The COCOA Act of 2024 amends federal election law to explicitly confirm that Congress has the right to send observers to monitor election administration procedures in all federal elections, including at polling places and locations where votes are processed, counted, and certified. The observers would be House or Senate employees designated by leaders of the House Administration Committee or Senate Rules and Administration Committee and would have full access to observe all election procedures while being prohibited from handling ballots, advocating for candidates, or interfering with voting or election operations. States would be required to allow these observers access, though election officials could remove an observer within 24 hours if they have reasonable grounds to believe the observer is engaging in intimidation, deception, or disruption, with notice required to the appropriate congressional committee. The bill contains no new federal funding requirements and applies to all 50 states and U.S. territories. The legislation is intended as a statutory clarification of what Congress argues is already its constitutional authority under the Constitution, rather than establishing entirely new rights.
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