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State of Election Administration Legislation 2025 Mid-Year Report: State highlights
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Absentee/mail-in voting • Early voting • Electoral systems • Voting rights for convicted felons • Private funding • Primary systems • Redistricting • Voter identification |
August 26, 2025
By Ballotpedia staff
State highlights
Republican trifectas
Arkansas
Arkansas has adopted 64 bills and resolutions related to elections, the most of any state. Included among these are nine bills Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) signed changing parts of the ballot initiative process:
- SB 102, which applies state initiative requirements to local petitions, including requiring background checks, requiring paid canvassers to be United States citizens, and prohibiting pay-per-signature for local option election petitions.
- HB 1221 provides that signatures and ballot language certified for an initiative or referendum petition expire on the date of the next general election.
- HB 1222 allows the state attorney general to reject proposed initiatives if they find that the
proposal is in conflict with the U.S. Constitution or federal laws. It also prohibits sponsors from filing conflicting or duplicate measures.
- SB 207 requires canvassers to notify petition signers that petition fraud is a criminal offense and makes failure to notify a Class A misdemeanor.
- SB 208 requires a signer to present a photo ID to a canvasser prior to signing an initiative petition.
- SB 211 requires each canvasser to submit a sworn affidavit to the secretary of state certifying that they complied with all laws related to canvassing, perjury, forgery, and fraudulent practices in signature gathering before counting signatures collected by the canvasser.
- SB 188, SB 209, and SB 210 all became law on March 12. In order, the bills add new publication requirements for approved initiative petitions; expand the secretary of state’s discretion to reject signatures if they find that a canvasser has not complied with state law; and require a petition signer to read the title of the petition in the presence of the canvasser, and canvassers to swear in an affidavit that each signer read the ballot title of the petition.
Besides SB 188, which passed unanimously, only one other bill—SB 102—received some support from Democrats. The remaining seven bills advanced largely along party lines.
State Sen. Kim Hammer (R), who was a sponsor of all but two of the bills, said, “I think what we’ve done is we’ve brought some clarity to some gray areas.” On March 11, the League of Women Voters filed a proposed ballot question with the secretary of state that aims to roll back many of the changes to the initiative process. Bonnie Miller, president of the organization’s Arkansas chapter, said, “We believe filing this amendment is prudent because politicians have continually attacked Arkansans’ constitutional right to petition our government.” Read more about legislation related to ballot access above.
Huckabee Sanders also signed into law legislation that:
- Bans the use of ranked-choice voting (read more above),
- Prohibits the pre-filing of any information on voter registration forms, and,
- Prohibits foreign nationals from donating directly or indirectly to ballot measure committees and requires these committees to affirm in campaign finance reports that they have not knowingly received contributions or expenditures from prohibited sources.
- Moves the state’s regular primary to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March, the same date that it already holds presidential preference primaries, and establishes uniform election dates for school board elections as the state primary election date in even-numbered years and the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March in odd-numbered years.
Click here to see all new election laws in Arkansas.
New Hampshire
Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) signed 18 bills into law. Republicans sponsored 15 of those, while two had bipartisan, and one had Democratic sponsorship. Included among the new laws are expanded voter ID and proof of citizenship requirements for absentee voters, more frequent voter list maintenance, and changes to rules governing political clothing at polling places.
- SB 287 requires voters requesting an absentee ballot to include a photocopy of a valid photo identification or a notarized signature with the absentee ballot application. Voters may also present photo identification at a town clerk’s office to request an absentee ballot.
- SB 218 requires voter registration applicants using the state’s absentee registration affidavit to provide a photocopy of a valid identification and documentation verifying the voter’s citizenship and residence.
- SB 221 requires certain voter list maintenance activities to occur annually instead of at least once every 10 years and lengthens the period of inactivity required before an official may cancel a voter’s registration from four to five years.
- SB 43 removes a prohibition on wearing clothing that explicitly advocates for or against any candidate, political party, or measure while actively engaged in registering to vote or voting at a polling place.
- HB 154 allows voters to request that their ballot be counted by hand.
- Bipartisan-sponsored HB 67 requires the secretary of state to provide all towns with accessible machines for voters with disabilities for local elections.
- Democratic-sponsored HB 464 prohibits candidates that appear on the ballot from participating in the vote counting process. It makes exceptions for certain candidates for local offices that may be involved in the process of counting ballots.
New Hampshire is now the third state to require voters to submit a photocopy of their identification with all absentee ballot applications made by mail, joining Alabama and Kentucky. Several other states require first-time voters requesting an absentee ballot to submit a photocopy of their ID. In Alabama, the requirement is stipulated by the secretary of state, who has the authority to set the form of the absentee ballot application under a state law passed in 2024. Alabama had a Republican trifecta and a Republican secretary of state when the provision was added. Kentucky had a divided government when its law was passed.
The new laws follow recent changes requiring voters and voter registration applicants to take more steps to prove their identity before voting. Last year, Gov. Chris Sununu (R) signed HB 1569 into law, requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote. That law took effect after the November general election. New Hampshire is one of seven states to pass such a law, although not all of those laws are in effect. That bill also eliminated the use of affidavit ballots that permitted voters to attest to their citizenship and residency under penalty of perjury. If challenged, a voter who used an affidavit ballot was required to provide proof of citizenship and residency within seven days of voting to have their ballot counted. Now, a voter must present valid documentation before voting or at the polling place.
Texas
Texas adopted 44 new election laws in the state’s regular legislative session, the second most of any state. On June 22, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed SB 2753, which moves the start of early voting later, but extends early voting to weekends and the four days leading up to Election Day.
The new law requires early voting to begin on the 12th day before Election Day and end on the day before the election, and to include weekends and holidays during the period. Previously, early voting began on the 17th day before an election and ended on the Friday before the election, and in-person early voting was not available on weekends. For elections occurring on the state’s uniform May election date and for runoff elections, early voting will start on the ninth day before Election Day.
The Republican-sponsored bill received mixed support in the Texas Legislature. In the Texas House of Representatives, the final version of the bill passed 84-45 on June 1 with 21 legislators not voting. Both Democrats (23-25) and Republicans (61-20) split their votes in the chamber. The final version of the bill passed the Texas Senate 21-10 along partisan lines on the same day.
Counties will have until Aug. 1, 2027, to implement the changes. Texas will become the 23rd state where the early voting period ends the day before Election Day, and the 12th state where early voting begins less than two weeks before the election, while 31 states will remain where early voting begins sooner. Three states — Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire — do not have in-person early voting.
Other changes to election procedures include three bills granting local jurisdictions the authority to consolidate or align election dates, thereby eliminating some off-cycle elections: SB 1494, SB 914, and HB 3546. All three bills had Democratic or bipartisan sponsorship.
Other new laws include changes to polling place procedures and voter list maintenance:
- HB 493 prohibits a person who has been convicted of a felony of the first or second degree from serving as a poll watcher.
- SB 985 allows election officials to consolidate election precincts for any election if there is a precinct that serves less than 3,000 voters.
- SB 1470 requires the secretary of state to reciprocally share driver’s license or ID data with other states to identify voters who may have changed addresses, became disqualified, or are registered in multiple states.
- SB 1682 requires election officials to record previous residential addresses of voter registration applicants that indicate they have previously resided outside the state. Officials must compile and submit this data monthly to the secretary of state, to be shared with officials in other states.
As of Aug. 18, Gov. Greg Abbott had called a second special legislative session for state lawmakers to consider a plan for voluntary mid-decade redistricting.
Utah
Gov. Spencer Cox (R) signed HB 300 on March 26, putting an end to Utah’s all-mail voting system, where voting is conducted primarily by mail and all eligible voters receive a mail-in ballot for each election beginning in 2029. Under the new law, voters will be required to request to receive a ballot by mail. The bill also added new ID requirements for mailed ballots and provided that voters who cannot meet these requirements must vote in person. Utah is one of eight states with universal mail- in voting, and the only Republican trifecta that uses the system.
Utah House Speaker Rep. Mike Schultz (R) said, “We are in the same category as Washington, California, Oregon, Nevada, Colorado, Hawaii and Vermont. As a conservative state, that is not a list I am proud to be part of.” A number of county clerks in the state, the officials primarily responsible for administering elections across the state, criticized the legislation. Davis County Clerk Brian McKenzie (R) said, “It is not a great bill. I love vote-by-mail. It’s been very successful, and it’s worked very well in the state of Utah.” A number of clerks removed their opposition to the bill after lawmakers made amendments. Weber County Clerk Ricky Hatch (R) said, “A big reason why we did that is because we received assurances from sponsors that they would continue to work with us to fix the remaining issues we have to help make sure voters aren’t hurt.”
The bill also specified what type of identification is eligible to be used at an in-person polling place. Currently, state law requires a voter to present ID but does not stipulate what type. The new law still allows voters to present a different ID, but clerks would have discretion to decide whether “the voter has presented valid voter identification.”
Lawmakers also passed SJR 2 along party lines, certifying a ballot measure that will appear on voters’ ballots in 2026 to create a 60% vote requirement for ballot initiatives increasing or expanding taxes. All Democrats in the statehouse voted against the resolution. Another ballot measure referral, HJR 10, which changes publication requirements for ballot initiatives, received unanimous support in the legislature.
Several other bills related to elections passed at least one chamber of the legislature but failed to progress, including HB 445 which would have eliminated same-day voter registration in the state. Utah is one of 22 states with same-day registration, six of which are Republican trifectas.
Wyoming
Gov. Mark Gordon (R) signed a series of election-related bills that change various aspects of elections including related to proof of citizenship to register, ranked-choice voting, voting rights after a felony conviction, and more. Included among the state’s new laws are:
- SF 9 modifies who may apply for the restoration of voting rights after a felony conviction. The bill removes the possibility for an individual convicted of a federal felony from regaining the right to vote, while persons convicted of nonviolent felonies in any state can still apply to have their rights restored.
- SF 78 prohibits anyone other than a county clerk, the secretary of state, or their designees from distributing absentee ballot request forms unless specifically solicited by a voter.
- HB 156 requires documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote or renew a voter registration, and stipulates that a voter must have been a state resident for at least 30 days before voting in an election.
- HB 165, banned ranked-choice voting for any election. For more on RCV, see above.
- HB 337 prohibits foreign nationals or governments from contributing to ballot measure committees or otherwise supporting statewide initiatives or referendums. The new law provides enforcement of the prohibition by civil action and makes Wyoming the tenth state, and fourth Republican trifecta to have such a law. Ohio lawmakers adopted a similar law in 2024.
- HB 228 prohibits the use of private funding for election administration. Twenty-eight states have similar laws, all adopted since 2020. Only one state with a Republican trifecta, New Hampshire, remains without regulations on private election administration funding.
- On maintaining voter rolls, HF 318 requires new sharing of data related to citizenship between the secretary of state and the state’s department of transportation. It also authorizes the secretary of state to use the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to check registered voter’s citizenship status. SF 165 allows clerks to email a voter whose registration may be cancelled, in addition to mailing them as previously required by law.
Gov. Gordon also vetoed one bill, HB 79. The legislation would have required that, for bond elections on a day other than a general election date, at least 25% of the number of voters at the last general election must participate for the question to pass. In his veto message, Gordon said he “believe(s) the process it creates impermissibly infringes on citizens’ fundamental right to vote.”
Democratic trifectas
Colorado
Colorado became the ninth state to adopt a state-level voting rights act when Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed SB 1 into law on May 12. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures:
| “ | State VRAs parallel or build upon the federal VRA’s approach to combating voting discrimination. … These state VRAs mirror the federal VRA in many ways and are often more detailed than the federal act, because the meaning of the federal VRA has been interpreted by courts over time beyond the statutory text. Some state VRAs codify these interpretations in their text. While the federal VRA covers political jurisdictions ranging from congressional districts to counties and townships, state VRAs generally cover local jurisdictions and do not apply to congressional districts.[1] | ” |
In several states, including Colorado, this includes granting individuals a private right of action to bring lawsuits against state or local officials to enforce voting laws or protections. The final version of SB 1 passed the Colorado House of Representatives 59-3 with bipartisan support, and the Colorado Senate 20-12 along party lines with all Republicans in opposition.
Among other changes, SB 1:
- Prohibits any political subdivision from taking actions that cause, will cause, or are intended to cause a material disparity in voting access or participation between protected classes and other eligible voters.
- Requires major parties to provide a method for voters to participate in a primary ornominating convention if they are unable to attend in person.
- Extends electioneering prohibitions to include activities near ballot drop boxes.
- Prohibits placing unnecessary burdens on jailed individuals that prevent or hinder access to election information, voter registration, or ballots.
- Requires the secretary of state to collect and maintain data on voting-age population, and citizen voting-age population—disaggregated by race, ethnicity, language minority status, and disability status—at the precinct, district, or county level.
Among other new laws, lawmakers adopted:
- HB 1327 requires proponents who submit five or more drafts on the same subject matter within the same initiative cycle to also submit a comparison chart that explains or visually shows the differences among the drafts. It also requires the proposed ballot title to indicate whether the initiative will modify or repeal existing law or create a new law.
- HB 1225, which creates civil penalties for intimidating, threatening, coercing, or attempting to do so against another individual for voting or attempting to vote, or helping another person to vote or attempt to vote. It also presumes that an individual is engaging in prohibited intimidation if they carry a visible firearm, imitation firearm, or toy firearm while interacting with or observing voting or other voting-related activities.
- Bipartisan-sponsored SB 172, which authorizes a special district’s governing body that is elected by district to cancel an election for one or more of those election districts if there is not more than one candidate for that office, allowing for the partial or full cancellation of the special district election.
Governor Polis also vetoed one bill, bipartisan-sponsored SB 77, which would have expanded the timeline for a records custodian to respond to a Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) request, unless the request was made by a journalist. Sen. Cathy Kipp (D), one of the bill’s sponsors, said, “I think it is a very fair bill that we worked for a couple years on in order to get it into a good place. We have several elements of the bill that are good for both requestees and for requesters, and I think it would make things easier.” In his veto letter, Polis wrote, “The bill leaves the custodian with far too much power to define who is and is not a member of the media, and what is and isn’t news… To ensure fairness and confidence in public transparency, all legitimate requests for public transparency under CORA should be treated equally under the law, without preference for some requestors over others.”
Maryland
Maryland has enacted 25 election-related bills and resolutions, the most of any state with a Democratic trifecta. While most new laws make technical changes to election procedures, state lawmakers also adopted SB 259, overhauling how local election boards plan and receive approval for local election administration decisions.
The new law requires each local election board to submit an election plan (rather than a polling place plan) to the State Board of Elections for approval at least 7 months (rather than 6 months) before each statewide primary election. The election plan must include details about polling locations, early voting, drop box availability, and an analysis on how to maximize voter participation in the county and precinct. The new law requires local officials to take into consideration factors such as accessibility to historically disenfranchised communities, voter concentration, and public transportation when developing election plans. Local election boards must hold public meetings before adopting or changing an election plan, and must receive approval for their election plan from the state board of elections.
The bill passed the Maryland Senate 43-2 with 11 Republicans in favor and two against, and passed the state’s House of Delegates 117-119 with Republicans in the chamber splitting 20-19 in favor of the bill.
Other new laws include:
- SB 93 requires local boards of elections to send a notice about the availability of absentee ballot applications alongside sample ballots and additional election mailings. It does not apply to voters on the permanent absentee voter list and for elections conducted entirely by mail. It passed the legislature with one vote against across both chambers.
- HB 983 creates the Language Assistance Program. Under the program, the state board of elections must determine if there is a significant need for a local election board to provide voting materials and services in a language other than English. If so, the local board must provide translated materials, signage, and interpretation at polling places and early voting centers, with assistance and funding from the state board.
- SB 308 extends the requirement that polling places have an equal number of election judges from each major and principal minority political party to include chief election judges.
- SB 313 modifies post-election audit procedures by, among other changes, defining an automated software audit as an audit of “electronic images of ballots cast in an election using software that is independent of the voting system,” and grants the state board of elections authority to conduct an automated software audit after a statewide election. The bill also grants local boards more discretion to conduct local risk-limiting audits.
- HB 945 tweaked the gubernatorial primary date, moving it from the last Tuesday to the fourth Tuesday in June.
New Jersey
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed A 5116 into law, which abolishes the use of the county line ballot design and replacing it with a system that groups offices on the ballot into blocks of candidates and places a number next to the name of each candidate. The bill also allowed candidates running as a slate for an office with more than one open seat to appear together on the ballot.
This comes after a U.S. district court judge blocked the use of the county line ballot design in the state’s 2024 Democratic primary after three candidates, including then U.S. Rep. Andy Kim (D), sued to block it. Read more about that case here. Kim, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in November, criticized the new bill, writing, “Almost exactly a year ago I testified in court to fix NJ’s broken ballot and make our politics more fair. The simple premise was to have every candidate treated exactly the same on the ballot. The bill signed today falls short of what voters deserve.” In a statement, Democrats in the Assembly said, “The bill creates a fair ballot for all candidates, and it is in line with everything the legislature has done to protect and expand voting rights and ensure citizens’ trust our political process.” Two Republicans joined four Democrats to sponsor the bill and it passed both chambers of the legislature with comfortable majorities. In 2025, New Jersey will hold elections for state executive offices, including governor, state legislature, and various municipal offices. The new law will be in effect for these elections.
Gov. Murphy also signed S 3990 into law, extending the early voting period for primary elections, beginning with 2025’s June primary. The legislation extends the early voting period to begin seven days before the primary date for all primaries. Previously, early voting began three days before a primary except during a presidential primary year when it began five days in advance. The early voting period for general elections remains unchanged at nine days. A small group of Republicans in each chamber joined all voting Democrats to pass the bill.
Many candidates in New Jersey will face higher signature thresholds for nominating petitions after Gov. Murphy signed A 5117 on Feb. 3. The bill increases the signature requirement to be placed on the ballot for various offices, including state executive, congress, county offices, and school boards.
For boards of education, the requirement increases from 10 signatures to 25, while for congressional candidates the number increases from 200 to 500, and for state legislative candidates, from 100 to 200. The changes are retroactive to Jan. 1, 2025, and are therefore in effect for elections occurring this year. The bill passed both chambers of the legislature along party lines, with all Republicans opposing the changes.
Finally, S 3850 permits county boards of elections to extend the distance prohibiting electioneering to 200 feet, up from 100, outside the entrance of any polling place or a ballot drop box. Murphy signed the bill on July 8.
Gov. Murphy is term-limited and cannot run for re-election this year. Democrats hold a 52-28 majority in the lower chamber, and a 25-15 one in the Senate.
Divided governments
Arizona
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) has vetoed 29 election-related bills, the most of any governor. She vetoed seven bills last year. Included among the rejected bills are proposals related to absentee/ mail-in voting, early voting, voter list maintenance, voter ID, and the electoral college.
Hobbs vetoed HB 2703 on Feb. 18. It would have made a number of changes to state election laws, including:
- Extending the early voting period and the deadline to request an emergency absentee ballot from Friday before an election to Monday before an election.
- Eliminating emergency voting provisions during the period between Friday and Monday before an election.
- Extending the ability of election officials to process early and absentee ballots during this period.
- Making other changes to the administration of absentee voting, including requiring voters on the state’s active early voting list, a version of a permanent absentee voting list, to verify their status as mail voters every two or four years, depending on the county.
Supporters of the bill said that it was intended to streamline the ballot counting process and delivery of election results. Critics said that the bill went much further than that and added steps that make it harder to vote. In her veto message, Hobbs focused on a provision of the bill that would have removed school principals’ ability to deny requests to use their school as a polling place under certain circumstances, as well as the amendments to permanent mail voting lists, saying, “While I too want faster election results, the solution should not needlessly restrict Arizona citizens’ freedom to vote, or undermine the learning and safety of students in public school districts. This legislation effectively ends the Active Early Voting List, something that has nothing to do with faster election results.” President of the Senate Warren Petersen (R) said, “The Governor’s veto is a huge mistake. This was a missed opportunity to increase voter confidence and reduce frustration on election night.”
Other vetoed bills include:
- HB 2206, that would have created new rules related to participation in multistate data registration compact, and would have created an obstacle to Arizona’s continued participation in the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC).
- SB 1052 would have removed the eligibility of a U.S. citizen who has never resided in the country from voting in the state.
- HB 2440, which would have prohibited the attorney general from bringing criminal charges or civil action against a county supervisor for voting against the certification of the canvass of an election if the vote is based on a good faith belief in “unresolved issues that materially affect the integrity or accuracy of the election results” and documentation, such as “official reports, audits, sworn affidavits or expert testimony.”
- SB 1441, that would have made school board elections partisan. Currently, five states require partisan school board elections, while in five states both partisan and nonpartisan school board elections are possible. In the remaining 40 states, school board elections are nonpartisan.
- SB 1001, in addition to modifications to absentee and early voting that Hobbs vetoed in other legislation, would have required election officials to remove a voter from a permanent absentee voter list if they returned a ballot in person after 7 p.m. on the Friday before the election without providing an ID.
- HB 2649 would have affirmed the legislature’s support for the electoral college.
In Arizona, a two-thirds majority is required to override most vetoes.
Kansas
Kansas has a Democratic governor and Republicans have a veto-proof legislative majority in both chambers of the Kansas Legislature. Republicans used their majorities to override both election bills that Gov. Laura Kelly (D) vetoed this year:
- SB 4 moves up the deadline to return advance voting ballots—how Kansas refers to absentee and mail ballots—to the close of polls on Election Day. Previously, election officials accepted ballots postmarked by Election Day and received by the third day after the election.
- SB 5 restricts the use of federal funds provided by the federal government for the purposes of election administration. The bill requires an explicit state appropriation before any federal funds may be used for election-related expenditures. The bill says that no governmental agency “shall knowingly accept or expend any moneys, directly or indirectly, from the federal government, except as provided in any acts of appropriation or as otherwise provided by state law, for any expenditures related to conducting, funding or otherwise facilitating the administration of an election pursuant to law or for any election- related activities.”
Both bills received unanimous Republican support, while just one Democrat voted in favor of SB 5 and none supported SB 4. No Democrats voted to override either veto.
Gov. Kelly became the first Democratic governor to approve a bill banning ranked-choice voting when she signed SB 6 on March 26. The bill passed largely along party lines, but two Democrats in the Kansas House of Representatives voted for the bill.
Kansas lawmakers also referred two constitutional amendments to voters. The first, SCR 1611, would change the selection method for the state’s supreme court. The Republican-supported measure passed along party lines and, if approved by voters at the 2026 general election, would create direct elections for justices. Under the currency system, the governor appoints justices from a list created by a nominating commission.
The other, HCR 5004, would ask voters whether to amend the state constitution to say: “No person shall be deemed a qualified elector unless such person: … Is a citizen of the United States” instead of “Every citizen of the United States” is a qualified elector. Voters in eight states passed similar measures in 2024.
Other new laws include:
- HB 2022, which eliminates various possible election dates and requires they occur on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March or on the same day as the general election or primary.
- HB 2106, which restricts foreign contributions to ballot measure campaigns and requires campaign finance reports to include a certification stating: (1) the committee has not knowingly accepted any contributions or expenditures — directly or indirectly — from a foreign national, and (2) each donor listed is not a foreign national and has not knowingly received more than $100,000 in contributions or expenditures from a foreign national within the four years before making their contribution or expenditure.
Nevada
Nevada is one of three states with a Republican governor where Democrats control both chambers of the legislature. Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) vetoed 12 election-related bills during the 2025 legislative session, the third most of any governor. This included bills related to voter ID, primary participation, processing mail ballots, residency requirements for elected officials, and voter registration:
- AB 499 would have required in-person voters to present a valid photo ID and would have asked voters to provide the last four digits of a qualifying ID when returning an absentee ballot. The bill also included an expansion of drop box availability which Lombardo vetoed as AB 306 earlier in the year.
- AB 597 would have allowed unaffiliated voters to vote in major party primaries. These voters would have remained unaffiliated after voting in a party primary, but the bill would have required county clerks to record the voter’s ballot choice in the statewide voter registration list.
- AB 534, among other changes to election law, would have required–instead of authorized– the processing of mail ballots to begin 15 days before the election and would have required officials to process each ballot within 24 hours of receipt. It also would have established an election administration grant program for local governments administered by the office of the secretary of state, and changed the deadline before an election to register and automatically receive a mail ballot to 18 days, instead of 14.
- SB 428 would have required elected officials to maintain residency in their elected district during the duration of their term. It also would have required elected officials to take an oath of residency and an oath that they not be obligated to support any person for appointments, employment, or judicial decisions as an elected official. Under the bill, the state’s attorney general to initiate proceedings to declare a public office vacant when an incumbent refuses to relinquish office after a disqualifying event.
- AB 422, would have permitted the use of tribal IDs for same-day registration during early voting and Election Day registration and clarified which forms of identification also serve as proof of residency, which is required for in-person same-day registration. It also would have stipulated that automatic voter registration through state agencies closes on the 18th day before an election. Under existing, there is not a specified close to automatic voter registration before an election.
Thirteen election-related bills did become law, including:
- AB 148 requires mail ballots to be delivered in a specific timeframe—on or after the fifth Monday before the election but not later than the fourth Monday before the election. It also requires county clerks to distribute a sample ballot and a polling place notice to each registered voter before the deadline for distributing a mail ballot.
- AB 123 prohibits making threats against or intimidating a candidate for public office that would reasonably place the candidate or their family in fear of bodily harm or property damage. Such threats must be intentional and exclude constitutionally protected speech, including political hyperbole.
- AB 367 requires the secretary of state to provide voting materials and election information on its website in all federally required languages, or the seven most commonly spoken languages in the state, as well as in American Sign Language.
Voters will also decide on a constitutional amendment at the November 2026 general election that would establish a voter ID requirement for in person voting. Nevada is one of 14 states that do not require most voters to provide ID.
Virginia
Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) vetoed 16 bills, the second most of any governor. Democrats hold a 21- 19 majority in the state Senate and a 51-49 majority in the House of Delegates. Virginia will hold elections in 2025 where voters will elect a governor, other state executive offices, and the House of Delegates. Youngkin is term-limited and cannot seek re-election.
Among Youngkin’s vetoes are:
- SB 1009 would have created new tabulation guidelines and reporting requirements for elections that use ranked-choice voting. The bill also required the state election board to provide a determination of feasibility to any jurisdiction that decides to conduct an election using RCV. Currently, state law permits elections for members of a county board of supervisors or a city council to use RCV. Most Republicans opposed the bill’s advancement.
- HB 2277 that created penalties for members of local electoral boards that neglect or refuse to certify the results of an election, and allowed the State Board of Elections to remove an official who does not carry out their duties as stipulated in state law. The Democratic-sponsored legislation passed both chambers along party lines.
- HB 2276, which would have created new criteria for matching voter information to VLM data sources, including by implementing a “confidence score” system whereby the Department of Elections use a points-based system to determine match confidence, assigning point values to matching fields such as Social Security number, DMV ID, name, birthdate, and address. Among other changes to VLM procedures, the bill would also have required the department to annually review all data sources used in voter roll maintenance to evaluate their accuracy, completeness, and reliability.
- HB 2002 would have restricted the ability of registrars to cancel voter registrations, including when a voter temporarily lives outside the U.S., such as active duty members of the military and their spouses or dependents. It also stipulated that a registrar can only cancel a registration based on data or reports provided to them by the Department of Elections or an approved state agency. The bill passed largely without Republican support.
Among bills that did receive Youngkin’s approval were:
- Democratic-sponsored HB 1735, which extends the voter registration deadline from 21 days before an election, and 13 days before a special election, to 10 days.
- Bipartisan-sponsored HB 2165, which requires the state board of elections to create new guidance on the prohibition of the personal use of campaign funds, and authorizes a new review process for related complaints.
- Republican-sponsored SB 1174 which extends a prohibition on the dissemination of campaign materials in restricted areas to include materials related to referendums and initiatives.
- Bipartisan-sponsored SB 1044 requires local officials to report the number of provisional ballots cast, the number of valid provisional ballots cast, and the results of valid provisional ballots cast in each precinct separately from in-person voting results and provides a deadline.
The General Assembly also adopted several resolutions related to elections:
- SJR 248 proposes a constitutional amendment that would restore voting rights to individuals convicted of a felony after the completion of their sentence. Under current law, individuals must apply to the governor for the restoration of voting rights after serving their sentence. When Gov. Youngkin took office in 2021, he announced that he would not continue the policy of former governors Bob McDonnell (R), Terry McAuliffe (D), and Ralph Northam (D), of automatically restoring voting rights to individuals with a felony conviction upon completion of their prison sentences, and instead returned to a case-by-case consideration of appeals for restoration. The resolution would need to pass again with a simple majority during next year’s legislative session for the measure to appear on the ballot in November 2026.
- SJR 253 creates a commission to study the effects of moving some or all of Virginia’s state or local elections to even-numbered years in order to coincide with the federal election cycle. The resolution requires the commission to deliver a report to the General Assembly ahead of the 2027 regular legislative session.
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State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.
Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:
- Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments.
- We translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language.
- And because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan.
About the authors
Joe Greaney is a staff writer on Ballotpedia's Law Team.
Ballotpedia Managing Editor Janie Valentine reviewed the report and provided feedback, as did Senior Editor Norm Leahy Associate Director of Features Cory Eucalitto.
See also
- Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
- About Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
- Voting laws in the United States
- Election Policy
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
