Bill > S4652

This bill, the Election Mail Act of 2020, would require the United States Postal Service (USPS) to treat election mail (such as voter registration forms, absentee/mail-in ballot applications, and other election-related materials) as first-class mail and deliver it at no cost to the sender. The bill also requires states and jurisdictions to use intelligent mail barcodes on all mailed ballots for federal elections, and sets a nationwide standard for counting mail-in ballots - they must be postmarked, signed, or otherwise indicated by USPS to have been mailed on or before Election Day, and received within 10 days after the election. Additionally, the bill provides a private right of action for individuals to seek declaratory or injunctive relief if the mail-in ballot deadline is violated. The requirements would apply to federal elections starting in 2022, though the bill expresses a sense of Congress that the USPS and states should make reasonable efforts to comply for the 2020 general election.