Author: Andrew Bahl
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Colorado lawmakers enact omnibus elections bill, seven other election-related laws in 2026 session
The Colorado General Assembly adjourned its 2026 regular session on May 13 after passing eight election-related bills. Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed all eight bills between April and June. Among those bills was HB 1113, an omnibus bill making a number of changes to Colorado’s election laws. Those changes included: The Senate approved the final…
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New Jersey becomes the 11th state to enact a state-level voting rights act
On July 2, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) signed legislation making New Jersey the 11th state to enact a state-level voting rights act. Since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits racial discrimination in voting nationwide, some states have enacted state-level voting rights acts. The provisions of these laws vary,…
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Ohio governor vetoes bill requiring photo ID for absentee voting
On June 24, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) vetoed legislation that would have required most voters to provide photo identification when either requesting or returning an absentee ballot. Currently, Ohio voters must provide either a copy of their state or federal photo ID or their driver's license number, state identification card number, or the last…
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U.S. Supreme Court agrees to review Arizona's documentary proof of citizenship and noncitizen voter removal laws
On June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it would hear Republican National Committee v. Mi Familia Vota, a case disputing whether two Arizona laws requiring documentary proof of citizenship (DPOC) to register to vote in federal elections and requiring election officials to remove noncitizens from voter rolls violate the National Voter Registration Act…
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U.S. Supreme Court strikes down campaign finance restrictions on candidate coordination with parties
On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Commission that federal limits on the amount of money that a political party could spend in coordination with candidates were unconstitutional. The court previously held that political parties, as well as candidates and private groups, may make…
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Georgia enacts legislation extending voting machine deadline, establishing automatic hand recounts
On June 25, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed legislation delaying the implementation of a state law banning the use of QR codes and other machine coding in ballot tabulation. In 2024, lawmakers enacted a bill prohibiting the use of QR codes, bar codes, or other machine coding in ballot tabulation, starting on July 1,…
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U.S. Supreme Court upholds Mississippi's absentee ballot return law
On June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that a Mississippi law allowing absentee ballots to be received up to five business days after the election was not preempted by federal statutes and could remain in place. Mississippi is one of 14 states that allow absentee/mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted…
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Connecticut enacts no-excuse absentee voting, four other election bills in 2026
The Connecticut General Assembly adjourned its 2026 regular session on May 6 after passing five election-related bills. Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signed all five bills in May and June. Among those bills was HB 5001, which removes the requirement that voters meet one of five criteria to request an absentee ballot, such as being on…
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Vermont enacts vote denial prohibition, campaign finance changes in 2026 session
The Vermont General Assembly adjourned its 2026 regular session on May 29 after passing one election-related bill, which Gov. Phil Scott (R) signed on June 8. S. 298 is an omnibus elections bill. It includes a prohibition on state or local voting policies that result in a “denial or abridgement of the right of any…
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Iowa enacts five election bills in 2026, including prohibition on foreign donations in ballot measure elections
The Iowa General Assembly adjourned its 2026 regular session on May 3 after passing five election-related bills. Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed each of the bills by June 2. Among the enacted bills was HF 2601, which prohibits foreign contributions in ballot measure elections. Iowa previously had a ban on foreign funding for candidate elections,…