S. 3440: Resilient Elections During Quarantines and Natural Disasters Act of 2020

116th Congress · introduced 2020-03-11 · 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 2020-03-11 · 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

Resilient Elections During Quarantines and Natural Disasters Act of 2020

Plain summary

Resilient Elections During Quarantines and Natural Disasters Act of 2020 This bill requires states and jurisdictions to adopt contingency plans and permit absentee voting in order to prevent the disruption of federal elections due to natural disasters or infectious diseases, including COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, the bill requires each state and jurisdiction to, within 30 days, create and publish a plan to operate their federal elections if a significant number of voters or poll workers are quarantined due to COVID-19. Such plan must (1) permit registered voters to submit online requests for absentee ballots and vote in federal elections by mail, and (2) extend vote-by-mail deadlines if postal service is disrupted as a result of COVID-19. Additionally, when at least 25% of states have declared an emergency due to any single natural disaster or infectious disease, including COVID-19, states must allow registered voters to vote by absentee ballot, permit voters to submit online requests for absentee ballots, allow voters to receive electronic (i.e., print-at-home) ballots, accept absentee-ballot requests up to five days before an election for mailed ballots and one day before the election for print-at-home ballots, and accept ballots postmarked on or before the date of the election. The bill also provides for an emergency voting period if a state governor declares a state of emergency. States and jurisdictions must provide self-sealing return envelopes with prepaid postage for voter registration applications, absentee-ballot applications, and blank absentee ballots. The Election Assistance Commission must reimburse states for the costs of doing so.

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

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

A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Resilient Elections During Quarantines and Natural Disasters Act of 2020

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

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).
Jurisdiction: The area or the matters a government or court has authority over.

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-116s3440.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>

Record fed-us-cong116-s3440 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116