Vote Outcome Transparency in Elections Act or the VOTE Act
This bill establishes certain requirements for counting ballots in federal elections.
Specifically, the bill requires the appropriate state or local election official, within one hour after the closure of a polling place on election day, to submit a report to the chief state election official. The report must document (1) the total number of voted ballots in the possession of the state or local official, and (2) the total number of voted ballots that have been tabulated for the election.
Within one hour after the closure of polling places on election day, the chief state election official must (1) submit a final report to the chief executive of the state, and (2) make the final report publicly available on a government website.
The bill also requires each state and local jurisdiction to ensure that voted ballots delivered by postal mail are postmarked, signed, or otherwise indicated as delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.