THE NEY-DODD-HOYER-MCCONNELL HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT OF 2002
(H.R. 3295)
ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION

The Help America Vote Act establishes an Election Assistance Commission, which will include four members appointed by the President with the advice and confirmation of the Senate. Several provisions included in this legislation govern the Commission's mandate and future operation. For example, the Help America Vote Act:

-Empowers the Commission to hold hearings, take testimony, receive evidence, let contracts, obtain information from other federal agencies, receive support from GSA, and use the U.S. mail system;

-Requires that the Commission provide information to the public on its activities on an ongoing basis;

-Calls for an annual report to Congress on the Commission's activities;

-Mandates that any action by the Commission be approved by at least three of the four members;

-Prohibits the Commission from imposing any rule or regulation on state or local governments, except as permitted under NVRA;

-Requires annual payments by the Commission to meet allocations included in the Help America Vote Act. Specifically, the legislation authorizes $3 billion for FY2003 through FY2005;

-Instructs that Commission studies and reports be made on the following issues:
1) Best practices for military and overseas voters;
2) The application of human factors research to voting systems;
3) The impact of voter ID provisions on first time mail registrants;
4) The application of electronic communication and Internet technologies to voting processes; and
5) Reduced postage for absentee ballots;

-Establishes a 110 member Standards Board and a 37 member Board of Advisors to assess voluntary voting standards; and

-Establishes a 15 member Technical Standards Development Committee to recommend overall standards for, and modifications to, voting systems.