Mailing in a ballot would get several upgrades under this bill. The Postal Service would be required to process all ballots the same day they arrive at a facility, postmark every ballot envelope with the mailing date, and carry all election mail at first-class speed — with completed ballots sent postage-free. States would need to include trackable barcodes on return envelopes so voters can follow their ballot through the mail. The bill also sets a nationwide rule that any ballot postmarked by Election Day must be counted if it arrives within seven days, and bars the Postal Service from making operational changes — like removing mailboxes or shutting down sorting machines — in the 120 days before a federal election.
Congressional Summary
Election Mail ActThis bill addresses the delivery and processing of election mail for federal elections, including by establishing certain standards for mail-in ballots.Specifically, the bill requires the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) toensure (to the maximum extent practicable) same-day processing of mail-in ballots,postmark each ballot,carry election mail (e.g., voter registration applications and mail-in ballots) as first-class mail that is free of postage,appoint an election mail coordinator at each area office and district office, andconsult annually with Indian tribes regarding barriers to voting for eligible voters living on Indian lands.The bill prohibits the USPS, within 120 days of a federal election, from making any operational change that would restrict the prompt and reliable delivery of election mail.Each state and jurisdiction must provide with each mail-in ballot a return envelope with an intelligent mail barcode. This requirement does not apply to a state or jurisdiction that uses an alternative system that enables voters to track the ballot through the mail.The bill requires election officials to count mail-in ballots that are postmarked by election day and arrive within seven days after the election.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2025-07-31
- Date Added
- 2026-04-09