H.R. 1513 – Count the Vote Act

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Updated April 14, 2026 at 2:34 AM UTC

The Count the Vote Act would strengthen enforcement of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) by giving voters a direct way to complain to the Attorney General about violations of HAVA’s election‑technology standards. It also lets those voters sue in federal court to enforce those standards. The changes would apply to all federal elections beginning in 2020 and would not alter existing state complaint processes.

Key Provisions

Allows any person who feels harmed by a HAVA violation to file a written, notarized complaint with the Attorney General.
Requires the Attorney General to respond to each complaint within the same (or shorter) time limits that states must meet under their own administrative complaint procedures, and to share the response with the state’s complaint administrator.
Creates a private right of action, letting complainants sue under 42 U.S.C. 1983 to enforce uniform, nondiscriminatory election‑technology requirements.
Specifies that these new federal procedures do not replace or affect the existing state‑based administrative complaint processes.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Committee on House Administration

March 5, 2019

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

March 5, 2019

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Committee on House Administration

March 5, 2019

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

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Introduced in HouseIssued March 5, 2019

I

116th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1513

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 5, 2019

Ms. Davids of Kansas 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 enhance enforcement of the Act, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Count the Vote Act.

2.

Enhancement of enforcement of Help America Vote Act of 2002

(a)

Complaints; availability of private right of action

Section 401 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21111) is amended—

(1)

by striking The Attorney General and inserting (a) In General.—The Attorney General; and

(2)

by adding at the end the following new subsections:

(b)

Filing of Complaints by Aggrieved Persons

(1)

In general

A person who is aggrieved by a violation of title III which has occurred, is occurring, or is about to occur may file a written, signed, notarized complaint with the Attorney General describing the violation and requesting the Attorney General to take appropriate action under this section. The Attorney General shall immediately provide a copy of a complaint filed under the previous sentence to the entity responsible for administering the State-based administrative complaint procedures described in section 402(a) for the State involved.

(2)

Response by Attorney General

The Attorney General shall respond to each complaint filed under paragraph (1), in accordance with procedures established by the Attorney General that require responses and determinations to be made within the same (or shorter) deadlines which apply to a State under the State-based administrative complaint procedures described in section 402(a)(2). The Attorney General shall immediately provide a copy of the response made under the previous sentence to the entity responsible for administering the State-based administrative complaint procedures described in section 402(a) for the State involved.

(c)

Availability of private right of action

Any person who is authorized to file a complaint under subsection (b)(1) (including any individual who seeks to enforce the individual’s right to a voter-verified paper ballot, the right to have the voter-verified paper ballot counted in accordance with this Act, or any other right under title III) may file an action under section 1979 of the Revised Statutes of the United States (42 U.S.C. 1983) to enforce the uniform and nondiscriminatory election technology and administration requirements under subtitle A of title III.

(d)

No effect on State procedures

Nothing in this section may be construed to affect the availability of the State-based administrative complaint procedures required under section 402 to any person filing a complaint under this subsection.

.

(b)

Effective date

The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to violations occurring with respect to elections for Federal office held in 2020 or any succeeding year.