State Voting Laws

Each year, the Bren­nan Center publishes regu­lar roundups of voting legis­la­­tion around the coun­­try.

Since the 2020 elec­­tion, voting legis­la­­tion has taken on new import­ance in state legis­latures across the coun­­try. Start­ing in 2021 and continu­ing into this year, lawmakers have aggress­ively attem­p­ted to limit voting access and roll back the gains of an elec­­tion conduc­ted during the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.

This year, lawmakers are actively pursu­ing legis­la­tion that would allow for partisan inter­fer­ence with the elec­­tions process, includ­ing propos­als that would create processes to over­­turn elec­­tion results, crim­in­al­­ize elec­­tion offi­­cials for honest mistakes, or require suspect audits of past and future elec­­tions. These bills stand to not only harm exist­ing elec­­tion admin­is­tra­­tion, but they also under­­mine voters’ faith in the secur­ity of elec­­tions.

So far, six states have enacted nine elec­tion inter­fer­ence laws. Over­all, at least 148 elec­tion inter­fer­ence bills have been intro­­duced in 27 states. Mean­while, two states have enacted two laws that restrict access to the vote. Over­all, at least 393 restrict­ive voting bills have been proposed in 39 state legis­latures.

During the same time­­frame, pro-voter legis­lat­ors are push­ing back, seek­ing to expand access to the vote and build on the momentum that led to the biggest voter turnout in over a century in 2020. Thus far, four states have enacted five laws that expand the right to vote. Over­­all, at least 596 bills with expans­ive provi­­sions have been proposed in 44 state legis­latures.