Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Weekend Voting Act”.
Weekend Voting Act
A BILL
To change the date for regularly scheduled general elections for Federal office to the first Saturday and Sunday after the first Friday in November in every even-numbered year.
Sec. 2 Weekend voting for regularly scheduled general elections for Federal office
Elections for House of Representatives and Senate— Section 25 of the Revised Statutes of the United States (2 U.S.C. 7) is amended to read as follows:
“25. Dates and time of elections
“(a) Dates of election—The first Saturday and Sunday after the first Friday in November, in every even-numbered year, are established as the dates for the election in each of the States of Representatives and Delegates to the next Congress commencing after the dates of the election.
“(b) Hours of operation of polling places—Each State shall by law establish the hours of operation for polling places in the State on the dates of election established under subsection (a).
“(c) State defined—In this section, the term State means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.”
Elections for President and Vice President—
In general— Section 1 of title 3, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
“1. Date and time of appointing electors
“(a) Dates of election—The electors of President and Vice President shall be appointed, in each State, on the first Saturday and Sunday after the first Friday in November, in every fourth year succeeding every election of a President and Vice President.
“(b) Hours of operation of polling places—Each State shall by law establish the hours of operation for polling places in the State on the dates of election established under subsection (a).”
Clerical amendment— The table of sections for chapter 1 of title 3, United States Code, is amended by striking the item relating to section 1 and inserting the following:
No interference with religious practices— It is the sense of Congress that the holding of elections over a weekend, as established by this Act, should be carried out in a manner which does not interfere with religious practices.
Cost savings— It is the sense of Congress that the holding of elections over a weekend, as established by this Act, should result in cost savings to the American taxpayer.
Effective date— The amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to regularly scheduled general elections for Federal office beginning with the elections held in November 2018.