# Plain Language Summary: Restoring Faith in Elections Act

This bill tries to establish consistent federal rules for how mail-in voting works and how election results get reported across the country. Right now, each state and sometimes each county has its own rules about mail-in ballots, which can create confusion and inconsistency. This bill would set minimum standards that all states must follow when they allow mail-in voting in federal elections (for president, Congress, and other federal offices).

The mail-in voting section creates specific requirements for how people request ballots, what those ballots must look like, and how they get counted. If you want a mail-in ballot, you'd have to request it at least 21 days before the election using a standardized form, and election officials would have to send it to you within 3 days. Your ballot would need to be signed, dated, and marked in blue or black ink. You'd also have to sign a statement saying you're the person the ballot was mailed to, that you're registered to vote where you're voting, and that you won't try to vote in person after submitting your mail-in ballot. The bill also makes it illegal for most people to handle someone else's completed ballot, with narrow exceptions for immediate family members and caregivers helping elderly or disabled voters—and violators could face fines or up to a year in prison.

On the reporting side, the bill requires states to start counting mail-in ballots at least a week before election day and to report all results within 24 hours after polls close. Each polling place would have to report how many mail-in and in-person ballots they received one hour after closing, and whether those ballots have been counted yet. The bill also requires states to treat all voting methods equally—so if a state allows early voting or mail-in voting, it has to make sure all counties in that state offer the same options.

Additionally, the bill creates an automatic voter registration system where people would be registered to vote when they interact with certain government agencies (like when getting a driver's license), though they could opt out. It also establishes a national database to help states keep their voter rolls accurate and prevent people from being registered in multiple places. The bill requires states to implement these changes or face losing federal election funding, though it provides grants to help cover the costs.

Restoring Faith in Elections Act

Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]

Restoring Faith in Elections Act This bill establishes certain standards for voting, including voting by mail, in federal elections. It also establishes certain requirements for voter registration and maintenance of official lists of eligible voters. First, the bill establishes certain requirements for voting by mail in federal elections, including by requiring mail-in ballots to be received by the time the polls close on election day. Additionally, the bill makes it unlawful to possess or return a mail-in ballot completed by another person (commonly referred to as ballot harvesting), with exceptions. A violator is subject to criminal penalties&#8212;a fine, a prison term of up to one year, or both. Further, the bill establishes certain requirements for reporting results of federal elections, including by requiring states to count all eligible ballots within 24 hours after the election. Next, the bill provides for the automatic registration of eligible voters. The Election Assistance Commission must make grants to states to implement these automatic voter registration programs. It also requires states and jurisdictions to use standards that apply equally to all methods of voting used in federal elections, including standards related to signature verification. Finally, the bill establishes the National Deconfliction Voting Database and Clearinghouse to serve as a database and clearinghouse for voter registration records and lists of eligible voters. Additionally, each state must certify that it has removed ineligible voters from the official list of eligible voters prior to the federal election.