S. 1472: Protecting American Votes and Elections Act of 2019

116th Congress · introduced 2019-05-15 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-05-15 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Protecting American Votes and Elections Act of 2019

Plain summary

Protecting American Votes and Elections Act of 2019 This bill addresses the security of federal elections, including by requiring paper ballots, requiring audits of election results, and establishing requirements for election cybersecurity. The bill provides requirements for ballots. Voting systems must use a paper ballot that is verifiable by a voter before being cast and these ballots must be retained for recounts or audits. During a recount, ballots must be counted by hand. States and jurisdictions must perform an audit of an election that must include a manual adjudication of voter intent from some or all of the ballots cast. The audit results must meet specified statistical requirements and must be published before such election is certified. The bill provides a private right of action for any person aggrieved by a violation of voting system or audit requirements. The Election Assistance Commission must provide funds to states to replace paperless voting systems to comply with requirements of the bill, for the acquisition of accessible ballot marking devices for voters with disabilities, for certain ballot design and printing costs, and for certain election audit costs. The bill also directs the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency within in the Department of Homeland Security to set mandatory election cybersecurity standards, including those regarding optical scanning devices, ballot marking devices, election management systems, voter registration websites, and election results systems.

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

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Protecting American Votes and Elections Act of 2019

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] · 15 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Patty Murray (D-WA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] reported raising $1.9 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116s1472.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>

Record fed-us-cong116-s1472 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116