S.Amdt. 4419

The amendment, known as the People Over Long Lines Act or the POLL Act, aims to reduce voter waiting times and ensure a more efficient election process for Federal offices.

It proposes the following changes and additions:

• Voter Waiting Times: It requires States to submit public plans to ensure equitable wait times and prohibits waiting times longer than 30 minutes. It establishes a review process by the Commission and requires remedial plans, managed by the Attorney General, for jurisdictions where voters waited more than 60 minutes.

• Emergency Measures: It mandates that voters be notified of their right to use emergency paper ballots if equipment failure or other circumstances cause unreasonable delays.

• Legal Accountability: It creates a private right of action allowing aggrieved persons to sue for civil penalties if the 30-minute wait time limit is violated.

• Resource Standards: It requires States to provide a minimum number of voting systems, poll workers, and resources. The Attorney General will set these standards based on factors like voting-age population, past turnout, and the needs of disabled voters.

• Official Conduct: It prohibits chief State election administration officials from taking an active part in political management or campaigns for Federal offices they supervise, unless they recuse themselves and their replacement does not report to them.

• Funding: It authorizes $500,000,000 annually to be paid to eligible States to help them meet these new requirements.