Help America Vote Act
- On October 29, 2002, President Bush signed HR 3295, the Help America Vote Act ("HAVA"), a federal election reform bill that provides funding to the states for the improvement of elections.
Key Aspects of HAVA...
- Accessible and "Second Chance" Voting Equipment Funds
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Local election authorities are eligible for up to $4,150 per polling place to purchase or lease one accessible voting system for each polling place. HAVA requires that every polling place have at least one voting system equipped for persons with disabilities.
Local election authorities are also eligible to receive an amount per precinct, as described below, to help them comply with second chance voting requirements.
- Local election authorities that were not eligible for the federal punch card buyout program are eligible to receive up to $5,600 per precinct.
- Local election authorities that were eligible for the federal punch card buyout program are eligible to receive up to $1,300 per precinct.
Accessible and Second Chance Voting Equipment Information
- Punch Card Buyout
- Title I provides money to replace punch card voting systems. Jurisdictions that wish to participate in the punch card buyout will receive an estimated $3200 per qualifying precinct. A qualifying precinct is defined as a precinct that used a punch card voting machine in the 2000 general election. Participation in the buyout is not mandatory. Missouri requested and received a waiver of the November 2004 deadline for punch card replacement. Counties participating in the punch card buyout must have punch card systems replaced prior to the first federal election held after January 1, 2006.
Punch Card Buyout Information
- State Plan
- Title II required each state to submit a "State Plan" to the federal government prior to receiving funds from the HAVA. In order to develop this plan the 59 member Missouri Sate Plan Committee was established, consisting of local election authorities and members of interest groups. This Committee met at various times February through May 2003, with Missouri's State Plan submitted to the Federal Election Commission on August 20, 2003. More information on the State Plan and a schedule of State Plan Committee meetings held can be found at the link on this page.
Since the publication of Missouri's State Plan, the Secretary of State has appointed several committees to address the requirements of the Plan. These committees, meeting with staff from the Secretary if State's office, have begun the process of implementing the requirements of HAVA.
- Title III Voting Requirements
- Title III establishes a set of requirements that states must implement for any federal election. Missouri has already met most of these requirements with the 2002 and 2003 election reform bills (SB 675 and HB 511). Links to these bills can be found on this page.
