Sponsors (14)
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Replaces the existing section governing simultaneous motor vehicle driver’s license applications and voter registration with a new Section 5 that (1) prescribes streamlined voter registration forms for motor vehicle applications; (2) treats attestations of eligibility (including citizenship) as the presumptive minimum information; (3) adds an automatic registration regime when a motor vehicle authority has documentary proof of citizenship or when the individual is already registered; (4) sets transmission timelines (10-day/5-day rules) and notice/opt-out procedures; and (5) adds various protections and limits on use/transmission of information.
Modifies the timing provision in 20507(a)(1)(A) to distinguish two scenarios under the new Section 5: (i) registration through a motor vehicle authority when a valid voter registration form is submitted to the authority; and (ii) registration under Section 5(b) when voter registration information described in 5(b)(2) is transmitted by the motor vehicle authority — in both cases subject to the existing 'lesser of 30 days or the period provided by State law' before the election rule.
Conforming amendment to 20503(a)(1) to reference registration 'through the State motor vehicle authority pursuant to section 5' rather than the prior cross-reference, aligning the national procedures provision with the newly rewritten Section 5.
Amends the list of Help America Vote Act sections enforceable by the Attorney General by inserting a reference to new section 303A into the enumerated sections.
Adds a new section 3407 stating that blank ballots mailed pursuant to section 303A(b) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 by State or local election officials, and voted ballots mailed by a voter to an election official, shall be carried expeditiously and free of postage.
Amends the authorization of appropriations provision to include the newly added section 3407 in the enumerated range of sections for which appropriations are authorized.
Requires States to mail paper ballots to all registered voters at least two weeks before Federal elections, ensure mailed ballots and returned voted ballots are handled postage-free, and make mailed ballots accessible to people with disabilities. Also requires States to collect and transmit minimal voter registration information from motor vehicle (driver’s license) applications to election officials, with procedures for determining registration status and registering eligible but unregistered applicants. Sets the voting-by-mail requirements to apply beginning with Federal elections in years starting 2026 and makes the DMV-based voter registration transmission requirement effective 180 days after enactment. The bill also makes conforming changes to the Help America Vote Act and federal postal law.
There is an inequality in voting rights because some States give voters a universal right to vote by mail while other States do not.
Many voters have work, family, or other commitments that make it hard to get to the polls; many citizens with disabilities face physical barriers and inability to vote in person, and in 2022 the Election Assistance Commission found 20 percent of voters with disabilities had difficulties voting in person.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, turnout was high because increased vote-by-mail options let voters cast ballots while staying safe.
Thirty-six States and the District of Columbia allow universal (no-excuse) absentee voting, and no State that adopted no-excuse absentee voting has repealed it.
Seven States and Washington, D.C., conduct elections entirely by mail; at least 13 States allow some elections by mail, which is especially convenient in large and rural areas where polling stations have higher costs per voter, smaller staffs, and limited resources; transportation is often a barrier for rural voters.
Who is affected and how:
Registered voters: Direct beneficiaries — easier access to ballots by receiving them at home, potential increase in convenience and turnout, and improved accessibility for voters with disabilities. Rural voters and those with mobility or transportation barriers are likely to benefit most.
People with disabilities: Specific accessibility requirements for mailed ballots aim to reduce barriers and increase equitable participation.
State and local election officials: Must plan, budget, and operationalize large-scale ballot printing and timely mailing, manage postage-free returns, and ensure secure handling and processing of returned ballots; will also need to integrate incoming DMV registration transmissions and update verification workflows.
State motor vehicle (DMV) agencies: Required to add voter registration to application forms and to collect/transmit minimal registration data; will need IT, training, and process changes to comply.
U.S. Postal Service: Will experience increased volume of outbound ballot mailings and inbound returns under postage-free carriage rules; operational and revenue effects depend on how postage-free carriage is implemented administratively.
State governments (budgets): Likely to incur additional costs for mailing ballots, staffing, and systems upgrades; because the bill does not specify federal funding, states could face unfunded mandate costs.
Advocates and political actors: The measure may be the subject of legal and political debate about federal standards for election administration, state discretion, and election security, potentially prompting litigation or requests for administrative guidance.
Overall effect: The legislation standardizes mail-ballot access for Federal elections and expands automatic registration through motor vehicle channels, increasing voter access but requiring significant implementation work by state and local agencies and coordination with postal services, likely with associated costs if not federally funded.
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Vote at Home Act of 2025
Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced April 10, 2025 by Val Hoyle · Last progress April 10, 2025
Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House