POLL Act

Voters in federal elections could no longer be forced to wait more than 30 minutes at any polling place under this legislation. States would have to file public plans before each election explaining how they will keep lines short — and jurisdictions where large numbers of voters waited more than an hour could be placed under federally supervised improvement plans run by the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. People who end up waiting too long would have the right to sue and collect at least $50 per incident, rising to $650 if a court finds the long lines were an intentional attempt to suppress votes. The bill is particularly aimed at protecting voters in communities of color, as well as disabled, elderly, and low-income voters, who studies show consistently face longer waits than others. States would also be required to staff polling places with a minimum number of voting machines and poll workers — with standards set by the Attorney General based on factors like neighborhood population, voter registration, and disability needs. Up to $500 million a year in federal grants would be available to help states meet these requirements. As an added safeguard, top state election officials would be banned from managing or fundraising for any federal campaign they personally oversee.