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The Ballot Bulletin: Ballotpedia’s Weekly Digest on Election Administration, February 24, 2023

Ballotpedia's The Ballot Bulletin

Welcome to The Ballot Bulletin: Ballotpedia’s Weekly Digest on Election Administration. Every Friday, we deliver the latest updates on election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news.

In today’s issue, you’ll find: 

  • Legislative activity: About the bills acted on this week. 
  • The big picture
    • Legislative status: The number of bills introduced, voted on, or enacted into law.
    • Concentration of activity: The states that have had the most legislative activity.
    • Partisan affiliation of sponsorship: The number of bills that Democrats and Republicans have sponsored. 
  • Recent news: Noteworthy developments in election policy at the federal, state, and local levels, including litigation and ballot measures. 

Legislative activity

Since Feb. 17, state legislatures have acted on 294 bills, a 1.7% increase from last week’s 289 bills. These 294 bills represent 18.4% of the 1,596 pieces of legislation we are currently tracking. Of these bills, 124 are from states with Democratic trifectas, 127 are from states with Republican trifectas, and 43 are from states with divided governments.

231 bills were introduced (or had pre-committee action).

  • Democratic trifectas: 120
  • Republican trifectas: 81
  • Divided governments: 30

13 bills advanced from committee. 

  • Democratic trifectas: 2
  • Republican trifectas: 6
  • Divided governments: 5

37 bills passed one chamber (or had pre-adoption action in the second chamber). 

  • Democratic trifectas: 2
  • Republican trifectas: 30
  • Divided governments: 5

Ten bills passed both chambers. Those bills, with their official bill titles, are:

  • Republican trifectas: 7
    • ID H0001: Amends existing law to provide requirements for post election audits ordered by the Secretary of State.
    • SD SB102: Require the continued maintenance of the official list of candidates prior to an election.
    • UT SB0063: Election Candidate Replacement Amendments
    • UT HB0162: Voter Accessibility Amendments
    • UT SB0017: Voting and Voter Residency Amendments
    • WY HB0047: Election equipment-federal certification.
    • WY HB0279: Voter identification requirements.
  • Divided governments: 3
    • VA SB1151: Local government; standardization of public notice requirements for certain intended actions.
    • VA HB1948: Absentee voting; removes witness requirement, required information on return ballot envelope.
    • VA HB2161: Local government; standardization of public notice requirements for certain intended actions.

Two bills were enacted.

  • Republican trifectas: 2
    • WY HB0079: Voter I.D. – concealed carry permit.
      •  This bill allows voters to use a valid concealed carry permit as a form of voter identification.
    • WY HB0005: Voter registry list – voter ID and absentee ballots.
      • This bill requires that each voter have a unique identification number generated by the state. It also requires each official registry list to include voters’ unique identification numbers, information regarding absentee ballot status, and information regarding registration status.

The big picture

To date, we have tracked 1,596 election-related bills. These bills were either introduced this year or crossed over from last year’s legislative sessions. 

Legislative status 

The pie charts below show the legislative status of the bills we are tracking. The following status indicators are used: 

  • Introduced: The bill has been pre-filed, introduced, or referred to committee but has not otherwise been acted on.
  • Advanced from committee: The bill has received a favorable vote in committee. It has either advanced to another committee or to the floor for a vote. 
  • Passed one chamber: One chamber has approved the bill.
  • Conference committee: Chambers have passed differing versions of the bill, and a conference committee has been appointed to reconcile the differences. 
  • Passed both chambers: The bill has cleared both chambers of the legislature. 
  • Enacted: The bill has been enacted into law, by gubernatorial action or inaction or veto override. 
  • Vetoed: The bill has been vetoed. 
  • Dead: The bill has been defeated in committee or on the floor. 

The pie charts below show the legislative status of bills in Democratic and Republican trifectas, respectively. 

Concentration of activity

The map below shows the concentration of legislative activity across the nation. A darker shade of orange indicates a higher number of relevant bills that have been introduced. A lighter shade of orange indicates a lower number of relevant bills. 

Partisan affiliation of sponsor(s)

The pie chart below shows the partisan affiliation of bill sponsors.

Bills by topic

The chart below shows the topics of a sample of the 1,596 bills we have tracked this year. The number listed on the blue portion of each bar indicates the number of Democratic-sponsored bills dealing with the subject in question. The number listed on the red portion of the bar indicates the number of Republican-sponsored bills. The purple and gray portions of the bar indicate the number of bipartisan-sponsored bills and bills with unspecified sponsorship, respectively. Note that the sums of the numbers listed do not equal the total number of bills because some bills deal with multiple topics.

Recent news

U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear Maryland election lawsuit

On Feb. 21, the United States Supreme Court declined to hear former Maryland gubernatorial candidate Dan Cox’s (R) appeal in a lawsuit challenging mail-in ballot counting procedures during the 2022 general election. Cox appealed the Maryland Supreme Court’s Oct. 7, 2022, ruling upholding Montgomery County Circuit Judge James A. Bonifant’s decision allowing election officials to count mail-in ballots as soon as Oct. 1. Bonifant said the early counting of mail-in ballots was allowable under a Maryland law that permits courts to take action if “necessary to provide a remedy that is in the public interest and protects the integrity of the electoral process.” In the petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, Cox’s attorney said, “The U.S. Constitution requires that the rules for holding an election be made only by the legislative body of the state holding those elections. … [T]he Maryland Circuit Court for Montgomery County prescribed the manner of holding elections in Maryland, in direct contradiction of the manner already set by the Maryland legislature.” Wes Moore (D) defeated Cox in the 2022 general election, receiving 65% of the vote to Cox’s 32%.

Minnesota Supreme Court upholds law restricting felon voting 

On Feb. 15, the Minnesota Supreme Court voted 6-1 to uphold a state law that prohibits convicted felons from voting until they have fully served their sentences, including probation periods or parole. The decision is the result of a lawsuit four individuals with felony records filed in 2019. In the majority opinion, Justices Gordon Moore, Barry Anderson, Margaret Chutich, Paul Thissen, Anne K. McKeig, and Lorie Gildea said, the “Minnesota Constitution empowers the Legislature to address the public policy concerns raised” by the lawsuit. The only dissenting judge, Justice Natalie Hudson, said the plaintiffs presented “strong, uncontested evidence that [the law] has a disparate impact by creating a racial classification in practice.” Former Gov. Mark Dayton (D) appointed Chutich, Thissen, McKeig, and Hudson, while former Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) appointed Anderson and Gildea. Gov. Tim Walz (D) appointed Moore. 



Introducing The Ballot Bulletin: Ballotpedia’s Weekly Digest on Election Administration

Welcome to The Ballot Bulletin: Ballotpedia’s Weekly Digest on Election Administration. This is the first edition of a new and expanded version of this newsletter, now including both recent news related to election policy and in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. Every Friday, we’ll deliver the latest updates on election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news.

In today’s issue, you’ll find: 

  • Legislative activity: About the bills acted upon this week. 
  • The big picture: Bills in the aggregate. 
    • Legislative status: How many bills have been introduced, voted upon, or enacted into law?
    • Concentration of activity: What states have seen the highest concentration of legislative activity?
    • Partisan affiliation of sponsorship: How many bills have been sponsored by Democrats vs. Republicans? 
  • Recent news: Noteworthy developments in election policy at the federal, state, and local levels, including litigation and ballot measures. 

Legislative activity

Since Jan. 27, state legislatures have acted on 322 bills, a 17.1% increase from last week’s 275 bills. These 322 bills represent 27% of the 1,192 bills we are currently tracking this year. Seventy-three of these bills are from states with Democratic trifectas, 177 are from states with Republican trifectas, and 72 are from states with a divided government.

Sixteen bills were defeated in committee or by floor vote.

  • Republican trifectas: 16

Two-hundred and seventy-six bills were introduced (or saw pre-committee action).

  • Democratic trifectas: 69
  • Republican trifectas: 141
  • Divided governments: 66

Nine bills advanced from committee. 

  • Democratic trifectas: 1
  • Republican trifectas: 6
  • Divided governments: 2

Twenty bills passed one chamber (or saw pre-adoption action in the second chamber). Those bills, with their official bill titles, are:

  • Democratic trifectas: 2
    • WA HB1049: Updating timelines for adopting county commissioner district boundaries following expansion from three to five commissioners.
    • NY S00822: Permits electronic correspondence with regard to determinations on objections to designating petitions, independent nominating petitions, certificates of nomination or ballot access documents upon the consent of the objector.
  • Republican trifectas: 14
    • SD SB102: Require the continued maintenance of the official list of candidates prior to an election.
    • SD HB1115: Revise certain provisions pertaining to the destruction of ballots and pollbooks after an election.
    • SD HB1112: Modify provisions for a statewide runoff election.
    • UT SB0063: Election Candidate Replacement Amendments
    • WY HB0103: Political party affiliation declaration and changes.
    • AR HB1025: To Amend The Law Concerning Circulation Of Petitions; And To Limit Petition Circulation At Polling Places.
    • MT SB61: Clarify definition of election officials
    • ND HB1192: Relating to electronic voting systems, electronic voting devices, absentee voting, and canvassing boards.
    • UT SB0043: Public Notice Requirements
    • ND HB1424: Relating to a candidate’s contact information and the form of a nominating petition and a certificate of endorsement.
    • ND HB1431: Relating to proof of citizenship.
    • ND SB2292: Relating to election offenses and election observers; and to provide a penalty.
    • WY HB0047: Election equipment-federal certification.
    • WY HB0079: Voter I.D.-concealed carry permit.
  • Divided governments: 4
    • VA HB1444: Elections; voter identification containing a photograph required, availability of absentee voting.
    • VA HB1948: Absentee voting; removes witness requirement, required information on return ballot envelope.
    • VA HB1910: Absentee voting; unsolicited absentee ballot applications; required information; penalty.
    • VA HB2161: Local government; standardization of public notice requirements for certain intended actions.

One bill was enacted. 

  • Democratic trifectas: 1
    • MI SB0013: Elections: presidential primary; presidential primary election date; revise. Amends sec. 613a of 1954 PA 116 (MCL 168.613a).
      • This bill sets the presidential primary election date as the fourth Tuesday in February for 2024 and each presidential election year thereafter. The bill also requires political parties to have received at least five percent of the total vote cast nationwide for the office of president in the last presidential election to participate in the state’s presidential primary election. 

The big picture

To date, we have tracked 1,192 election-related bills in 2023. These bills were either introduced this year or crossed over from last year’s legislative sessions. 

Legislative status 

The pie charts below show the legislative status of the bills we are tracking. The following status indicators are used: 

  • Introduced: The bill has been pre-filed, introduced, or referred to committee but has not otherwise been acted upon.
  • Advanced from committee: The bill has received a favorable vote in committee. It has either advanced to another committee or to the floor for a vote. 
  • Passed one chamber: One chamber has approved the bill.
  • Conference committee: Chambers have passed differing versions of the bill, and a conference committee has been appointed to reconcile the differences. 
  • Passed both chambers: The bill has cleared both chambers of the legislature. 
  • Enacted: The bill has been enacted into law, by gubernatorial action or inaction or veto override. 
  • Vetoed: The bill has been vetoed. 
  • Dead: The bill has been defeated in committee or on the floor. 

The pie charts below visualize the legislative status of bills in Democratic and Republican trifectas, respectively. 

Concentration of activity

The map below shows the concentration of legislative activity across the nation. A darker shade of orange indicates a higher number of relevant bills that have been introduced. A lighter shade of orange indicates a lower number of relevant bills. 

Partisan affiliation of sponsor(s)

The pie chart below shows the partisan affiliation of bill sponsors.

Bills by topic

The chart below shows the topics of a sample of the 1,192 bills we have tracked this year. The number listed on the blue portion of each bar indicates the number of Democratic-sponsored bills dealing with the subject in question. The number listed on the red portion of the bar indicates the number of Republican-sponsored bills. The purple and gray portions of the bar indicate the number of bipartisan-sponsored bills and bills with unspecified sponsorship, respectively. Note that the numbers listed here will not, when summed, equal the total number of bills because some bills deal with multiple topics.

Recent news

Federal appellate court considers private-party lawsuits

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit heard arguments on Jan. 11 in a lawsuit concerning the ability of private parties to sue under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits voting practices or procedures that discriminate on the basis of race. In February 2022, U.S. District Court Judge Lee Rudofsky, an appointee of former President Donald Trump (R), ruled that private parties cannot sue under Section 2 after the Arkansas chapter of the NAACP challenged the state’s House map. Rudofsky ruled that only the U.S. attorney general can bring a Section 2 lawsuit. CNN’s Tierney Sneed said, “A decision from the 8th Circuit is unlikely to come for at least several weeks.” 

Alaska Lieutenant Governor approves initiative to end ranked-choice voting

On Jan. 22, Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom (R) approved a ballot initiative for circulation that would eliminate open top-four primaries and ranked-choice voting in general elections and establish a party primary system. Alaskans for Honest Elections, an organization opposed to ranked-choice voting, submitted the proposal. Dahlstrom’s action allows supporters to begin gathering the 30,000 signatures required for the measure to appear on the 2024 ballot. Alaska established open top-four primaries and ranked-choice voting when voters approved  Ballot Measure 2 in 2020. Alaska and Maine are the only states that have implemented ranked-choice voting for federal and state elections. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) has expressed her support for the new measure. 

Wisconsin circuit court hears absentee ballot suit

On Jan. 24, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Nia Trammell heard arguments over whether absentee ballots without parts of a witness’s address should be counted. The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin filed the lawsuit against the Wisconsin Elections Commission on Sept. 30, 2022. Wisconsin law says absentee ballots without a witness’ address cannot be counted. The lawsuit asks the court to rule on conflicting interpretations of what constitutes a missing address. According to Wisconsin Elections Commission guidelines, an address must contain a street number, street name, and municipality. The League’s attorneys say an absentee ballot is not missing an address if any one of those three components is present. 



Election Legislation Weekly Digest: January 27, 2023

Here is our weekly round-up on election-related legislation. In it, you’ll find the following information: 

  • Recent activity: Here, we report on the number of bills acted on within the past week. 
  • The big picture: Here, we look at the bills in the aggregate. 
    • Legislative status: How many bills have been introduced, voted upon, or enacted into law?
    • Concentration of activity: What states have seen the highest concentration of legislative activity?
    • Partisan affiliation of sponsorship: How many bills have been sponsored by Democrats vs. Republicans? 

Recent activity

Since January 20, 275 bills have been acted on in some way (representing a 16.9 percent increase as compared to last week’s total of 236 bills). These 275 bills represent 27.2 percent of the 1,013 bills we are currently tracking in 2023. Seventy of these bills are from states with Democratic trifectas, 135 are from states with Republican trifectas, and 70 are from states with a divided government.

The bar chart below compares recent activity on a week-to-week basis over the last eight weeks. 

  • Two-hundred and fifty-seven bills were introduced (or saw pre-committee action).
    • Democratic trifectas: 68
    • Republican trifectas: 123
    • Divided governments: 66
  • Six bills advanced from committee. 
    • Democratic trifectas:1
      • WA SB5082: Encouraging electoral participation and making ballots more meaningful by abolishing advisory votes.
    • Republican trifectas: 3
      • UT SB0063: Election Candidate Replacement Amendments
      • UT HB0205: Primary Election Amendments
      • WY HB0079: Voter I.D.-concealed carry permit.
    • Divided governments: 2
  • Twelve bills passed one chamber (or saw pre-adoption action in the second chamber).
    • Democratic trifectas: 1
    • Republican trifectas: 9
      • AR HB1025: To Amend The Law Concerning Circulation Of Petitions; And To Limit Petition Circulation At Polling Places.
      • ID H0001: Amends existing law to provide requirements for post-election audits ordered by the Secretary of State.
      • IN HB1035: Township assessors.
      • IN HB1040: Requirements for elected officials.
      • MT SB143: Allow for a referendum to terminate citizen-initiated zoning district
      • MT HB172: Revise laws related to post-election audits
      • UT SB0017: Voting and Voter Residency Amendments
      • UT SB0043: Public Notice Requirements
      • WY SF0086: Voter identification-concealed carry permit.
    • Divided governments: 2
      • VA SB1150: 2011 district descriptions; legal boundaries.
      • VA SB1151: Local government; standardization of public notice requirements for certain intended actions.

The map below visualizes the concentration of this recent activity across the nation. A darker shade of yellow indicates a higher number of relevant bills that have been acted upon in the last week. A lighter shade of yellow indicates a lower number of bills that have been acted upon in the last week. 

The big picture

To date, we have tracked 1,013 election-related bills in 2023. These bills were either introduced this year or crossed over from last year’s legislative sessions. 

Legislative status 

The pie charts below visualize the legislative status of the bills we are tracking. The following status indicators are used: 

  • Introduced: The bill has been pre-filed, introduced, or referred to committee but has not otherwise been acted upon.
  • Advanced from committee: The bill has received a favorable vote in committee. It has either advanced to another committee or to the floor for a vote. 
  • Passed one chamber: The bill has been approved by one legislative chamber.
  • Conference committee: Differing versions of the bill have been approved by their respective chambers and a conference committee has been appointed to reconcile the differences. 
  • Passed both chambers: The bill has cleared both chambers of the legislature. 
  • Enacted: The bill has been enacted into law, by gubernatorial action or inaction or veto override. 
  • Vetoed: The bill has been vetoed. 
  • Dead: The bill has been defeated in committee or by floor vote. 

The pie charts below visualize the legislative status of bills in Democratic and Republican trifectas, respectively.

 

Concentration of activity

The map below visualizes the concentration of legislative activity across the nation. A darker shade of yellow indicates a higher number of relevant bills that have been introduced. A lighter shade of yellow indicates a lower number of relevant bills. 

Partisan affiliation of sponsor(s)

The pie chart below visualizes the partisan affiliation of bill sponsors.

The bar chart below visualizes the correlation between the partisan affiliation of bill sponsors and trifecta status (e.g., how many Democratic-sponsored bills were introduced in Democratic trifectas vs. Republican trifectas).



Election Legislation Weekly Digest: January 20, 2023

Here is our weekly round-up on election-related legislation. In it, you’ll find the following information: 

  • Recent activity: Here, we report on the number of bills acted on within the past week. 
  • The big picture: Here, we look at the bills in the aggregate. 
    • Legislative status: How many bills have been introduced, voted upon, or enacted into law?
    • Concentration of activity: What states have seen the highest concentration of legislative activity?
    • Partisan affiliation of sponsorship: How many bills have been sponsored by Democrats vs. Republicans? 

Recent activity

Since January 13, 236 bills have been acted on in some way (representing a 7.4 percent decrease as compared to last week’s total of 256 bills). These 236 bills represent 29 percent of the 808 bills we are currently tracking in 2023. Seventy-three of these bills are from states with Democratic trifectas, 123 are from states with Republican trifectas, and 40 are from states with a divided government.

The bar chart below compares recent activity on a week-to-week basis over the last eight weeks. 

  • Two-hundred and thirty-three bills were introduced (or saw pre-committee action).
    • Democratic trifectas: 73
    • Republican trifectas: 120
    • Divided governments: 40
  • Three bills passed one chamber.
    • Republican trifectas: 3

The map below visualizes the concentration of this recent activity across the nation. A darker shade of yellow indicates a higher number of relevant bills that have been acted upon in the last week. A lighter shade of yellow indicates a lower number of bills that have been acted upon in the last week. 

The big picture

To date, we have tracked 808 election-related bills in 2023. These bills were either introduced this year or crossed over from last year’s legislative sessions. 

Legislative status 

The pie charts below visualize the legislative status of the bills we are tracking. The following status indicators are used: 

  • Introduced: The bill has been pre-filed, introduced, or referred to committee but has not otherwise been acted upon.
  • Advanced from committee: The bill has received a favorable vote in committee. It has either advanced to another committee or to the floor for a vote. 
  • Passed one chamber: The bill has been approved by one legislative chamber.
  • Conference committee: Differing versions of the bill have been approved by their respective chambers and a conference committee has been appointed to reconcile the differences. 
  • Passed both chambers: The bill has cleared both chambers of the legislature. 
  • Enacted: The bill has been enacted into law, by gubernatorial action or inaction or veto override. 
  • Vetoed: The bill has been vetoed. 
  • Dead: The bill has been defeated in committee or by floor vote. 

The pie charts below visualize the legislative status of bills in Democratic and Republican trifectas, respectively. 

Concentration of activity

The map below visualizes the concentration of legislative activity across the nation. A darker shade of yellow indicates a higher number of relevant bills that have been introduced. A lighter shade of yellow indicates a lower number of relevant bills. 

Partisan affiliation of sponsor(s)

The pie chart below visualizes the partisan affiliation of bill sponsors.

The bar chart below visualizes the correlation between the partisan affiliation of bill sponsors and trifecta status (e.g., how many Democratic-sponsored bills were introduced in Democratic trifectas vs. Republican trifectas).



Election Legislation Weekly Digest: January 13, 2023

Here is our weekly round-up on election-related legislation. In it, you’ll find the following information: 

  • Recent activity: Here, we report on the number of bills acted on within the past week. 
  • The big picture: Here, we look at the bills in the aggregate. 
    • Legislative status: How many bills have been introduced, voted upon, or enacted into law?
    • Concentration of activity: What states have seen the highest concentration of legislative activity?
    • Partisan affiliation of sponsorship: How many bills have been sponsored by Democrats vs. Republicans? 

Recent activity

Since January 6, 256 bills have been acted on in some way (representing a 365 percent increase as compared to last week’s total of 55 bills). These 256 bills represent 41 percent of the 632 bills we are tracking in 2023. One-hundred and forty of these bills are from states with Democratic trifectas, 83 are from states with Republican trifectas, and 33 are from states with a divided government.

The bar chart below compares recent activity on a week-to-week basis over the last eight weeks. 

  • Two-hundred and fifty-three bills were introduced (or saw pre-committee action).
    • Democratic trifectas: 138
    • Republican trifectas: 83
    • Divided governments: 5
  • Three bills passed one chamber.
    • Democratic trifectas: 2
    • Divided governments: 1

The map below visualizes the concentration of this recent activity across the nation. A darker shade of yellow indicates a higher number of relevant bills that have been acted upon in the last week. A lighter shade of yellow indicates a lower number of bills that have been acted upon in the last week. 

The big picture

To date, we have tracked 632 election-related bills in 2023. These bills were either introduced this year or crossed over from last year’s legislative sessions. 

Legislative status 

The pie charts below visualize the legislative status of the bills we are tracking. The following status indicators are used: 

  • Introduced: The bill has been pre-filed, introduced, or referred to committee but has not otherwise been acted upon.
  • Advanced from committee: The bill has received a favorable vote in committee. It has either advanced to another committee or to the floor for a vote. 
  • Passed one chamber: The bill has been approved by one legislative chamber.
  • Conference committee: Differing versions of the bill have been approved by their respective chambers and a conference committee has been appointed to reconcile the differences. 
  • Passed both chambers: The bill has cleared both chambers of the legislature. 
  • Enacted: The bill has been enacted into law, by gubernatorial action or inaction or veto override. 
  • Vetoed: The bill has been vetoed. 
  • Dead: The bill has been defeated in committee or by floor vote. 

The pie charts below visualize the legislative status of bills in Democratic and Republican trifectas, respectively. 

Concentration of activity

The map below visualizes the concentration of legislative activity across the nation. A darker shade of yellow indicates a higher number of relevant bills that have been introduced. A lighter shade of yellow indicates a lower number of relevant bills. 

Partisan affiliation of sponsor(s)

The pie chart below visualizes the partisan affiliation of bill sponsors.

The bar chart below visualizes the correlation between the partisan affiliation of bill sponsors and trifecta status (e.g., how many Democratic-sponsored bills were introduced in Democratic trifectas vs. Republican trifectas).



Election Legislation Weekly Digest: January 6, 2023

Here is our weekly round-up on election-related legislation. In it, you’ll find the following information: 

  • Recent activity: Here, we report on the number of bills acted on within the past week. 
  • The big picture: Here, we look at the bills in the aggregate. 
    • Legislative status: How many bills have been introduced, voted upon, or enacted into law?
    • Concentration of activity: What states have seen the highest concentration of legislative activity?
    • Partisan affiliation of sponsorship: How many bills have been sponsored by Democrats vs. Republicans? 

Recent activity

Since December 30, 55 bills have been acted on in some way (representing a 817 percent increase as compared to last week’s total of six bills). These 55 bills represent 17.1 percent of the 321 bills we are tracking in 2023. Twenty-four of these bills are from states with Democratic trifectas, 25 are from states with Republican trifectas, and six are from states with a divided government.

The bar chart below compares recent activity on a week-to-week basis over the last eight weeks. 

  • Fifty-five bills were introduced (or saw pre-committee action).
    • Democratic trifectas: 24
    • Republican trifectas: 25
    • Divided governments: 6

The map below visualizes the concentration of this recent activity across the nation. A darker shade of yellow indicates a higher number of relevant bills that have been acted upon in the last week. A lighter shade of yellow indicates a lower number of bills that have been acted upon in the last week. 

The big picture

To date, we have tracked 321 election-related bills in 2023. These bills were either introduced this year or crossed over from last year’s legislative sessions. 

Legislative status 

The pie charts below visualize the legislative status of the bills we are tracking. The following status indicators are used: 

  • Introduced: The bill has been pre-filed, introduced, or referred to committee but has not otherwise been acted upon.
  • Advanced from committee: The bill has received a favorable vote in committee. It has either advanced to another committee or to the floor for a vote. 
  • Passed one chamber: The bill has been approved by one legislative chamber.
  • Conference committee: Differing versions of the bill have been approved by their respective chambers and a conference committee has been appointed to reconcile the differences. 
  • Passed both chambers: The bill has cleared both chambers of the legislature. 
  • Enacted: The bill has been enacted into law, by gubernatorial action or inaction or veto override. 
  • Vetoed: The bill has been vetoed. 
  • Dead: The bill has been defeated in committee or by floor vote. 

The pie charts below visualize the legislative status of bills in Democratic and Republican trifectas, respectively. 

Concentration of activity

The map below visualizes the concentration of legislative activity across the nation. A darker shade of yellow indicates a higher number of relevant bills that have been introduced. A lighter shade of yellow indicates a lower number of relevant bills. 

Partisan affiliation of sponsor(s)

The pie chart below visualizes the partisan affiliation of bill sponsors.

The bar chart below visualizes the correlation between the partisan affiliation of bill sponsors and trifecta status (e.g., how many Democratic-sponsored bills were introduced in Democratic trifectas vs. Republican trifectas).



Election Legislation Weekly Digest: December 23, 2022

Note: This digest will be taking a break next week for the holidays. We’ll be back in your inbox on January 6, 2023.

Here is our weekly round-up on election-related legislation. In it, you’ll find the following information: 

  • Noteworthy bills: Here, we identify and report on the contents and legislative status of noteworthy bills. 
  • Recent activity: Here, we report on the number of bills acted on within the past week. 
  • The big picture: Here, we look at the bills in the aggregate. 
    • Legislative status: How many bills have been introduced, voted upon, or enacted into law?
    • Concentration of activity: What states have seen the highest concentration of legislative activity?
    • Partisan affiliation of sponsorship: How many bills have been sponsored by Democrats vs. Republicans? 
    • Subject: What subjects are most commonly addressed in the bills? 
  • Pre-filed bills for 2023: Here, we look at bills pre-filed for 2023 legislative sessions.

Noteworthy bills

This part of our report highlights recent activity on specific noteworthy bills. A bill is noteworthy if it meets one or more of the following criteria: 

  • It has been enacted into law. 
  • It is poised to be enacted into law. 
  • It is the subject of significant debate in the legislature. 
  • It is the subject of significant commentary by activists, journalists, etc. 

Ohio HB458: This bill:

  • Changes the types of identification (ID) that are acceptable for voter registration and voting and requires an elector to have photo ID to vote in person.
  • Requires an Ohio driver’s license or ID number or the last four digits of the person’s Social Security number (SSN) for voter registration.
  • Shortens the deadline to apply to cast absent voter’s ballots by mail from noon on the third day before Election Day to the close of business on the seventh day before Election Day.
  • Requires the boards of elections to process absent voter’s ballots before the close of the polls on Election Day.
  • Eliminates local special elections held in August.

Legislative history: Ohio Rep. Thomas Hall (R) introduced the bill on Oct. 19, 2021. The Ohio House passed the bill on Dec. 9, and the Ohio Senate passed the bill on Dec. 13, 2022. 

Political context: Ohio has a Republican trifecta, meaning the Republican Party controls both the governorship and both chambers of the state legislature. 

Recent activity

Since December 16, no bills have been acted on (representing a decrease as compared to last week’s total of five bills). 

The bar chart below compares recent activity on a week-to-week basis over the last eight weeks. 

The big picture

To date, we have tracked 2,534 election-related bills. These bills were either introduced this year or crossed over from last year’s legislative sessions. 

Legislative status 

The pie charts below visualize the legislative status of the bills we are tracking. The following status indicators are used: 

  • Introduced: The bill has been pre-filed, introduced, or referred to committee but has not otherwise been acted upon.
  • Advanced from committee: The bill has received a favorable vote in committee. It has either advanced to another committee or to the floor for a vote. 
  • Passed one chamber: The bill has been approved by one legislative chamber.
  • Conference committee: Differing versions of the bill have been approved by their respective chambers and a conference committee has been appointed to reconcile the differences. 
  • Passed both chambers: The bill has cleared both chambers of the legislature. 
  • Enacted: The bill has been enacted into law, by gubernatorial action or inaction or veto override. 
  • Vetoed: The bill has been vetoed. 
  • Dead: The bill has been defeated in committee or by floor vote. 

The pie charts below visualize the legislative status of bills in Democratic and Republican trifectas, respectively. 

Concentration of activity

The map below visualizes the concentration of legislative activity across the nation. A darker shade of yellow indicates a higher number of relevant bills that have been introduced. A lighter shade of yellow indicates a lower number of relevant bills. 

Partisan affiliation of sponsor(s)

The pie chart below visualizes the partisan affiliation of bill sponsors.

The bar chart below visualizes the correlation between the partisan affiliation of bill sponsors and trifecta status (e.g., how many Democratic-sponsored bills were introduced in Democratic trifectas vs. Republican trifectas).

Bills by topic

The chart below presents information on the total number of bills dealing with particular topics. The number listed on the blue portion of each bar indicates the number of Democratic-sponsored bills dealing with the subject in question. The number listed on the red portion of the bar indicates the number of Republican-sponsored bills. The purple and gray portions of the bar indicate the number of bipartisan-sponsored bills and bills with unspecified sponsorship, respectively. Note that the numbers listed here will not, when summed, equal the total number of bills because some bills deal with multiple topics.

Bills pre-filed for 2023 legislative sessions

To date, Ballotpedia has identified 198 pre-filed bills for 2023 legislative sessions in 11 states. The charts and map below show the number of pre-filed bills by state, partisan sponsorship, and state trifecta status. 

Concentration of activity

The map below visualizes the concentration of pre-filed legislation across the nation. A darker shade of yellow indicates a higher number of relevant bills that have been introduced. A lighter shade of yellow indicates a lower number of relevant bills. 

Partisan affiliation of sponsor(s)

The pie chart below visualizes the partisan affiliation of pre-filed bill sponsors.

State trifecta status

The pie chart below visualizes the state trifecta status of pre-filed bills.



Election Legislation Weekly Digest: December 16, 2022

Here is our weekly round-up on election-related legislation. In it, you’ll find the following information: 

  • Noteworthy bills: Here, we identify and report on the contents and legislative status of noteworthy bills. 
  • Recent activity: Here, we report on the number of bills acted on within the past week. 
  • The big picture: Here, we look at the bills in the aggregate. 
    • Legislative status: How many bills have been introduced, voted upon, or enacted into law?
    • Concentration of activity: What states have seen the highest concentration of legislative activity?
    • Partisan affiliation of sponsorship: How many bills have been sponsored by Democrats vs. Republicans? 
    • Subject: What subjects are most commonly addressed in the bills? 

Noteworthy bills

This part of our report highlights recent activity on specific noteworthy bills. A bill is noteworthy if it meets one or more of the following criteria: 

  • It has been enacted into law. 
  • It is poised to be enacted into law. 
  • It is the subject of significant debate in the legislature. 
  • It is the subject of significant commentary by activists, journalists, etc. 

New York S01851: This bill prohibits a state party from using the word “Independent,” “Independence,” “Independents,” “Independence,” or any abbreviations of the same, in its name.

Legislative history: New York Sen. James Skoufis (D) introduced the bill on Jan. 16, 2021. The New York State Senate passed the bill on May 24, 2022, and the New York State Assembly passed the bill on May 25. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed the bill into law on Dec. 9. 

Political context: New York has a Democratic trifecta, meaning the Democratic Party controls both the governorship and both chambers of the state legislature. 

Recent activity

Since December 9, five bills have been acted on in some way (representing a 37.5 percent decrease as compared to last week’s total of eight bills). These five bills represent 0.2 percent of the 2,534 bills we are tracking. Three of these bills are from states with Democratic trifectas, and two are from states with Republican trifectas.

The bar chart below compares recent activity on a week-to-week basis over the last eight weeks. 

  • One bill was introduced (or saw pre-committee action).
    • Republican trifectas: 1`
  • Three bills passed both chambers  
    • Democratic trifectas: 2
    • Republican trifectas: 1
  • One bill was enacted
    • Democratic trifectas: 1

The map below visualizes the concentration of this recent activity across the nation. A darker shade of yellow indicates a higher number of relevant bills that have been acted upon in the last week. A lighter shade of yellow indicates a lower number of bills that have been acted upon in the last week. 

The big picture

To date, we have tracked 2,534 election-related bills. These bills were either introduced this year or crossed over from last year’s legislative sessions. 

Legislative status 

The pie charts below visualize the legislative status of the bills we are tracking. The following status indicators are used: 

  • Introduced: The bill has been pre-filed, introduced, or referred to committee but has not otherwise been acted upon.
  • Advanced from committee: The bill has received a favorable vote in committee. It has either advanced to another committee or to the floor for a vote. 
  • Passed one chamber: The bill has been approved by one legislative chamber.
  • Conference committee: Differing versions of the bill have been approved by their respective chambers and a conference committee has been appointed to reconcile the differences. 
  • Passed both chambers: The bill has cleared both chambers of the legislature. 
  • Enacted: The bill has been enacted into law, by gubernatorial action or inaction or veto override. 
  • Vetoed: The bill has been vetoed. 
  • Dead: The bill has been defeated in committee or by floor vote. 

The pie charts below visualize the legislative status of bills in Democratic and Republican trifectas, respectively.

 

Concentration of activity

The map below visualizes the concentration of legislative activity across the nation. A darker shade of yellow indicates a higher number of relevant bills that have been introduced. A lighter shade of yellow indicates a lower number of relevant bills. 

Partisan affiliation of sponsor(s)

The pie chart below visualizes the partisan affiliation of bill sponsors.

The bar chart below visualizes the correlation between the partisan affiliation of bill sponsors and trifecta status (e.g., how many Democratic-sponsored bills were introduced in Democratic trifectas vs. Republican trifectas).

Bills by topic

The chart below presents information on the total number of bills dealing with particular topics. The number listed on the blue portion of each bar indicates the number of Democratic-sponsored bills dealing with the subject in question. The number listed on the red portion of the bar indicates the number of Republican-sponsored bills. The purple and gray portions of the bar indicate the number of bipartisan-sponsored bills and bills with unspecified sponsorship, respectively. Note that the numbers listed here will not, when summed, equal the total number of bills because some bills deal with multiple topics.



Election Legislation Weekly Digest: December 9, 2022

Here is our weekly round-up on election-related legislation. In it, you’ll find the following information: 

  • Noteworthy bills: Here, we identify and report on the contents and legislative status of noteworthy bills. 
  • Recent activity: Here, we report on the number of bills acted on within the past week. 
  • The big picture: Here, we look at the bills in the aggregate. 
    • Legislative status: How many bills have been introduced, voted upon, or enacted into law?
    • Concentration of activity: What states have seen the highest concentration of legislative activity?
    • Partisan affiliation of sponsorship: How many bills have been sponsored by Democrats vs. Republicans? 
    • Subject: What subjects are most commonly addressed in the bills? 

Noteworthy bills

This part of our report highlights recent activity on specific noteworthy bills. A bill is noteworthy if it meets one or more of the following criteria: 

  • It has been enacted into law. 
  • It is poised to be enacted into law. 
  • It is the subject of significant debate in the legislature. 
  • It is the subject of significant commentary by activists, journalists, etc. 

New York S00284: This bill allows the casting of affidavit ballots from the wrong polling place but the correct county, as long as that voter was not prohibited from voting in said election.

Legislative history: The bill was introduced on Jan. 6, 2021, and passed the New York State Senate on May 20. After failing to pass the New York State Assembly, the bill was returned to the Senate on Jan. 5, 2022. The Senate voted to pass the bill again on Jan. 10, and the Assembly passed the bill on May 17. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed the bill into law on Dec. 6. 

Political context: New York has a Democratic trifecta, meaning the Democratic Party controls both the governorship and both chambers of the state legislature. 

Recent activity

Since December 2, eight bills have been acted on in some way (representing a 300 percent increase as compared to last week’s total of two bills). These eight bills represent 0.3 percent of the 2,533 bills we are tracking. Five of these bills are from states with Democratic trifectas, and three are from states with Republican trifectas.

The bar chart below compares recent activity on a week-to-week basis over the last eight weeks. 

  • Six bills were introduced (or saw pre-committee action).
    • Democratic trifectas: 3
    • Republican trifectas: 3
  • One bill passed both chambers  
    • Democratic trifectas: 1
  • One bill was enacted
    • Democratic trifectas: 1

The map below visualizes the concentration of this recent activity across the nation. A darker shade of yellow indicates a higher number of relevant bills that have been acted upon in the last week. A lighter shade of yellow indicates a lower number of bills that have been acted upon in the last week. 

The big picture

To date, we have tracked 2,533 election-related bills. These bills were either introduced this year or crossed over from last year’s legislative sessions. 

Legislative status 

The pie charts below visualize the legislative status of the bills we are tracking. The following status indicators are used: 

  • Introduced: The bill has been pre-filed, introduced, or referred to committee but has not otherwise been acted upon.
  • Advanced from committee: The bill has received a favorable vote in committee. It has either advanced to another committee or to the floor for a vote. 
  • Passed one chamber: The bill has been approved by one legislative chamber.
  • Conference committee: Differing versions of the bill have been approved by their respective chambers and a conference committee has been appointed to reconcile the differences. 
  • Passed both chambers: The bill has cleared both chambers of the legislature. 
  • Enacted: The bill has been enacted into law, by gubernatorial action or inaction or veto override. 
  • Vetoed: The bill has been vetoed. 
  • Dead: The bill has been defeated in committee or by floor vote. 

The pie charts below visualize the legislative status of bills in Democratic and Republican trifectas, respectively. 

Concentration of activity

The map below visualizes the concentration of legislative activity across the nation. A darker shade of yellow indicates a higher number of relevant bills that have been introduced. A lighter shade of yellow indicates a lower number of relevant bills. 

Partisan affiliation of sponsor(s)

The pie chart below visualizes the partisan affiliation of bill sponsors.

The bar chart below visualizes the correlation between the partisan affiliation of bill sponsors and trifecta status (e.g., how many Democratic-sponsored bills were introduced in Democratic trifectas vs. Republican trifectas).

Bills by topic

The chart below presents information on the total number of bills dealing with particular topics. The number listed on the blue portion of each bar indicates the number of Democratic-sponsored bills dealing with the subject in question. The number listed on the red portion of the bar indicates the number of Republican-sponsored bills. The purple and gray portions of the bar indicate the number of bipartisan-sponsored bills and bills with unspecified sponsorship, respectively. Note that the numbers listed here will not, when summed, equal the total number of bills because some bills deal with multiple topics.



Election Legislation Weekly Digest: December 2, 2022

Here is our weekly round-up on election-related legislation. In it, you’ll find the following information: 

  • Noteworthy bills: Here, we identify and report on the contents and legislative status of noteworthy bills. 
  • Recent activity: Here, we report on the number of bills acted on within the past week. 
  • The big picture: Here, we look at the bills in the aggregate. 
    • Legislative status: How many bills have been introduced, voted upon, or enacted into law?
    • Concentration of activity: What states have seen the highest concentration of legislative activity?
    • Partisan affiliation of sponsorship: How many bills have been sponsored by Democrats vs. Republicans? 
    • Subject: What subjects are most commonly addressed in the bills? 

Noteworthy bills

This part of our report highlights recent activity on specific noteworthy bills. A bill is noteworthy if it meets one or more of the following criteria: 

  • It has been enacted into law. 
  • It is poised to be enacted into law. 
  • It is the subject of significant debate in the legislature. 
  • It is the subject of significant commentary by activists, journalists, etc. 

New York A00831: This bill requires copies of congressional, senatorial, assembly, and election district maps to be posted on the board of elections’ website in a downloadable format.

Legislative history: The bill was introduced on Jan. 6, 2021, and passed the New York State Assembly on May 24. After failing to pass the New York State Senate, the bill was returned to the Assembly on Jan. 5, 2022. The Assembly voted to pass the bill again on Jan. 16, and the Senate passed the bill on May 25. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed the bill into law on Nov. 23. 

Political context: New York has a Democratic trifecta, meaning the Democratic Party controls both the governorship and both chambers of the state legislature. 

Recent activity

Since November 25, two bills have been acted on in some way (representing a 33 percent decrease as compared to last week’s total of 3 bills). These two bills represent 0.1 percent of the 2,531 bills we are tracking. One of these bills is from a state with a divided government, and one is from a state with a Republican trifecta.

The bar chart below compares recent activity on a week-to-week basis over the last eight weeks. 

  • One bill was introduced (or saw pre-committee action).
    • Republican trifectas: 1
  • One bill passed one chamber (or saw pre-adoption action in the second chamber) 
    • Divided governments: 1

The map below visualizes the concentration of this recent activity across the nation. A darker shade of yellow indicates a higher number of relevant bills that have been acted upon in the last week. A lighter shade of yellow indicates a lower number of bills that have been acted upon in the last week. 

The big picture

To date, we have tracked 2,531 election-related bills. These bills were either introduced this year or crossed over from last year’s legislative sessions. 

Legislative status 

The pie charts below visualize the legislative status of the bills we are tracking. The following status indicators are used: 

  • Introduced: The bill has been pre-filed, introduced, or referred to committee but has not otherwise been acted upon.
  • Advanced from committee: The bill has received a favorable vote in committee. It has either advanced to another committee or to the floor for a vote. 
  • Passed one chamber: The bill has been approved by one legislative chamber.
  • Conference committee: Differing versions of the bill have been approved by their respective chambers and a conference committee has been appointed to reconcile the differences. 
  • Passed both chambers: The bill has cleared both chambers of the legislature. 
  • Enacted: The bill has been enacted into law, by gubernatorial action or inaction or veto override. 
  • Vetoed: The bill has been vetoed. 
  • Dead: The bill has been defeated in committee or by floor vote. 

The pie charts below visualize the legislative status of bills in Democratic and Republican trifectas, respectively. 

Concentration of activity

The map below visualizes the concentration of legislative activity across the nation. A darker shade of yellow indicates a higher number of relevant bills that have been introduced. A lighter shade of yellow indicates a lower number of relevant bills. 

Partisan affiliation of sponsor(s)

The pie chart below visualizes the partisan affiliation of bill sponsors.

The bar chart below visualizes the correlation between the partisan affiliation of bill sponsors and trifecta status (e.g., how many Democratic-sponsored bills were introduced in Democratic trifectas vs. Republican trifectas).

Bills by topic

The chart below presents information on the total number of bills dealing with particular topics. The number listed on the blue portion of each bar indicates the number of Democratic-sponsored bills dealing with the subject in question. The number listed on the red portion of the bar indicates the number of Republican-sponsored bills. The purple and gray portions of the bar indicate the number of bipartisan-sponsored bills and bills with unspecified sponsorship, respectively. Note that the numbers listed here will not, when summed, equal the total number of bills because some bills deal with multiple topics.