HR4881-119

What This Bill Does

The SWIFT VOTE Act gives the Election Assistance Commission one year to make grants to eligible jurisdictions for electronic pollbooks or for the capability to collect and disseminate federal-election wait-time information. EAC must prioritize jurisdictions with demonstrated need for new or additional e-pollbooks to reduce polling-place wait times and jurisdictions proposing wait-time reporting. Jurisdictions seeking wait-time funding must certify that the chief election official will publish current wait times on an official public website: hourly for polling places open four hours or fewer, and at least four regular intervals for polling places open more than four hours. After each election cycle, the jurisdiction must publish a report on wait times on election day and in-person early voting days to the extent available. Grantees must supplement rather than supplant other funding, report to EAC on e-pollbook procurement and maintenance, develop procedures showing compliance with EAC's Voluntary Electronic Poll Book Certification Program or a successor program, and work with voting-system technology experts on training that serves voters with limited English proficiency and voters with disabilities. The bill authorizes $120 million, available until expended.

Who Benefits and How

Voters at crowded polling places benefit if electronic pollbooks and wait-time reporting reduce check-in bottlenecks. Voters with limited English proficiency benefit because required training must address their needs. Voters with disabilities benefit because election-official training must address accessibility needs. Eligible election jurisdictions benefit from federal funding for e-pollbook procurement, maintenance, and wait-time systems. Election technology vendors benefit from grant-funded demand for certified electronic pollbooks and wait-time reporting tools.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Election Assistance Commission must administer $120 million in grants within one year and prioritize need-based applications. Chief election officials must publish live wait-time information and post-election wait-time reports. Local election offices must provide regular EAC reports and maintain certification procedures for e-pollbooks. Election officials must complete training on e-pollbook use and voter service for disabled voters and limited-English voters. Federal taxpayers bear the cost of the grant authorization.

Key Provisions

• Authorizes $120 million for EAC grants for electronic pollbooks and wait-time information systems.
• Prioritizes jurisdictions with demonstrated need to reduce federal-election polling-place wait times.
• Requires public wait-time updates hourly or at least four times per day depending on polling-place hours.
• Requires election-cycle wait-time reports and EAC procurement and maintenance reporting.
• Requires certification compliance and training for voters with limited English proficiency and disabilities.