CHALLENGES Act

The CHALLENGES Act amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to curb bad-faith challenges to the registration status of individuals who are lawfully registered to vote in federal elections. It tightens who can file challenges, raises evidentiary and personal-knowledge requirements, and requires that challenges not be based on mass data matching. The bill creates new enforcement tools, including a private right of action with damages and punitive penalties, as well as criminal penalties for knowingly or negligently submitting or facilitating false challenges. It also imposes rules for online portals that accept challenges and sets an effective date for challenges made after enactment.