Yesterday, we shared a list of the provisions in the first section of the Freedom to Vote Act. Today, we're sharing the second section.
Here is the full text of the bill. Section 2 is broken down below.
Section 2: Election Integrity
This section includes measures to promote confidence in elections, stop partisan election subversion, and protect against election interference, both foreign and domestic.
Preventing State Election Subversion
- Establishes federal protections to insulate nonpartisan state and local officials who administer federal elections from undue partisan interference or control.
- Gives Federal Judges and AG right to intervene
- Federal crime to harass, threaten, coerce, intimidate any election official, poll worker or poll volunteer. Conviction 5 years or $100,000 fine
Protection of Election Records, Election Infrastructure, and Ballot Tabulation
- Strengthens protections for federal election records and election infrastructure in order to protect the integrity and security of ballots and voting systems.
Voter-Verified Paper Ballots, Reliable Audits, and Voting System Upgrades
- Requires states to use voting systems that use paper ballots that can be verified by voters and to implement reliable post-election audits. Also provides grants for states to purchase new and more secure voting systems and make cybersecurity improvements.
- Requires all votes to be cast with a voter verified paper trail
- Prohibits any voting machine, tabulation machine be accessible to any wireless device or the internet
- State grants available to upgrade machines
Non-Partisan Election Official Recruitment and Training
- Tasks the Election Assistance Commission with developing model training programs to recruit a new generation of election workers and provides dedicated grants for training and recruitment.
- Provides grants to states for poll worker training and recruitment
Comprehensive Voting System Security Protections
- Puts in place election vendor cybersecurity standards, including standards for manufacturing and assembling voting machines, among other key security measures.
- Requires all voting vendors to be controlled by US Citizens and assembled in the US
- Requires all vendors to permit independent security testing by the Election Assistance Community
- Requires certification of all poll books used in elections
- Requires that by 2024 all voting machines, software or codes must be developed and manufactured in the US
Establishing Duty to Report Foreign Election Interference
- Creates a reporting requirement for federal campaigns to disclose certain foreign contacts.
- Includes requirements for candidates and family members to report, including parents, parent in laws, spouse, siblings and children
- Failure to report criminal charges 5 years in prison or a $500,000 fine
Combats Voter Intimidation
- Creates criminal penalties for voter intimidation (5 years in prison or $100,000 fine)
- Prohibits deceptive practice and false statements by means of written, electronic and phone communications
- Creates buffer for poll observers, who cannot go with in 8 feet of any voter, processor, scanning machine or certification process
- Prohibits states from restricting donations of food and water to any voter outside of the polling location
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Cross-posted from Demcast USA. Section 3 (of 3) coming tomorrow.
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