Welcome to The Markup, our weekly insights and analysis of the latest in election law and policy.
We are tracking 1,445 bills this session across 49 states. Our analysis finds that 613 bills improve voter access or election administration and 375 bills restrict voter access or election administration.1
IMPROVING VOTER ACCESS OR ELECTION ADMINISTRATION
Virginia extends voter registration deadline.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed into law S.B. 991/H.B. 1735, moving the state’s voter registration deadline later – from 21 days to 10 days before an election.
New York moves toward joining ERIC.
The New York Senate passed S.B. 1356, which would have the state join a multi-state voter list maintenance organization, such as the bipartisan Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). In recent years, many members of ERIC have left the organization following baseless attacks. These states have struggled to fill the gaps. The bill now moves to the Assembly for consideration.
Missouri House advances voting rights restoration bill.
A House committee unanimously passed H.B. 617, which would restore voting rights to persons on probation or parole for a felony conviction. Missouri is one of 15 states where citizens convicted of felonies lose their right to vote until completion of probation and parole. The bill now moves to the full chamber for consideration.
RESTRICTING VOTER ACCESS OR ELECTION ADMINISTRATION
Utah ends universal mail voting.
Gov. Spencer Cox signed H.B. 300, ending the state’s popular practice of automatically mailing ballots to all registered voters. The bill will take effect in 2029 and replace the current system with an opt-in model. Voters will need to submit an application every eight years in order to continue receiving mail ballots. Currently, Utah is one of eight states (plus D.C.) to automatically send mail ballots to registered voters for most elections.
Kansas moves up mail ballot deadline, overriding governor’s veto.
The Kansas legislature overrode Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto to enact S.B. 4, which moves up the mail ballot receipt deadline to the close of polls on Election Day. Under prior law, ballots would be accepted if postmarked by Election Day and received by the third day after the election. Kansas had formerly been one of over a dozen states relying on postmarks to determine the timeliness of mail ballots.
West Virginia accelerates voter purges and the House passes photo ID bill.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey signed into law S.B. 487, which reduces from four years to two the length of time without voting that triggers an address confirmation process and potential voter registration cancellation). The House passed H.B. 3016, which would require photo ID for in-person voting. Currently, the state accepts other non-photo documents, such as a debit card or utility bill, as voter ID. The bill now moves to the Senate.
Kentucky legislature overrides governor’s veto of voter ID bill.
The legislature overrode Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto of H.B. 684. The bill requires voters to provide another form of voter ID – in addition to a debit or credit card bearing their name.
Virginia governor vetoes bills to shore up certification process and protect against voter purges.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed bills that would have clarified election certification duties (H.B. 2277); required systematic list maintenance to be completed at least 90 days before an election (H.B. 1657); prohibited cancelling voter registrations based on unverified third-party data (H.B. 2002); required prior notice to voters before cancellation of voter registration (H.B. 2276); and given local governments discretion to offer early voting outside standard business hours (H.B. 2056).
ON OUR RADAR
Executive order attempts to require documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration and tighten ballot return deadlines.
Last week, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the independent, bipartisan Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to require documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration applicants who use the federal registration form. The order also seeks to block numerous states’ usage of postmarks to determine the timeliness of mail ballots. It threatens to penalize states that count ballots received after Election Day with legal action and withholding of funds. This order is expected to face significant legal challenges.
U.S. House to consider SAVE Act this week.
The House Rules committee is holding a hearing today on the SAVE Act, which would require documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration. A floor vote is expected later this week.
Georgia House set to vote on departure from ERIC; other restrictions under consideration.
In the final week of the legislative session, Georgia is set to consider H.B. 215, which would force the state to leave ERIC, along with other potential reforms.
Wisconsin voters to decide on photo ID constitutional amendment.
Tomorrow, Wisconsin voters will vote on S.J.R. 2, which would enshrine the state’s photo ID requirement in the state constitution. While state law already requires voters to present ID, this amendment would make it harder for future legislatures or the courts to change or eliminate the requirement. Wisconsin is one of 19 states that requires ID for in-person voting.
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- Our State Voting Rights Tracker is people-powered – our team of election lawyers read and analyze election-related bills across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. We strive to provide immediate analysis of all pending and current legislation; however, during periods of high volume – i.e. when legislatures are first convening for the year and introducing hundreds of new bills each day – we prioritize those that are advancing through legislatures over newly introduced legislation. For questions about our methodology or analysis, email tracker@votingrightslab.org. ↩︎