Carriage of election mail

(a) Treatment of election mail (1) Treatment as first-class mail; free postage Chapter 34 of title 39, United States Code, as amended by section 4(a), is amended by adding at the end the following: 3409. Domestic election mail; restriction of operational changes prior to elections (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Election for Federal office The term election for Federal office means a general, special, primary, or runoff election for the office of President or Vice President, or of Senator or Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress. (2) Election mail The term election mail means— (A) a blank or completed voter registration application form, voter registration card, or similar materials, relating to an election for Federal office; (B) a blank or completed absentee and other mail-in ballot application form, and a blank or completed absentee or other mail-in ballot, relating to an election for Federal office, and (C) other materials relating to an election for Federal office that are mailed by a State or local election official to an individual who is registered to vote. (b) Carriage of election mail Election mail (other than balloting materials covered under section 3406 (relating to the Uniformed and Overseas Absentee Voting Act)), individually or in bulk, shall be carried in accordance with the service standards established for first-class mail under section 3691. (c) No postage required for completed ballots Completed absentee or other mail-in ballots (other than balloting materials covered under section 3406 (relating to the Uniformed and Overseas Absentee Voting Act)) shall be carried free of postage. (d) Restriction of operational changes During the 120-day period that ends on the date of an election for Federal office, the Postal Service may not carry out any operational change that would restrict the prompt and reliable delivery of election mail. This subsection applies to operational changes which include— (1) removing or eliminating any mail collection box without immediately replacing it; and (2) removing, decommissioning, or any other form of stopping the operation of mail sorting machines, other than for routine maintenance. (e) Election mail coordinator The Postal Service shall appoint an Election Mail Coordinator at each area office and district office to facilitate relevant information sharing with State, territorial, local, and Tribal election officials in regards to the mailing of election mail.. (2) Reimbursement of Postal Service for revenue forgone Section 2401(c) of title 39, United States Code, is amended by striking sections 3217 and 3403 through 3406 and inserting sections 3217, 3403 through 3406, and 3409. (b) Technical and conforming amendment The table of sections for chapter 34 of title 39, United States Code, as amended by section 4(a), is amended by adding at the end the following: 3409. Domestic election mail; restriction of operational changes prior to elections.. (c) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall take effect upon the expiration of the 180-day period that begins on the date of enactment of this section.