An act to improve access for handicapped and elderly individuals to registration facilities and polling places for Federal elections.
Public Law 98-435 · H.R. 1250 · 98th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Sep 28, 1984 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Rep. Hamilton Fish (R-NY-21)
Cosponsors (179): Rep. Douglas Walgren, Rep. William Coyne,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act - Requires each political subdivision responsible for conducting elections within a State to assure that polling places, with certain exceptions, for Federal elections are accessible to handicapped and elderly voters.
Requires the chief election officer of each State to report to the Federal Election Commission regarding the number of accessible and inaccessible polling places. Directs such Commission to relay the data regarding such accessibility to the Congress for a ten-year period.
Requires States or political subdivisions to provide a reasonable number of accessible permanent registration facilities for Federal elections.
Requires States to make available registration and voting aids for Federal elections for handicapped and elderly voters.
States circumstances in which States may require a medical certification of a handicapped voter seeking an absentee ballot.
Requires the chief election officer of each State to provide public notice calculated to reach the elderly and handicapped regarding the availability of: (1) voting aids; (2) voting assistance; and (3) absentee ballot procedures.
Authorizes the Attorney General or personally aggrieved persons to bring actions in Federal district court to enforce compliance with this Act.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Committee on House Administration · House · hearings by (full committee), markup by, referred to, reported by
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 14 actions.
- Sep 28, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-435.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Sep 20, 1984PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Sep 12, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Aug 10, 1984FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments and an amendment to the Title by Voice Vote.
- Aug 9, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Rules and Administration Committee
- Aug 8, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Rules and Administration Committee
- Jun 26, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Rules and Administration Committee
- Jun 25, 1984FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Jun 21, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Committee on House Administration
- Jun 20, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Committee on House Administration
- Mar 8, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by House Committee on House Administration
- Feb 3, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Committee on House Administration
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.