S. 3529: Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act of 2020

116th Congress · introduced 2020-03-18 · 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 2020-03-18 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] · 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

Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act of 2020

Plain summary

Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act of 2020 This bill revises and establishes voting procedures for federal elections. Specifically, the bill requires each state and jurisdiction to, within 30 days, establish and publish a contingency plan to enable voters to vote in federal elections during an emergency. Such plan must (1) include initiatives related to the safety and recruitment of poll workers, and (2) permit registered voters to submit online requests for absentee ballots and vote by mail or by drop-off location. Additionally, for all federal elections, a state must ensure that voters have 20 days to vote through early in-person voting or by mail; begin processing ballots cast during early voting or by mail at least 14 days before the date of the election; provide self-sealing return envelopes with prepaid postage for voter registration applications, absentee-ballot applications, and blank absentee ballots; allow voters to cure certain signature discrepancies; accept voter registration applications at least 21 days before the date of the election; and provide certain accommodations to voters residing on Indian lands. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) must create a uniform domestic downloadable and printable absentee ballot for use in federal elections. Until the EAC creates such a ballot, states must permit certain voters to use those ballots provided to overseas and military voters. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency must create an update service to inform voters of their voter registration applications, absentee-ballot applications, and absentee ballots. States must be reimbursed for implementing the provisions of the bill.

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

Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act of 2020

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] · 36 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Tina Smith (D-MN), Gary C. Peters (D-MI), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] reported raising $2.5 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 (4)

Ballot initiative: A proposed law or constitutional amendment that citizens place on the ballot by gathering enough voter signatures, so voters decide it directly. About half the states allow some form of it.
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.
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-116s3529.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>

Record fed-us-cong116-s3529 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116