Author: Andrew Bahl
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signs bill requiring absentee ballots to be received by Election Day
On Dec. 19, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) signed SB 293, which requires absentee ballots to be received by the close of polls on Election Day, except for military or overseas ballots. Previously in Ohio, absentee ballots were counted if they arrived within four days after the election. Not including Ohio, 14 states count absentee/mail-in…
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Kat Abughazaleh (D), Daniel K. Biss (D), Laura Fine (D), and 14 others are running in the Democratic primary for Illinois' 9th Congressional District on March 17, 2026
Kat Abughazaleh (D), Daniel K. Biss (D), Laura Fine (D), and 14 others are running in the Democratic primary for Illinois' 9th Congressional District on March 17, 2026. As of December 2025, Abughazaleh, Biss, and Fine led in fundraising and polling. Incumbent Jan Schakowsky (D) is not running for re-election. As of December 2025, major…
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Wyoming could become the 41st state to specify who may return another voter's ballot
The Wyoming Legislature's Joint Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Committee voted 11-2 last month to sponsor legislation limiting who may return another voter’s absentee ballot, meaning the legislature may consider the bill during the state’s 2026 legislative session. Wyoming is one of 23 states with a Republican trifecta. The bill would prohibit individuals who are…
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U.S. Supreme Court case could affect absentee/mail-in ballot return deadlines
On Nov. 10, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Watson v. Republican National Committee, a case challenging the legality of a Mississippi law permitting absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they are received up to five business days after the election. Mississippi is one of 15 states that allow…
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A look at how provisional voting works in each state
In most states, voters who arrive at a polling place without their required identification or who aren't listed in the pollbook still have the option to cast a ballot. That’s because of a system called provisional voting. A provisional ballot is a type of ballot that is not immediately counted. Election officials instead set these…
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Twenty-three states have amended their absentee/mail-in voting laws so far this year
On Tuesday, Nov. 4, Maine voters defeated Question 1, which would have changed the state's absentee voting laws, limited ballot drop boxes, and required voter ID for individuals voting both in person and by absentee ballot. As of 12 p.m. EST on Nov. 5, the vote was 63.5%-36.5%, with 89% of votes in. While Mainers…
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Greenbelt, Maryland, could be the next municipality to adopt ranked-choice voting
On Nov. 4, 2025, voters in Greenbelt, Maryland, passed a non-binding referendum in favor of adopting ranked-choice voting (RCV) for city council elections. If the Greenbelt City Council adopts an RCV system, it would be the 52nd locality in the United States that uses or is scheduled to use RCV in at least some elections.…
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Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signs legislation changing the state's spring election dates
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) signed two pieces of legislation on Oct. 30 to move back the state’s 2026 spring election dates, a move the bills' supporters have said is necessary to give lawmakers more time to potentially redraw the state’s congressional maps if the U.S. Supreme Court rules in the state’s favor in Louisiana…
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10 states have amended their voter ID laws so far this year
Ten states have amended their voter ID laws so far in 2025. One state, West Virginia, moved from requiring non-photo identification to vote to requiring photo identification. Across the U.S., 36 states require voters to present identification to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of those states, 24 require voters to present photo identification,…
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U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether candidates can sue over election law
On Oct. 8, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Bost v. Illinois State Board of Elections, a case over whether a candidate, U.S. Rep. Michael Bost (R), has the legal standing to challenge an Illinois law allowing mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted up to 14 days after Election Day. …