S. 17: Voting Opportunity and Technology Enhancement Rights Act of 2005

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S. 17: Voting Opportunity and Technology Enhancement Rights Act of 2005

109th Congress · introduced 2005-01-24 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7999)

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Official title

Voting Opportunity and Technology Enhancement Rights Act of 2005

Plain summary

Voting Opportunity and Technology Enhancement Rights Act of 2005 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to permit any person who is otherwise qualified to vote in a Federal election in a State to use the national Federal write-in absentee ballot prescribed by the Election Assistance Commission to cast a vote in such an election. Directs the Commission to prescribe a national Federal write-in absentee ballot for use in elections for Federal office. Requires the voting system to provide for an independent means of voter verification, allowing each voter to verify the ballot before it is cast and counted. Requires the State to: (1) count such ballot if the individual who cast it is otherwise eligible to vote; and (2) provide for the minimum required number of voting systems and poll workers for each polling place on the day of any Federal election, and on any days during which such State allows early voting. Directs the Commission to issue standards regarding the minimum number of voting systems and poll workers. Amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require each State, with certain exceptions, to permit any individual on the day of a Federal election to: (1) register to vote at the polling place; and (2) cast a vote in such election. Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require: (1) the Commission to develop an election day registration form for elections for Federal office; (2) each State to provide public notice of all names which have been removed from the voter registration list since the later of the most recent Federal election or the day of the most recent previous public notice; (3) each State to allow individuals to vote in a Federal election at least 15 days before the day scheduled for it in the same manner as voting on such day (early voting); (4) each polling place which allows early voting to allow it for at least a uniform four hours each day; and (5) the Commission to issue standards for the administration of early voting. Accelerates the study on election day as a public holiday. Requires mail voter registration forms to include, in lieu of mandatory questions and statements, an affidavit to be signed by the registrant attesting both to citizenship and age. Directs each State to establish a program under which individuals may access voter registration forms electronically through the Internet. Provides for establishing voter identification with respect to in person voting and voting by mail. Outlines election administration requirements.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT] · 6 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Charles E. Schumer (D-NY)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Sources

• Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
• Congress.gov
• Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-109s17.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/109/s>

Record fed-us-cong109-s17 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong109 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong109