States make most rules governing elections in the United States. While Congress has set some national standards, states are responsible for devising and administering voter registration systems, the requirements for registering and voting, and how people register and vote. State legislatures have broad leeway to decide whether to create fair and convenient structures to ensure all eligible citizens can cast a ballot that counts or to erect hurdles that make it harder to vote. For many Americans, the ease or difficulty of voting turns on where they live.
Since the 2020 election, many states have turbocharged their efforts to restrict voting access. 2021 saw unprecedented action: At least 19 states enacted 32 laws that make it harder to vote. In 2025, states matched that total as at least 17 states enacted 32 restrictive laws, and so far in 2026 at least 9 states have passed 12 restrictive laws. The January 2025 through April 2026 total of 44 restrictive laws has already surpassed the previous two-year high of 43 set in 2021–22, and the year is not yet over. Other states have been busy making it easier to vote, although that pace slowed in 2025 when at least 25 states passed 30 expansive laws. This was the first time since at least 2020 that there were more restrictive laws than expansive ones. Through the first few months of 2026, the pace of expansive laws has slightly outpaced that of restrictive laws, with 6 states having passed 16 expansive laws.
Meanwhile, 2025 continued a recent trend of states passing election interference laws that allow partisan actors to meddle in election results or create criminal penalties for election workers for honest mistakes. At least 7 states enacted 8 of these laws last year. As of May 2026, no state has enacted an interference law this year.
