Politics
Republican lawmakers introduce legislation requiring mail-in ballots to arrive by Election Day
The federal proposal led by Florida Republicans mirrors state rules and arrives amid broader disputes over mail voting regulations.
The short version
- Rep. Laurel Lee and Sen. Ashley Moody of Florida introduced federal legislation mandating that absentee and mail-in ballots be received by election officials by the end of Election Day.
- The policy could affect roughly one-third of the U.S. electorate that votes by mail if enacted.
- The proposal has caused divisions among congressional Republicans, particularly those from states with widespread vote-by-mail systems.
- The legislative effort coincides with ongoing multistate legal challenges against a separate presidential executive order regarding election administration and citizenship verification.
Key facts
- Rep. Laurel Lee and Sen. Ashley Moody introduced legislation requiring all mail-in and absentee ballots nationwide to be received by election officials by the end of Election Day.[Fox News]
- The bill's sponsors cited Florida's state election framework as the model for the proposed federal deadline rules.[Fox News]
- Nearly one-third of voters across the United States cast their ballots by mail.[Fox News]
- A separate executive order issued by President Donald Trump in March 2025 regarding election rules and citizenship verification faces lawsuits from more than 20 states.[Fox News]
What remains uncertain
- It remains uncertain whether the proposal can secure sufficient congressional support to pass given expressed hesitation from lawmakers representing states where mail-in voting is widely utilized.[Fox News]
- The legal outcome of multistate litigation against the administration's related executive order on mail-in ballot standards remains pending.[Fox News]