Sponsors (15)
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Requires States to mail Federal election ballots to registered voters at least two weeks before a federal election, limits States’ ability to add extra rules for voting by mail (while allowing reasonable request/return deadlines), requires ballots to be accessible to voters with disabilities, and makes mailed ballots postage-free to send and return. It also adds a voter-registration step to motor vehicle license applications and creates an automatic-registration pathway in some situations, with rules for data transmission, notifications, and protections for people wrongly or automatically registered. The bill changes portions of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) to standardize mail voting access and expand registration at DMVs, shifting operational burdens to State and local election offices and motor vehicle agencies and raising likely legal and administrative implementation issues.
There is an unfair difference in voting rights because some States give all voters the right to vote by mail while other States do not.
Many voters have work, family, or other commitments that make it hard or impossible to get to polls and wait in line; many citizens with disabilities face physical barriers when voting in person. In the 2022 election, the Election Assistance Commission found that 20 percent of voters with disabilities faced difficulties voting in person.
In 2020, despite the COVID–19 pandemic, the general election had record high turnout because more vote-by-mail options let voters cast a ballot while staying safe.
Thirty-five States and the District of Columbia allow universal (no-excuse) absentee voting, letting any voter request a mail ballot without giving a reason; no State that adopted no-excuse absentee voting has repealed it.
Eight States and Washington, DC, run elections entirely by mail; at least 13 States allow some elections by mail, especially in large or rural areas where it is convenient. Polling stations in rural areas often have higher costs per voter, smaller staffs, and limited resources, and transportation can be a barrier for rural voters.
Who is affected and how:
Registered voters and prospective voters: The largest direct impact is on people who vote in Federal elections. Many voters will receive ballots by mail automatically and be able to return them postage-free, which should reduce some barriers to voting, improve convenience, and increase accessibility (especially for voters with mobility challenges, disabilities, and those living far from polling places).
Voters with disabilities: The bill requires mailed ballots to be accessible, which should expand independent access and require jurisdictions to provide accessible formats and procedures (e.g., large print, accessible return options, or technology-enabled ballot-marking).
Rural residents and voters with limited in-person access: Mailing ballots to all registered voters reduces travel burdens and can improve turnout among rural voters who face long travel times or limited polling locations.
State and local election offices: These entities must scale up operations to prepare, print, mail, and track ballots for all registered voters, process postage-free returns, and revise procedures to comply with new HAVA rules. They will also need to coordinate with postal services and update chain-of-custody and ballot-security procedures.
Motor vehicle agencies (DMVs): DMVs must add voter-registration portions to license applications and implement automatic-registration pathways where applicable, update forms and IT systems, and transmit data to election offices within new deadlines while respecting privacy limitations.
Postal service and mail carriers: The requirement that ballots be mailed to voters and returned postage-free increases the volume and operational requirements for postal carriers; costs and logistics will need coordination among election officials and postal services.
Individuals wrongly or automatically registered: The bill creates protections and procedures for people who are incorrectly registered by automatic processes, requiring notice and correction mechanisms to prevent improper registrations.
Political parties, campaigns, and civic groups: Broader mail-ballot distribution and increased registration at DMVs may change outreach strategies, timing for campaigns, and how organizations mobilize voters.
Potential administrative, legal, and budget impacts:
Administrative burden and costs: States and localities will face increased costs for printing, mailing, and processing ballots, as well as for DMV system changes to handle automatic registration and data transfer. If no federal funding is provided, these may be treated as unfunded mandates.
Legal risk and preemption disputes: The restriction on State-added absentee rules could prompt litigation by States asserting their authority over election administration. Courts may be asked to resolve conflicts between State laws and the new Federal standards.
Data privacy and accuracy concerns: Rapid DMV-to-election-office transfers and automatic registrations increase the need for secure data handling, error correction, and safeguards against misuse of registration information.
Voter confidence and turnout effects: If implemented smoothly, the changes could increase turnout and reduce barriers. If implementation problems occur (delayed mailings, ballot delivery failures, or registration errors), the changes could create confusion, litigation, and challenges to election outcomes.
Replaces section 5 of the National Voter Registration Act (52 U.S.C. 20504) with a new, more detailed section governing voter registration through State motor vehicle authorities, adding both streamlined simultaneous application procedures and an automatic registration process and associated protections and limits.
Modifies the timing rule in 20507(a)(1)(A) to distinguish between registrations submitted under new section 5(a) (applicant-submitted voter registration forms) and registrations under new section 5(b) (information transmitted by motor vehicle authorities), specifying the 30-day/state-law-period-before-election deadline for each.
Conforming amendment to 20503(a)(1) to reference the revised section 5 procedures for motor vehicle authority-based registration.
Amends section 401 of the Help America Vote Act (52 U.S.C. 21111) by striking "and 304" and inserting "303A, and 304", thereby adding the newly created section 303A to the list of provisions the Attorney General may enforce.
Adds new section 3407 to title 39: blank ballots mailed pursuant to section 303A(b) of the Help America Vote Act and voted ballots mailed by voters shall be carried expeditiously and free of postage.
Amends 39 U.S.C. 2401(c) by striking the text "3403 through 3406" and inserting "3403 through 3407", thereby including the new section 3407 in the listed sections for purposes of that provision.
Inserts a new section 303A into Subtitle A of title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (codified at 52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) titled "Promoting ability of voters to vote by mail," which (among other provisions) prohibits additional State conditions on voting by mail, requires States to mail ballots to registered voters not later than 2 weeks before federal elections, requires accessibility for individuals with disabilities, and states that compliance is required for elections held in years beginning with 2026.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
Introduced May 22, 2025 by Ronald Lee Wyden · Last progress May 22, 2025
Expand sections to see detailed analysis
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
Introduced in Senate
