Sponsors (11)
The bill narrows automatic mail-in voting while preserving ballot access for a limited set of categories and reducing unsolicited mailings and costs — a trade-off that reduces administrative waste but raises barriers and disenfranchisement risks for many voters and creates new compliance burdens for election officials.
Voters in narrowly listed categories (e.g., military abroad, hospitalized, disabled, seniors) will retain access to mail-in ballots when they cannot vote in person.
State and local election officials can limit unsolicited ballot mailings and cap mailing-related costs, reducing administrative waste and preventing some unwanted distribution of ballots.
Registered voters who do not proactively request a ballot will no longer receive unsolicited mail-in ballots, increasing the burden to vote and risking disenfranchisement for many who relied on automatic mailings.
The bill’s narrow, enumerated eligibility categories exclude many voters with mobility or situational barriers who cannot meet the documentation standard, reducing access compared with broader absentee rules.
Added paperwork and a required signed perjury affirmation to obtain a ballot will deter or disqualify eligible voters with limited internet access, low literacy, or difficulty obtaining documents.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Bans unsolicited mail ballots for federal elections and requires voters to request mail ballots with a sworn affirmation they meet enumerated eligibility criteria.
Introduced March 9, 2026 by Clay Higgins · Last progress March 9, 2026
Prohibits states and local governments from sending unsolicited mail-in ballots for federal elections and limits mail ballot delivery to people who submit a written or electronic request that includes a sworn affirmation they meet one or more listed eligibility criteria. Eligible categories include active-duty service members and dependents, out-of-county students, certain temporarily absent voters, hospitalized or institutionalized voters, U.S. citizens living abroad, participants in address-confidentiality programs, people with documented disabilities, voters 65 or older, non-felony incarcerated persons, and several other narrowly defined groups. States may retain lists of prior mail-ballot requesters only for voters who continue to meet an eligible category under state law. The restrictions and requirements apply to federal elections held on or after the law takes effect.