Author: Andrew Bahl
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Virginia’s new Democratic trifecta has enacted more election-related bills than any other state so far this year
Virginia has enacted more election-related bills than any other state so far this year, including several notable pieces of legislation. The 2026 session was the first time in five years that Virginia had a Democratic trifecta — with Democrats controlling both chambers of the General Assembly and the governor’s office — following Gov. Abigail Spanberger's…
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Kentucky legislators override four vetoes on election-related bills
The Kentucky General Assembly adjourned on April 15 after overriding four of Gov. Andy Beshear’s (D) vetoes on election-related bills. Beshear signed four other pieces of election legislation. Kentucky is one of two states, along with Kansas, where one party has a veto-proof majority in the legislature, and the other party holds the governor's office.…
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West Virginia legislators place citizenship requirement for voting on the ballot, enact 10 other election bills
The West Virginia Legislature adjourned its 2026 regular session on April 12 after enacting 10 election-related bills, all of which were signed by Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R). Legislators also adopted one resolution, SJR 9, which proposes an amendment to the West Virginia Constitution stating that "Only citizens of the United States who are citizens of…
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Oregon enacts campaign finance changes, four other election bills in 2026
The Oregon Legislature adjourned its regular session on March 8 after enacting five election-related bills, all of which Gov. Tina Kotek (D) signed in March and April. Among those bills were two campaign finance measures. HB 4017 allows campaign funds to be used for reasonable security-related expenses, including security and alarm systems or monitoring services…
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South Dakota enacts proof of citizenship law, 20 other election bills in 2026 session
The South Dakota Legislature adjourned its regular session on March 30 after enacting 21 election-related bills, all of which were signed by Gov. Larry Rhoden (R). Among those bills were two measures related to citizenship and voting. SB 175 requires individuals to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote in state and local elections.…
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Wisconsin governor signs two election bills, vetoes one
The Wisconsin Legislature adjourned its 2026 regular session on March 19. During that time, lawmakers sent three election-related bills to Gov. Tony Evers (D), who signed two of them and vetoed one. On April 8, Evers vetoed AB 595, which would have required the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) to remove ineligible voters from the voter…
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Appeals court allows enforcement of Indiana law banning student ID for voting
On April 20, a federal appeals court ruled that an Indiana law removing student IDs from the list of eligible voter identification could be enforced, overturning a lower court ruling from earlier this month. The decision from a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit allows the law to be…
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Washington legislators update state voting rights act, enact eight other election-related bills
The Washington Legislature adjourned its 2026 regular session on March 12. During that time, lawmakers sent 10 election-related bills to Gov. Bob Ferguson (D), who signed all of them in March and April. Among those 10 bills were two amending the state’s voting rights act. HB 1750 prohibits political subdivisions from adopting election policies or…
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Mississippi legislators enact citizenship checks for voter list maintenance, seven other election-related bills
The Mississippi Legislature adjourned its regular session on April 15 after enacting eight election-related bills, all of which were signed by Gov. Tate Reeves (R). Among those bills was SB 2588, which requires the secretary of state to annually compare the state's voter rolls with the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program maintained by…
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Federal judge blocks Indiana law banning student ID for voting
On April 14, a U.S. district judge temporarily blocked the enforcement of a 2025 Indiana law that removed student IDs from the list of eligible voter identification. The ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Richard Young allows student IDs to be used as voter identification in the state’s May 5 primary. Governor Mike Braun (R)…