → District of Columbia Government
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Any election for public office in the District of Columbia, including an election for Federal office, and any ballot initiative or referendum
An individual who provides medical or health care assistance in a residence, nursing care institution, hospice facility, assisted living center, or adult foster care home
Has the meaning given the term 'Indian tribe' in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act
The recognized governing body of an Indian Tribe
An individual who is related by blood, marriage, adoption or legal guardianship
An individual who resides at the same residence
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