NVRA Sections 9-11: Federal Coordination, Reporting, and Enforcement
Domain 6 covers the federal machinery: coordination and reporting (§9), the Act's relationship to other laws (§10), and enforcement (§11). Items test who does what, and what relief is actually available.
Section 9 - coordination and reports
The original coordinating agency was the Federal Election Commission. HAVA moved that role in 2002 to the Election Assistance Commission, which develops and maintains the national mail form, issues guidance, and submits a biennial report to Congress on implementation, including registration statistics and compliance problems. The EAC has no enforcement power.
Section 10 - effect on other laws
The NVRA supplements rather than replaces other voting statutes. The Voting Rights Act, HAVA, the Constitution, and consistent state laws all continue to apply, and NVRA remedies are in addition to theirs. The Act does not override state rules that are consistent with it, such as registration deadlines or ID rules that do not conflict.
Section 11 - enforcement
Two routes. The Attorney General may sue state or local officials in federal district court, and an aggrieved person - an individual or a civic organization - has a private right of action. Private plaintiffs generally must give written notice to the state's chief election official before filing, with an expedited path when an election is near. Relief is declaratory and injunctive, plus attorney's fees; the Act does not provide damages. Fraudulent registration is a separate crime carrying a fine and up to five years' imprisonment.
Worked example
A nonprofit documents that a county's public assistance offices offered no registration for two years. Analysis: the organization is aggrieved and may sue under §11 after notice, seeking an injunction and fees. A complaint to the EAC yields a report, not a remedy, because the EAC does not enforce the Act.
Traps
Giving the pre-2002 answer that the FEC still coordinates; expecting the EAC to penalize states; assuming money damages are available; forgetting the pre-suit notice requirement; treating an NVRA claim as barring parallel VRA or constitutional claims.