Arizona SB 1260 permits the cancellation of a voter’s registration and status on the active early voting list if a county recorder receives information from another county’s recorder that the voter is registered in that county. Establishes a penalty for forwarding early ballots to voters who’ve since registered out of state.
Arizona SB 1638 provides an accessible absentee/mail voting option for persons who are blind or have a visual impairment.
Arizona SB 1329 provides that, if practicable, the county recorder, or other officer in charge of elections, count the number of early ballots that are returned at voting locations on Election Day, and post on its website those totals with the last unofficial results that are released on election night.
Arizona SB 1362 allows voters who appear at a polling place or vote center on Election Day with an early ballot to run their ballots through an on-site tabulator.
Arizona SB 1411 requires the establishment of a ballot tracking system for mail ballots.
California AB 1619 requires that both paper and electronic affidavits of registration inform voters that the signature on the affidavit of registration may be compared with the signature on an identification envelope for the return of a mail ballot.
California SB 504 clarifies language regarding mail ballot applications to account for the state’s move to all-mail voting. Clarifies that otherwise qualified military and overseas voters and voters with disabilities may complete a conditional voter registration and cast a provisional ballot or nonprovisional ballot. Requires the secretary of state to compare information from the state Department of Corrections for list maintenance purposes. Requires county election officials to notify persons who have been released from imprisonment that their voting rights are restored, that they may register to vote and of the procedures for registering to vote.
Connecticut HB 5262 updates statutory language to clarify that sickness and physical disability are eligible excuses for absentee voting.
Delaware SB 320 establishes no-excuse absentee voting, including requirements for applications, verification and ballot return.
Florida SB 524 establishes the Office of Election Crimes and Security, increases criminal penalties for certain election offenses and requires the governor to appoint special officers to investigate election law violations. For list maintenance purposes, requires reporting of felony convictions by circuit courts and reporting of noncitizens by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Replaces “drop box” with “ballot intake stations” and provides clarifying language. Requires the Department of State to develop a plan to confirm the identity of each person returning a vote-by-mail ballot and to share that report with the legislature. Prohibits the use of ranked-choice voting.
Hawaii HB 1883 requires the exterior of the envelope containing the ballot package to include instructions on how to obtain language translation services in Hawaiian and, at a minimum, the five most utilized foreign languages by limited English proficient persons in the state.
Idaho SB 1352 requires an investigation of the validity of a voter’s registration if the voter’s absentee ballot is returned by the U.S. post office as undeliverable.
Illinois SB 829 requires the State Board of Elections to provide a certified remote accessible absentee/mail voting system through which a mail ballot can be delivered via electronic transmission to voters with print disabilities.
Indiana HB 1116 changes the date by which a county must provide a voter verifiable paper audit trail for electronic voting systems from Dec. 31, 2029, to July 1, 2024. Provides that, after July 1, 2022, a county must meet certain requirements when using any direct record electronic voting system that does not include a voter verifiable paper audit trail. Requires a statement on absentee ballot applications sent by non-election official entities. Requires an individual to provide either their Indiana driver's license number or the last four digits of the individual's Social Security number to access an absentee ballot application submitted in an electronic format. Requires an electronic poll book to have the capacity to transmit information that a provisional voter’s information from the electronic poll book to the dedicated private server and from the dedicated private server to the voter’s record. Makes post-election audits permanent and tasks the secretary of state with determining the number of elections that are subject to a post-election audit.
Kentucky HB 564 adds language clarifying that voters must be U.S. citizens. Establishes early in-person absentee voting for all voters on Thursday, Friday and Saturday proceeding Election Day. Establishes in-person absentee voting with an excuse beginning six days before the no-excuse early voting period. Prohibits the early disclosure of unofficial ballot count totals. Requires tamper resistant seals on voting equipment before and after the days of early in-person voting. Establishes chain of custody procedures. Permits the electronic transmission of ballots to voters with disabilities. Prohibits voting equipment from being connected to the internet. Establishes a risk-limiting audit pilot program.
Louisiana SB 144 establishes the manner, location and time periods for hand delivery of absentee ballots by a voter or voter’s agent.
Louisiana HB 1074 requires the secretary of state to create uniform and standardized processes for the review and curing or rejection of deficient absentee/mail ballots by the parish board of election supervisors.
Maine SB 647 requires municipal clerks to conduct absentee voting in certain residential facilities, nursing homes and assisted living facilities once during the 30-day period prior to an election. Adds tribal IDs to the list of accepted voter identification.
Massachusetts SB 2924 establishes no-excuse absentee voting. Requires the secretary of the commonwealth to send absentee/mail ballot applications to all registered voters before each election. Establishes an online absentee/mail ballot request portal. Increases the early in-person voting period to two weeks (including two weekends) for biennial elections and one week (including one weekend) for presidential or state primaries. Permits electronic voting for military and overseas voters. Permits voters with disabilities to request absentee ballot applications, voter affidavits and ballots electronically and permits return by mail, drop box or electronic transmission. Requires distribution of voter information in correctional facilities. Requires correctional officers to assist in voter registration efforts and absentee/mail ballot requests for eligible incarcerated voters. Changes the voter registration deadline from 20 days to 10 days before an election.
Missouri HB 1878 establishes two weeks of early in-person voting for any eligible voter. Requires returned absentee ballots to be notarized if not requested and completed in person at an election office with photo identification. Prohibits the use of mail-in ballots (as opposed to absentee ballots) and ballot drop boxes. Requires photo identification for in-person voting. Changes provisional ballot affidavit to require voters to return to their polling location with an accepted photo ID the same day as the provisional ballot is marked. Prohibits a public official from compromising, settling, agreeing or consenting in any state or civil action. Authorizes quarterly audits of voter registration lists by the secretary of state. Prohibits the receipt or use of private money, excluding in-kind donations, for election administration or voter registration purposes. Prohibits any individual demonstrating non-citizenship status from being offered to register to vote at the DMV. Requires party declaration for any voter registering after Jan. 1, 2023; requires party registration on voter identification cards. Requires all voting machines to produce an auditable paper ballot after Jan. 1, 2024. Requires election office cybersecurity reviews every two years.
New Jersey AB 3819 allows a qualified voter who chooses the option to vote using a mail ballot in all future elections to receive their ballot by mail without further request or until the voter requests that they no longer wish to receive such a ballot. Specifies that beginning with the 2020 general election cycle, if the voter does not vote by mail in four consecutive years, then the voter will no longer receive a mail ballot for future elections.
New Jersey AB 3820 provides that a voter who is listed to receive mail ballots for all future elections, and who is not affiliated with any political party, shall not receive a mail ballot for a primary election. Requires unaffiliated mail voters to receive a political party affiliation declaration form and information on how to affiliate with a political party and how to vote in person at a polling place on the day of a primary election.
New Jersey AB 3822 permits pre-processing and early canvassing of mail ballots. Permits county boards of elections to establish a schedule for retrieval of mail ballots in drop boxes. Changes date required for county clerks to disseminate mail ballots from between 38-45 days before an election to 45 days before Election Day.
New Jersey AB 3929 defines an overseas state and federal voter as someone residing abroad who was immediately registered in the state prior to departure but does not intend to return. Permits these individuals to vote in statewide elections.
New York SB 253 provides that in cases where voter intent is unambiguous on an absentee ballot, any stray marks or writing shall not be a basis for voiding a ballot.
New York SB 7565 provides that a qualified voter of a village may vote absentee under specified circumstances, including illness.
New York SB 7799 establishes an online absentee ballot tracking system.
Ohio HB 458 permits the secretary of state to mail unsolicited absentee/mail ballot applications to voters under certain circumstances; requires unexpired photo identification for in-person voting; creates exemption for voters who cannot provide photo ID due to religious objections; changes the time period for which a challenged voter must return to the election office with a photo ID to complete a provisional ballot affirmation from seven to four days after an election; requires submission of an election administration plan to the secretary of state by county boards of elections 75 days before each presidential primary election and 120 days before each general election; prohibits voting in a vehicle or at the door of a polling location; prohibits more than one secure absentee/mail ballot receptacle on the premises of the office of a board of elections; establishes surveillance and ballot custody procedures for ballot receptacles; prohibits return of absentee ballots by anyone other than the voter, a relative, or mail carrier; requires logic and accuracy testing of voting equipment; prohibits the use of voter registration systems, voting machines, marking devices, or automatic tabulating equipment if an elected official or the spouse of an elected official is a partner, owner, or member of the person or entity that manufactured or assembled the equipment or technology.
Oklahoma SB 714 allows the absentee voting board to deliver ballots to residents of nursing homes at any time following the absentee ballot request deadline but before Election Day.
Oklahoma HB 1711 authorizes blind persons to request electronic delivery of accessible absentee ballots and requires the State Election Board Secretary to prescribe accessible absentee voting packets for blind persons.
Oklahoma HB 3364 requires registered voters who electronically apply for absentee ballots to provide their name, birth date, identification number and other information as prescribed by the Secretary of the State Election Board. Requires that the name, birth date and identification number provided on the application match the voter registration record.
Oregon SB 1527 corrects statutory reference from "return identification envelope" to "secrecy envelope." Allows the secretary of state to send recount notice by electronic mail.
Rhode Island SB 2118 permits disabled and military voters to receive and return electronic ballots.
Rhode Island HB 6656 permits eligible voters with disabilities to electronically receive and return their mail ballot using the same electronic transmission system as that used by UOCAVA voters.
Rhode Island SB 2119 requires the local election board to immediately examine a mail ballot and compare the signature with the voter’s registration card.
South Carolina SB 108 requires each county to establish at least one early voting center. Permits counties to establish up to seven days of early voting from Monday through Saturday during the two-week period immediately preceding an election. Establishes hours for early voting centers for state general, runoffs and other elections. Permits certain categories of voters to vote absentee for an election if they are unable to vote during the early voting period or on Election Day. Permits people with disabilities, persons 65 or older, members of the armed forces and their dependents and persons admitted as emergency room patients on or within a four-day period before an election to vote absentee regardless of whether the voter is able to vote during the early voting period or on Election Day. Establishes absentee ballot request requirements. Prohibits a person from requesting absentee applications for more than five eligible voters, including him/herself. Establishes identification requirements for the return of absentee ballots. Permits pre-processing of absentee ballots. Prohibits voting machines from being connected to the internet. Requires the retention of electronic statewide election records for 24 months following an election. Requires annual voter registration list maintenance by the executive director of the State Election Commission. Establishes eligibility requirements for members of the State Election Commission. Requires advice and consent of the state senate for appointment of executive director of the State Election Commission.
Utah HB 313 requires an individual who did not provide valid voter identification when registering to vote to provide valid voter identification when voting. Requires 24-hour video surveillance of each unattended ballot drop box.
Utah HB 411 establishes a deadline to cure a rejected ballot.
Virginia SB 3 establishes that results from absentee voting and voting at the precinct on Election Day shall be reported separately.
Virginia HB 439 requires absentee/mail ballot instructions to include the website with explanations of proposed amendments and referenda.
Washington HB 1357 requires the county auditor to mail or send electronic copies of pamphlets for overseas and service voters to any service or overseas voter registered in the jurisdiction who requests them.
Washington HB 1953 exempts from disclosure voter signatures, phone numbers and email addresses contained on ballot return envelopes, ballot declarations and signature correction forms. Allows the secretary of state to authorize in-person inspection of unredacted forms.
West Virginia HB 4312 permits first responders to vote by electronic absentee ballot in certain emergency circumstances.
Wyoming HB 52 authorizes pre-processing of absentee ballots before an election.