The Markup: Georgia Supreme Court overturns 2024 State Election Board rules

We are tracking 1,680 bills prefiled or introduced this session across 50 states. Our analysis finds that 736 bills improve voter access or election administration and 430 bills restrict voter access or election administration.

Improving Voter Access or Election Administration 

Rhode Island legislature passes bill making it easier to vote by mail.

Both chambers of the Rhode Island legislature passed a bill that would allow all registered voters to sign up to receive a mail ballot application prior to each election. Currently, only voters who are indefinitely confined due to illness or infirmity or who have a disability may receive a mail application on an ongoing basis. Massachusetts and Pennsylvania have similar policies, while nine states and D.C. allow all voters to opt in to receive mail ballots for each election. The bill now goes to Gov. Dan McKee to sign or veto.

Georgia Supreme Court overturns 2024 State Election Board rules.

The Georgia Supreme Court unanimously struck down several rules adopted by the State Election Board and later blocked by a lower court prior to the 2024 general election. The Supreme Court found that the Board exceeded its authority and intruded on legislative powers, invalidating several rules including: requiring hand-counting of ballots, expanded poll-watcher access, and requiring photo ID for mail ballot drop-offs. The Court upheld a rule requiring video surveillance for drop boxes and remanded two other rules to lower courts for further review.

Restricting Voter Access or Election Administration

New Hampshire advances bills that would expand proof of citizenship mandate to mail voters.

Following a series of amendments, two restrictive election bills advanced out of a conference committee. S.B. 213 would expand the existing proof of citizenship requirement for in-person voter registration to include those who are eligible to register by mail. The bill would also require mail ballot applicants to provide a copy of a qualifying photo ID, as is already required of in-person voters. S.B. 287 would require mail ballot applicants to provide a copy of a photo ID or a notarized signature. The House and Senate are expected to vote on both bills this Thursday. If these bills pass, Gov. Kelly Ayotte will have five days to sign or veto.

Louisiana enacts new limits on election litigation settlements.

Gov. Jeff Landry signed H.B. 206, which prohibits election administrators and elected officials in the executive branch from entering into legal agreements that would impact how elections are conducted – unless explicitly authorized by the state legislature. Since 2021, 11 states have enacted laws restricting the ability of officials to settle election-related litigation.

Ohio Senate passes bill to create Election Integrity Unit.

S.B. 4, which would establish a dedicated unit to investigate purported election crimes, passed the Senate. The bill would also establish a 12-month window for local officials to act before the state attorney general can initiate criminal proceedings for election law violations. The bill now moves to the House.

Michigan advances bill that would cancel registrations of infrequent voters.

The Michigan House of Representatives passed H.B. 4356, which would trigger a process to remove registered voters from the rolls if they don’t vote for eight years. Currently, 21 states remove voters for failure to vote. The Senate will now consider the bill.

On Our Radar

Federal district court issues injunction on Trump elections executive order.

A second U.S. judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking key provisions of President Donald Trump’s executive order on elections. The injunction blocked a requirement that voters provide proof of citizenship, such as a passport, to register to vote. It also blocked a provision that would have invalidated 16 state laws which allow mail ballots received after Election Day to be counted, so long as they are postmarked on time. So far in 2025, 27 states have considered restrictive proof of citizenship bills.

Nevada governor vetoes photo ID bill and measures to expand voter access.

Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed A.B. 499 – a bipartisan compromise that would have established a photo ID requirement for in-person voting while also expanding drop box availability and mail ballot curing options. In his veto message, Gov. Lombardo lamented that the bill did not impose additional mail voting ID requirements. The governor also vetoed several other bills, including A.B. 534 (requiring voter registration at least 18 days before Election Day to receive a mail ballot); A.B. 422 (extending DMV hours around elections in the state’s largest counties and expanding the acceptable forms of documentation for same-day registration); and A.B. 597 (allowing unaffiliated voters to participate in partisan primaries). 

Gov. Abbott of Texas signs several elections bills.

In advance of the veto deadline, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed multiple elections bills into law, including H.B. 5115 (expanding the definition of election fraud and severity of penalties); H.B. 521 (creating new criminal offenses related to voter assistance); and S.B. 510 (authorizing funds to be withheld from a voter registrar who fails to fulfill a duty).