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The Help America Vote Act Of 2002

On October 29, 2002, President Bush signed the "Help America Vote Act of 2002," (HAVA), Pub. L. No. 107-252, 116 Stat. 1666 (2002) into law.  The HAVA is codified at 52 U.S.C. 20901 to 21145.  After the House of Representatives, on December 12, 2001, and the Senate on April 11, 2002, passed differing versions of H.R. 3295, joint conferees were named to reconcile the differences and adopted a conference report on October 8, 2002, which was then passed by the House and Senate without amendment.

  1. creating a new federal agency to serve as a clearinghouse for election administration information;
  2. providing funds to states to improve election administration and replace outdated voting systems; and
  3. creating minimum standards for states to follow in several key areas of election administration.

Department of Justice Activities

The United States has enforced HAVA through both litigation and by informing jurisdictions of the Department's views on the Act's requirements.

  • The Department of Justice has released a guide to improving accessibility of polling places for disabled voters.
                 ADA Checklist for Polling Places

Department of Health and Human Services Activities

Department of Health and Human Services

   Election Assistance Commission Activities

Election Assistance Commission

   National Institute of Standards and Technology Activities

National Institute of Standards and Technology 

Updated April 5, 2023