Findings

Congress finds the following: (1) An inequity of voting rights exists in the United States because voters in some States have the universal right to vote by mail while voters in other States do not. (2) Many voters often have work, family, or other commitments that make getting to polls and waiting in line on the date of an election difficult or impossible. Many citizens with disabilities are physically unable to vote due to long lines, inadequate parking, no curb cuts, steep ramps, and large crowds. In the 2022 election, the Election Assistance Commission found that 20 percent of voters with disabilities faced difficulties voting in person. (3) In 2020, despite a global pandemic, the general election saw record high turnout as a result of increased vote by mail options, which allowed voters to cast a ballot and stay safe at the same time. (4) Thirty-five States and the District of Columbia allow universal absentee voting (also known as no-excuse absentee voting), which permits any voter to request a mail-in ballot without providing a reason for the request. No State which has implemented no-excuse absentee voting has repealed it. (5) Eight states and Washington, DC, conduct elections entirely by mail. At least 13 States currently allow some elections to be conducted by mail, especially in large and rural jurisdictions where voting by mail is especially convenient. Polling stations in rural jurisdictions tend to have higher costs per voter, smaller staffs, and limited resources. Transportation is often a crucial barrier for rural voters. (6) In 2020, in order to provide greater accessibility and to protect the public health, 30 States adopted or changed their laws for the general election to allow voters to cast their ballots from home. These changes included removing strict excuse requirements or allowing COVID–19 concerns to be a valid excuse to vote absentee, allowing ballot drop boxes, offering prepaid postage on election mail, and proactively sending all active registered voters applications to request an absentee ballot, with some States even skipping that step and sending the actual ballots. (7) Voting by mail gives voters more time to consider their choices, which is especially important as many ballots contain greater numbers of questions about complex issues than in the past due to the expanded use of the initiative and referendum process in many States. (8) Voting by mail is cost effective. After the State of Oregon adopted vote-by-mail for all voters in 1996, the cost to administer an election in the State dropped by nearly 30 percent over the next few elections, from $3.07 per voter to $2.21 per voter. After Colorado implemented all-mail balloting in 2013, voting administration costs decreased by an average of 40 percent. The cost of conducting vote-by-mail elections is generally one-third to one-half less than conducting polling place elections. Voting by mail also saves a substantial amount by getting rid of the temporary labor costs of hiring poll workers. In addition to that cost, many jurisdictions have been facing difficulty in obtaining sufficient numbers of poll workers. (9) Allowing all voters the option to vote by mail can reduce waiting times for those voters who choose to vote at the polls. In 2024, voters in Illinois reported waiting in line up to 4 hours to vote; in Pennsylvania, voters reported waiting more than 6 hours to cast a ballot. (10) Voting by mail is preferable to many voters as an alternative to going to the polls. In 2024, nearly 30 percent of ballots in the United States were cast by mail, up from 10 percent in 2000. Voting by mail has become increasingly popular with voters who want to be certain that they are able to vote no matter what comes up on Election Day, as it reduces the physical obstacles and eases the time constraints connected with the act of voting. (11) Despite attempts to claim that voting by mail is susceptible to fraud, it is not. Strategies such as the tracking systems for ballots and Postal Service cooperation in preventing ballots from being delivered to names not recognized as receiving mail at an address nearly eliminate the potential for fraud in vote-by-mail elections. Evidence of undue influence or voter coercion after vote-by-mail implementation in Oregon has been nonexistent to minimal. (12) Many of the reasons which voters in many States are required to provide in order to vote by mail require the revelation of personal information about health, travel plans, or religious activities, which violate voters’ privacy while doing nothing to prevent voter fraud. (13) State laws which require voters to obtain a notary signature to vote by mail only add cost and inconvenience to voters without increasing security. (14) Vote-by-mail typically increases turnout in all elections, but can be particularly effective in increasing voter participation in special elections and primary elections. Oregon, Washington, and Colorado, 3 States with entirely vote-by-mail systems, continue to have consistently high voter turnout rates. (15) A crucial component of a modern voting system is making it easy, affordable, and accessible to register to vote. Twenty-four States and the District of Columbia have enacted automatic voter registration policies, with Oregon and California becoming the first to automatically register their citizens to vote when they apply for a driver’s license. Automatic, permanent voter registration has the potential to increase participation, protect election integrity, and reduce registration costs.