Official Summaries

Restoring American Confidence in Elections Act or the RACE Act

This bill establishes deadlines for states to count ballots and certify results in federal elections. 

Specifically, the bill requires a state to finish counting the ballots cast in a federal election held in the state not later than 10:00 p.m. on the date of the election. Further, the state must certify the election results not later than 48 hours after the election. 

The bill provides exceptions to these deadlines for bona fide emergencies (e.g., major disasters) or technical difficulties (e.g., malfunctioning election equipment or software).

Current Full Text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 529 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 529

 To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to establish deadlines for 
States to count the ballots cast in elections for Federal office and to 
     certify the results of such elections, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 16, 2025

  Mr. Pfluger (for himself, Mr. Babin, and Ms. Tenney) introduced the 
     following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House 
                             Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to establish deadlines for 
States to count the ballots cast in elections for Federal office and to 
     certify the results of such elections, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Restoring American Confidence in 
Elections Act'' or the ``RACE Act''.

SEC. 2. DEADLINE FOR COUNTING BALLOTS AND CERTIFYING RESULTS IN FEDERAL 
              ELECTIONS.

    (a) Deadlines.--Title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 
U.S.C. 20181 et seq.), as amended by section 2(a) of the COCOA Act of 
2024, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating sections 305 and 306 as sections 306 
        and 307; and
            (2) by inserting after section 304 the following new 
        section:

``SEC. 305. DEADLINE FOR COUNTING BALLOTS AND CERTIFYING RESULTS.

    ``(a) Deadlines.--
            ``(1) Counting ballots.--A State shall finish counting the 
        ballots cast in an election for Federal office held in the 
        State not later than 10 o'clock p.m. on the date of the 
        election.
            ``(2) Certifying results.--A State shall certify the 
        results of an election for Federal office held in the State not 
        later than 48 hours after the date of the election.
    ``(b) Exceptions.--Subsection (a) does not apply if the failure of 
a State to meet a deadline under such subsection is attributable to--
            ``(1) a bona fide emergency, including a major disaster (as 
        defined in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
        Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122)); or
            ``(2) technical difficulties, including malfunctioning 
        election equipment or software.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment Relating to Existing Enforcement 
Provisions.--Section 401 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21111), as amended by 
section 2(b) of the COCOA Act of 2024, is amended by striking ``and 
304'' and inserting ``304, and 305''.
    (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents of such Act, as 
amended by section 2(c) of the COCOA Act of 2024, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating the items relating to sections 305 and 
        306 as relating to section 306 and 307; and
            (2) by inserting after the item relating to section 304 the 
        following:

``Sec. 305. Deadline for counting ballots and certifying results.''.
    (d) Effective Date.--This Act and the amendments made by this Act 
shall apply with respect to elections held after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
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