Voting Rights Fact Sheets

A federal-court-drawn congressional map with two districts where Black voters had an opportunity to elect candidates of their choice was used in Alabama’s 2024 elections. This occurred after courts found that the Legislature’s 2023 map, which contains one majority-Black district rather than two, did not comply with the Voting Rights Act. In May 2026, a federal court again found that the 2023 map was intentionally discriminatory. The U.S. Supreme Court later blocked that ruling from taking effect, allowing the 2023 map to remain in place for the 2026 elections. Litigation remains ongoing.

Alabama only meets three of the seven criteria. The state has restrictive vote-by-mail policies: voters must provide an excuse to vote by mail and completed ballots must be notarized or signed by a witness, meaning voters cannot complete and submit their ballots independently. Additionally, the state restricts third-party assistance with absentee-ballot applications and absentee ballot activities by imposing criminal penalties for certain conduct involving collection, delivery, and handling of absentee-ballot materials.

For more information on voting in Alabama, visit www.vote411.org/alabama.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Alabama

• Redistricting
  • In 2021, Alabama enacted a new congressional map following the 2020 Census.
  • On June 8, 2023, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the decision by the District Court for the Northern District of Alabama in Allen v. Milligan, which found that Alabama’s 2021 congressional map likely violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
  • In July of 2023, Alabama Legislature adopted a new congressional map in response to the Supreme Court’s Decision.
  • A federal court found that 2023 replacement map still failed to comply with the Voting Rights Act. and a court-ordered and court-drawn map was adopted for 2024 elections.
  • On May 8, 2025, a federal court again held that Alabama’s 2023 legislative map violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
  • On May 26, 2026, the district court again found the 2023 plan intentionally discriminatory.
  • On June 2, 2026, the Supreme Court stayed that decision, holding that the district court had departed from Callais.
• Early Voting
  • Alabama does not offer early in-person voting.
• Voter ID
  • Alabama has had a strict voter ID law in place for over 10 years. A voter must provide a photo ID to vote in-person, such as an Alabama driver’s license, U.S. passport, or a valid student or employee ID with a photo from an Alabama college or university. The Secretary of State must issue a free Alabama voter ID card to any voter that does not have a valid photo ID.
  • Alabama voters must also submit a copy of their photo ID when applying to vote by mail.
  • In 2020, voters approved a ballot measure that amended the state constitution to give voting rights only to U.S. citizens. This requires voters to provide “satisfactory evidence of United States Citizenship” to register to vote, which includes a U.S. passport, driver’s license, naturalization documents, and/or “any evidence that the applicant believes demonstrates the applicant’s United States citizenship.”
  • A voter who dos not have a valid photo ID in his or her possession will be permitted to vote if the individual is positively identified by two election officials as a voter on the poll list who is eligible to vote and the election officials sign a sworn affidavit stating so.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • Alabama has not passed any recent laws that reduce access to polling locations, although the state has shuttered some polling locations in recent years.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • Alabama’s Constitution bans individuals convicted of crimes of “moral turpitude” from voting. In 2017, the Alabama legislature passed the Felony Voter Disqualification Act, which defines the crimes that constitute “moral turpitude.” An individual who has been disenfranchised because of a felony conviction must complete their sentence, receive a pardon, or complete probation or parole to be eligible to register or reregister to vote. They must also pay all outstanding fines, court costs, fees, and restitution ordered by the court at the time of sentencing before they can register or re-register to vote.
• Disinformation Campaigns
  • Prior to 2020, Alabama did not have a law expressly addressing disinformation related to elections.
  • The law prohibits any person from distributing or entering into an agreement to distribute “materially deceptive media” within 90 days of an election if (i) the person knows the media falsely represents who it depicts, (ii) the person intends to harm the reputation of the person the media depicts, (iii) that reputational harm is likely to occur, and (iv) the person intends to change voting patterns of electors.
  • Defines “materially deceptive media” as media that (i) falsely depicts an individual engaging in speech or conduct in which the depicted individual did not in fact engage, (ii) a reasonable viewer or listener would incorrectly believe that the depicted individual engaged in the speech or conduct depicted, and (iii) was produced by artificial intelligence (“AI”).
  • There is an exception if the creator of the media clearly disclaims that the content did not occur and has been manipulated by technical means. If appropriate, the media must cite to the original, unedited source.
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Alabama voters must have an excuse to cast an absentee ballot. Alabama law lists permissible excuses to vote by mail, including a voter being out of the county or state on election day, having an illness such that they cannot go to the polls, or being incarcerated but not convicted of a felony that would prevent the individual from being an eligible voter. Elderly voters and voters with disabilities are not automatically eligible to vote-by-mail unless they meet one of the listed excuses.
  • ID Requirement: To request a vote-by-mail ballot, a voter must print or request a physical vote-by-mail application and submit the completed application alongside a copy of their photo ID in-person or via mail.
  • Timing and Process: Vote-by-mail applications returned by mail must be received no later than seven days before the election. Vote-by-mail applications returned by hand must be returned no later than five days before the election. Absentee ballots must be received no later than noon on election day.
  • Other: A voter needs two witnesses to sign their absentee ballot (or have the ballot notarized).
  • On March 20, 2024, SB 1 was signed into law. The bill enacts several restrictions and criminal penalties for assisting voters with absentee ballots.

There have also been no changes to Arkansas’s post-2020 maps, which partisan officials drew. Although several reform proposals were introduced during the 2025 legislative session, none were enacted. As a result, the rules, authority, and procedures governing redistricting in Arkansas remain unchanged.

Arkansas meets four of the seven criteria. The state has some restrictive vote by mail policies, including requiring voters to provide an excuse to vote by mail and requiring voters to include a copy of their ID in order for their application to be valid.

For more information on voting in Arkansas, visit www.vote411.org/arkansas.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Arkansas

• Redistricting
  • The same basic framework adopted following the 2020 census remains in place. Congressional districts continue to be drawn by the Arkansas General Assembly, while state House and Senate districts continue to be drawn by the Arkansas Board of Apportionment, which is composed of the Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General.
• Early Voting
  • Arkansas offers early in-person absentee voting, which begins 15 days prior to a preferential primary or general election and ends the Monday before the election. Early voting is available at designated early voting locations that must be open between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Early voting polling locations must close at 5:00 p.m. on the Monday before the election. Early voting is prohibited on state holidays. Early voting is available for other primaries and general runoff elections seven days before the election through the day before the election during the county clerk’s regular business hours.
• Voter ID
  • Arkansas voters must present a photo ID to vote in person. There are eight acceptable forms of ID including a driver’s license, photo ID card, concealed handgun carry license, U.S. passport, U.S. military ID document, and voter verification card issued under Ark. Code §7-5-324. Voters must provide a copy of their ID when returning a completed absentee ballot. First-time voters must also provide (1) verification of their voter registration or (2) a copy of a current and valid photo ID or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document. This requirement does not apply if the first time voter (1) registered to vote by mail and provided ID when they registered or (2) registered to vote by mail and submitted their driver’s license number or last four digits of their Social Security number, and this number matches existing state ID information for the Individual.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • County Boards of Election can establish one or more polling locations, which are called vote centers. Vote centers cannot be changed within 60 days of a preferential primary or general election, except in the event of an emergency.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • The Arkansas Constitution prevents any person who has “been convicted of a felony and [has] not discharged their sentence or been pardoned” from voting. An individual who has been convicted of a felony can register to vote if they have “been discharged from probation or parole, […] paid all probation or parole feels, or […] satisfied all terms of imprisonment, and paid all applicable court costs, fines, or restitution.” The individual must provide “the county clerk with proof from the appropriate state or local agency” that they are eligible and, once they do, “the felon shall be deemed eligible to vote.” The Department of Correction, the Department of Community Correction, the appropriate probation office, or the circuit clerk must provide the individual convicted of a felony with “[p]roof that the felon has been discharged from probation or parole, paid all probation or parole fees, or satisfied all terms of imprisonment, and paid all applicable court costs, fines, or restitution…after completion of the probation, parole, or sentence.” The circuit clerk or any entity responsible for collection must provide the Department of Correction, the Department of Community Correction, or the appropriate probation office with proof that the felony has “paid all applicable court costs, fines, or restitution.”
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Voters must have an excuse to vote by mail, including if they (1) will “be unavoidably absentee from his or her voting place” on election day, (2) will be unable to go to the polls on election day because of illness or disability, or (3) will be observing a religious discipline or holiday during the 12 hours the polls are open on election day.
  • ID Requirement: Voters must include a copy of their ID when returning a completed absentee ballot.
  • Timing and Process: Absentee ballot applications, if returned by mail, must be received by the county clerk no later than seven days before election day. The deadline for a voter to return an absentee ballot application in person at the county clerk’s office is the time the county clerk’s office regularly closes on the Friday before an election.
  • Other: Arkansas has signature matching and county clerks must verify the signature on a voter’s vote by mail application to the signature on the voter registration application. A voter can also request an absentee ballot “in lieu of the application form” by letter or postcard, which must contain sufficient information for the county board and county clerk.

In January 2026, Governor Ron Desantis (R) called a Special Session of the Florida Legislature and proposed a new map that election analysts projected could favor Republicans in as many as 24 of Florida’s 28 congressional districts, compared to the 20 Republican and 8 Democratic seats elected under the prior map. The map was approved by the State House and State Senate and signed into law by Governor Desantis. The Supreme Court of Florida rejected challenges to the map in June 2026. The map will be in effect for the 2026 midterm elections as the Federal qualifying date for candidates passed on June 12, 2026.

Florida meets five of the seven criteria. The state has fairly lenient vote by mail policies, including no-excuse absentee voting and an application process that can be completed without a printer. Recent changes to state law require voters requesting a vote-by-mail ballot to provide a Florida driver’s license number, Florida ID card number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number for verification. In addition, vote by mail requests are no longer kept on an ongoing list and must be renewed more frequently, expiring at the end of the next regularly scheduled general election cycle.

For more information on voting in Florida, visit www.vote411.org/florida.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Florida

• Early Voting
  • Florida Statute § 101.657(1)(a) requires early voting to begin on the tenth day before an election and ends on the third day before an election. Election supervisors can offer early voting up to 15 days before an election until the second day before an election, including on weekends. Counties must hold early voting at the main or branch office of the Supervisor of Elections and the Supervisor can designate other early voting sites. Additional early voting sites must be in a geographic location that provides equal opportunity to vote for all voters in a county and must provide sufficient nonpermitted parking. Counties must operate at least as many early voting sites as they did in the 2012 general election. Early voting sites must be open at least eight hours and no more than 12 hours per day.
• Voter ID
  • Florida voters must present a current and valid photo ID to vote in person. Florida law lists twelve forms of acceptable photo ID, including a Florida driver’s license, Florida identification card, United States passport, military identification, veteran health identification card issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, concealed weapon license, employee identification card issued by a federal, state, county, or municipal government entity, student identification, debit or credit card, retirement center identification, neighborhood association identification, and public assistance identification.
  • Starting in January 2027, pursuant to the SAVE Florida Act, student ID, debit or credit cards, neighborhood association ID and retirement center ID’s will no longer be accepted. Voters requesting a vote-by-mail ballot must provide identifying information, specifically a Florida driver’s license number, Florida identification card number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number that can be verified in election records. However, voters do not need to submit a photocopy of a photo ID when returning a completed vote-by-mail ballot.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • The Board of County commissioners in each county (with the recommendation and approval of the supervisor) establishes voting precincts in the county. Florida Statute § 101.71(1) states precinct must contain one polling location that is “accessible to the public on election day.” Florida Statute § 101.001(1) requires the county supervisor of elections to “designate a polling place at a suitable location” in each precinct. The supervisor can move the location of a polling place, as long as it is not less than thirty days before an election, if the supervisor determines that the “accommodations” for the designated polling place are unavailable, are “inadequate for the expeditious and efficient housing and handling of voting,” or do not comply with Fla. Statute § 101.715, which requires polling places to be “accessible and usable by people with disabilities.” Florida Statute § 101.71(2) requires the supervisor to mail each registered voter notice of the change of polling place at least 14 days before an election.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • The Florida Constitution bars any person convicted of a felony from “be[ing] qualified to vote…until restoration of civil rights.” Before 2018, Florida disenfranchised all individuals who had felony convictions unless they had their voting rights restored by the State Board of Executive Clemency. In 2018, Florida voters passed Amendment 4, which “restore[d] the voting rights of Floridians with felony convictions after they complete all terms of their sentence including parole or probation” except if they had been convicted of murder or sexual offenses. In 2019, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 7066 into law, requiring returning citizens to pay off legal-financial obligations (LFOs) ordered by the court as part of the sentence before their voting rights would be restored. According to Florida Statute 98.0751(1), an individual’s voting rights shall be restored “upon completion of all terms of sentence including parole or probation” and full payment of fines, fees, and restitution ordered as part of the sentence. This does not apply to individuals convicted of murder or a sexual felony offense. Felons may also have their rights restored by the State Clemency Board.
• Disinformation Campaigns
  • Prior to 2024, Florida did not have a law expressly addressing disinformation related to elections.
  • Florida Statute § 106.145(2) requires all political advertisements that contain any content created in whole or in part with the use of generative AI to contain a disclaimer if (i) the generated content appears to depict a real person performing an action that did not actually occur and (ii) the content was created with intent to injure a candidate or to deceive electors regarding a ballot issue.
  • The disclaimer must state: “Created in whole or in part with the use of generative AI.” Florida Statute § 106.145(3).
  • Unlike many other statutes that provide a right of action to the falsely depicted individual, Florida allows any person to file a complaint alleging a violation with the Florida Elections Commission. Florida Statute § 106.145(4)(b).
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Florida has no-excuse absentee voting. The following people can request an absentee ballot for a voter: the voter’s immediate family member (i.e., spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling), the voter’s spouse’s parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling, the voter’s legal guardian, or the voter’s designee (for voters with disabilities).
  • ID Requirement: Vote-by-mail applications must include the voter’s name, address, date of birth, and ID number (the voter’s Florida driver’s license number, Florida ID card, or last four digits of their social security number). If the request is being made on behalf of the voter, the requestor must include their ID information (the requestor’s Florida driver license number, ID card number, or last four digits of their social security number) on the vote-by-mail application.
  • Timing and Process: A request for an absentee ballot must be mailed by 5 p.m. on the 12th day before the election according to Florida Statute § 101.62(3)(c). Ballots must be received (regardless of when they are postmarked) by 7 p.m. on election day according to Florida Statute § 101.62(3)(d)(5). Ballots can be returned by mail or in person.

Governor Brian Kemp (R) called a special session of the state legislature in June 2026 to consider redrawing its electoral map for 2028. After facing public pressure, the legislature declined to conduct redistricting during the special session but is likely to revisit the issue before the 2028 Presidential election

Georgia meets five of the seven criteria. The state has fairly lenient vote by mail policies, including no-excuse absentee voting and an application process that can be completed without a printer. However, the state recently passed a law that tightened the identification requirements and allowed less time for voters to submit absentee ballot applications.

For more information on voting in Georgia, visit www.vote411.org/georgia.

Additional Information on Georgia’s Voting Laws

• Redistricting
  • Georgia’s congressional and state legislative lines are drawn by the state legislature, as a regular statute, subject to gubernatorial veto. The special session convened on June 17, 2026 but did not take up redistricting. House and Senate leadership announced on the opening day that they would not consider congressional or legislative maps during the session, citing pending litigation and the absence of public input. Georgia’s congressional and legislative maps therefore remain as adopted after the 2020 Census.
• Early Voting
  • Early voting begins on the fourth Monday before a primary or general election, and polling locations must be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (and registrars may extend hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.). Early voting polling locations must also be open on the second and third Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (but no longer than 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and county registrars have the option to hold early voting on the second and/or third Sunday with exceptions for holidays.
• Voter ID
  • Voters must provide ID to vote in person. Acceptable forms of ID include:
    • A valid state or federal government-issued photo ID, a Georgia driver’s license (even if expired), a student ID from a Georgia public college or university, U.S. passport; and U.S. military photo ID.
  • SB 202 mandated a photo-ID requirement for vote-by-mail applications and ballots. Voters must include their driver’s license or state ID number on both their absentee ballot application and completed ballot or, if they do not have a driver’s license or state ID, a copy of an acceptable voter ID when applying for and submitting an absentee ballot.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • SB 202 banned mobile polling locations unless the Governor declares a state of emergency.
  • SB 202 also made it a criminal offense for individuals and groups to “offer to give, or participate in the giving of any money or gifts,” including food and drink, to voters in line at polling locations (also known as “line warming”).
    • Voting rights groups successfully challenged this provision of SB 202 and, in August 2023, obtained a preliminary injunction on the “line-warming” ban. While the decision is currently on appeal, state officials are “enjoined from enforcing the Penalty Provision [of SB 202 that imposes criminal penalties for violation of the food, drink, and gift ban], initiating criminal prosecutions or otherwise imposing criminal penalties for violations of [the food, drink, and gift ban].”
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • Georgia law prohibits anyone with a felony conviction “involving moral turpitude” from “register[ing]…or vot[ing] except upon completion of the sentence.” Georgia law does not define what felonies involve moral turpitude. In practice, state officials have interpreted this broadly, meaning that all individuals convicted of felonies lose their voting rights. An individual’s felony sentence is not complete until they complete incarceration, parole, and felony probation. They must also pay their fines and fees. There are limited circumstances in which an individual with a felony conviction does not lose their right to vote: (1) if they have an unrevoked first offender status for the felony conviction and no subsequent felony conviction; (2) if they pled “nolo contendere” for a felony crime; or (3) if they were conditionally discharged for drug possession (and this discharge was not revoked).
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Georgia has no-excuse absentee voting.
  • ID Requirement: A voter must include their mailing address, the election in which they choose to vote in, and an acceptable form of identification, either: their Georgia driver’s license number or non-driver ID number on absentee ballot applications and ballots returned by mail. A voter who does not have a Georgia driver’s license or non-driver ID issued by the Georgia Department of Driver Services must affirm their lack of either form of ID on the absentee ballot application and provide an alternate form of ID. The alternate acceptable forms of ID include a U.S. Passport, Georgia voter ID card, valid state or federal government-issued ID, U.S. Military ID, Georgia or U.S. government employee ID, tribal ID, or a document that shows your name and address such as a utility bill, bank statement, or paycheck. The voter must also provide the last four digits of their social security number on the outer envelope of the absentee ballot package.
  • Timing and Process: Absentee ballot applications must be received no later than 11 calendar days before a primary or general election. Voters may return their absentee ballot application online, by email, by mail, or by fax. If a voter returns their absentee ballot by mail, they must write their name, signature, driver’s license or ID number (or affirm they do not have such a number), their date of birth, and the last four digits of their social security number.
  • Voted absentee ballots must be received by the county board of registrars by 7 PM on Election Day.
  • Voters must apply for an absentee ballot before each election. Absentee ballots may be requested at any time between 78 and 11 calendar days prior to Election Day.
  • Absentee ballots are mailed out starting 29 days before the election.
  • Absentee ballots can be returned by mail, hand delivery to your local county registrar or dropped in the county’s drop box.
  • Other: Georgia does not require signature matching, but absentee ballot applications and/or ballots can be rejected for missing or invalid information (such as a missing signature). A voter must return their completed ballot with the two envelopes supplied by the registrar or absentee ballot clerk’s office. The smaller envelope will contain the voter’s completed ballot, and the larger envelope will contain the voter’s oath and the oath for the person assisting the voter (if applicable) and the voter’s ID information.

After the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana found that Louisiana’s 2022 congressional map likely violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the legislature enacted a 2024 map with two majority-Black districts, which was used in the 2024 elections.  In April 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Voting Rights Act did not require the second majority-Black district and invalidated the 2024 map as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The following month, Governor Jeff Landry (R) signed a new congressional map containing one majority-Black district.

Louisiana meets five of the seven criteria. The state requires an excuse to vote by mail, which limits the accessibility of voting in the state. However, it has fairly lenient vote by mail policies for those that are eligible, including an application process that can be completed without a printer.

For more information on voting in Louisiana, visit www.vote411.org/louisiana.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Louisiana

• Redistricting
  • In 2022, Louisiana enacted a congressional map containing one majority-Black district. In Robinson v. Ardoin, the Middle District of Louisiana held that plaintiffs were likely to succeed on their Section 2 Voting Rights Act claim, noting that Black residents comprised roughly one-third of the state’s population but only one of its six congressional districts was majority-Black.
  • Following the litigation, Louisiana adopted a new congressional map in 2024 with two majority-Black districts. Despite subsequent legal challenges, the map remained in effect for the 2024 federal election.
  • In April 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Louisiana v. Callais that Louisiana’s 2024 congressional map constituted an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. On May 29, 2026, the governor approved a new congressional map containing one majority-Black district. The state’s spring primary was suspended and rescheduled to November 3, 2026.
  • See CBCF’s Callais explainer for more.
• Early Voting
  • Early voting begins 18 days prior to a presidential election or 14 days prior to any scheduled election, and ends seven days before the election. If a holiday falls within the early voting period, early voting begins one day earlier. Early voting takes place at each parish’s registrar’s office from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. A parish registrar may designate additional locations for early voting and set the hours for such locations, with the approval of the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State may develop and implement early voting at additional locations within any parish and can select locations based on feasibility, accessibility, and number of registered voters.
• Voter ID
  • Louisiana voters must present a photo ID to vote in person. Louisiana law lists four forms of acceptable ID: a physical or digital Louisiana driver’s license, Louisiana Special ID card, U.S. military ID, or “some other general[ly] recognized picture identification card that contains the name and signature of the applicant.” At this time, individuals who do not have a photo ID may sign an affidavit at the polls attesting that they are the registered voter they purport to be. However, starting on July 1, 2027, this option will no longer be available. Qualified voters are not required to provide a copy of their ID when submitting an absentee ballot application or returning a completed absentee ballot. College students, who are first time voters, must additionally enclose a copy of their student ID or fee bill to request an absentee ballot.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • The governing authority of each parish must establish one polling place in a “suitable public building” for each precinct. A polling place cannot be located in a place where alcohol is dispensed to the public, a jail, a mental hospital, an eleemosynary institution, or private property owned, operated, or leased by a candidate in the election. Each polling place must have “sanitary facilities available” and the governing authority must certify to the Secretary of State that “each polling place meets the accessibility standards for individuals with disabilities” adopted by the state. To the extent possible, the governing authority may provide only one polling location for multiple precincts where it is determined to be “efficient, cost-effective, and convenient to voters” which could lead to confusion or accessibility issues for voters who need to travel outside their precinct to vote. Once established, polling places can only be changed with approval by a vote of the parish’s governing authority and only under extreme conditions
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • The Louisiana Constitution prohibits an individual who is “under an order of imprisonment for conviction of a felony” (i.e., in prison for a felony conviction) from voting. An individual convicted of a felony must complete probation or parole or, if they are still on probation or parole, have not been incarcerated for the past five years. Louisiana law also prohibits anyone who has been “convicted of a felony offense of election fraud or any other election offense under R.S. § 18:1461.2 and […] is under an order of imprisonment from voting.”
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Voters must be eligible to vote by mail. Eligible voters include senior citizens (65 years old and older), voters with disabilities (subject to specific types of proof), military members and their families, those involuntarily confined to a mental institution, and students in institutions of higher learning and their families located outside the parish where they are registered to vote. Also, residents who moved to a new parish more than 100 miles away following the deadline to register may vote by mail in their previous parish. Also, anyone who expects to be temporarily out of the parish on election day and during the early voting period.
  • ID Requirement: Qualified voters are not required to provide a copy of their ID when submitting an absentee ballot application or returning a completed absentee ballot.
  • Timing and Process: A voter must request their absentee ballot by 4:30 p.m. on the fourth day before election day.. A voter with a driver’s license or special identification card can apply to vote by mail online. Otherwise, a voter can apply in person or by mail with a special identification card. A voter must return their absentee ballot by 4:30 p.m. on the day before election day. Other than on behalf of family members, a voter may only return their own absentee ballot.
  • Other: A voter must have one witness for their ballot, unless the voter is a service member or lives abroad. The witness must sign the ballot certificate by hand.

In response to Republican redistricting efforts across the South, Maryland held a special legislative session in August 2026 to consider redrawing its congressional map ahead of the 2028 election. On August 4, the House advanced HB 2100, which would give the Legislature authority to make partisan changes to the congressional map, and the Senate gave final approval on August 5. On August 26, a circuit judge blocked the measure from appearing on the November 3 ballot. That ruling is currently stayed pending an appeal to the Maryland Supreme Court, leaving the measure’s ballot status unresolved. Maryland’s two majority-Black congressional districts, MD-7 and MD-4, remain unchanged, although the state could redraw its congressional map ahead of the 2028 election to increase Black representation.

Maryland meets all seven of the criteria and has vote by mail policies that consider historically disenfranchised voters.

For more information on voting in Maryland, visit www.vote411.org/maryland.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Maryland

• Early Voting
  • Early voting begins the second Thursday before an election and lasts until the Thursday before an election. Early voting centers are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Each county must have at least one early voting center, and the minimum number of early voting centers in a county is based on the county’s number of registered voters. Each county may establish one additional early voting center with agreement from the local and county boards of election and with the approval of the state board.
• Voter ID
  • Maryland does not require voters to provide ID to vote if their name is on the state’s list of registered voters. A voter will be asked to show ID if (1) they previously registered but did not meet registration requirements, (2) their identity is challenged at the polling place, or (3) they registered to vote during early voting or on Election Day or changed their address during early voting. There are five acceptable forms of ID: a Maryland driver’s license, a student ID with a photo, an employee ID with a photo, a passport or other government-issued ID, or a bank statement, paycheck, or utility bill the show the voter’s name and address from the last three months. Maryland voters are not required to submit a copy of their ID with a mail-in ballot application or completed mail-in ballot, although certain first-time voters who registered by mail and have not previously satisfied identification requirements may be required to provide identification
• Access to Polling Locations
  • Local county boards may “designate the location for polling places in any election district, ward, or precinct in the county.” Each polling place must provide an “environment that is suitable to the proper conduct of an election,” “be located as conveniently as practicable for the majority of registered voters assigned to that precinct,” be in a public building unless a suitable one is unavailable, be in the precinct it serves unless no suitable location can be found, and “be selected and arranged to avoid architectural and other barriers that impede access or voting by elderly and physically disabled voters.” At least six months before each statewide primary election, local boards must submit a polling place plan to the State Board for approval. The State Board must approve a polling place plan if it meets the requirements set forth in Md. Code Elec. Law § 2-303.1(b), § 10-101(a)(2), and “will not negatively affect access to voting for historically disenfranchised communities.” Local boards cannot create or change a polling place location during the 13 weeks prior to a primary election through the day of the general election.
  • In April 2026, Maryland voters passed a bill which immediately prohibited cities and counties in Maryland from using any election system, district map, or other policy that results in minimizing the voting power of historically disenfranchised communities, including felons. Under the law, any resident can sue a county or local government if there is evidence of polarized voting, or the method of election prohibits the voting strength of the protected class.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • Since 2016, individuals who have been convicted of a felony and “have completed serving a court-ordered sentence of imprisonment” are eligible to vote. This means that individuals convicted of a felony have their voting rights automatically restored after release from prison, even if they are on probation. However, an individual who has “been convicted of buying or selling votes” does not qualify to register to vote.
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Any eligible voter may vote by mail.
  • ID Requirement: Voters do not need to provide a copy of their ID to request a mail in ballot but must include their Maryland driver’s license number or Maryland ID card number and last four digits of their social security number.
  • Timing and Process: If a voter wants to receive their mail-in ballot application by mail, the deadline to submit an application for a mail-in ballot is the Tuesday before the election. If a voter wants to receive a mail-in ballot via the internet, the deadline to submit the request is the Friday before the election. If a voter requests a mail-in ballot in person at their local board office, the deadline to request a mail-in ballot is the close of polls on election day. A voter may return their main-in ballot application and mail-in ballot via mail, in person, or using a drop box.
  • Other: All voters are eligible for “permanent mail-in ballot status.” If voters request to be placed on the permanent mail-in ballot list, they will be sent a mail-in ballot for each election they are eligible to vote in. A voter can also designate an “agent” to pick up and deliver their mail-in ballot. The agent must be at least 18 years old, may not be a candidate on the ballot, must be designated in writing by the voter, and must execute an affidavit that the ballot was delivered to the voter who submitted the application, marked and placed in an envelope by the voter (or with assistance as permitted by law) in the agent’s presence, and returned to the local board by the agent.
    • Note: Maryland law now refers to “absentee ballots” as “mail-in ballots” and “absentee voting” as “mail-in voting”. This change is purely terminological and does not alter the eligibility requirements, procedures, or operation of voting by mail.

Michigan’s voting maps are created by the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. Michigan’s congressional map was last updated in 2022. The Commission is currently in “dormant status” until there is a legal challenge to the current maps or the 2030 redistricting commission is seated. While federal courts required Michigan to redraw certain Detroit-area state legislative (House and Senate) districts in 2023 and 2024, the congressional map adopted in 2022 was not affected and remains in place.

Michigan meets all seven of the criteria and has a permanent absentee voter list where any voter can automatically receive absentee ballots for every election. If it is your first time voting in Michigan and you register by mail, you will need to provide identification as part of the registration process.

For more information on voting in Michigan, visit www.vote411.org/michigan.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Michigan

• Redistricting
  • An independent citizen’s commission draws all maps and there have been no mid-decade changes.
  • The 2024 court-approved remedial plans, ordered after a federal court found that the Commission’s 2021 Detroit-area lines were racial gerrymanders that violated the Equal Protection Clause, increased the number of majority-Black House districts in the Detroit area from six to eight.
• Early Voting
  • Early voting begins nine days before an election, on the second Saturday prior to the election and ends the Sunday before the election. Municipalities may offer up to 28 days of additional early voting at their discretion. The legislative body in each municipality must provide a “suitable early voting site for each precinct.” An early voting site can serve up to six precincts and multiple municipalities. Each early voting place must be open for at least eight hours per day.
• Voter ID
  • Michigan voters are required to provide photo ID to vote in person. There are eight acceptable forms of ID: a Michigan driver’s license, Michigan personal ID card, a current driver’s license or personal ID card from another state (with photo), a federal, state, or local government-issued photo ID, a U.S. passport, a military photo ID, a student photo ID card, or a tribal photo ID card. If a voter does not have any of those forms of photo ID, they can sign an affidavit and vote on a regular ballot. Michigan voters are not required to provide a copy of their ID when requesting or voting with an absentee ballot.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • The legislative body in each municipality must provide a “suitable polling place for each precinct.” A polling place must be a “publicly owned or controlled building” such as a municipal building or a school building “unless it is not possible or convenient to use a publicly owned or controlled building as a polling place.” A polling place or early voting site cannot be designated as a building that is “owned or leased by an elected official, an individual who is a candidate, or a person that is regulated under the Michigan campaign finance act.” Polling places must be accessible and comply with the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act and the Help America Vote Act of 2002. The county legislative board or board of county election commissioners cannot establish, move, or abolish a polling place less than 60 days before an election “unless necessary…because a polling place…has been damaged, destroyed, or rendered inaccessible or unusable.” If temporary changes are made to polling locations because a polling location is inaccessible or unusable, the clerk must provide notice to voters.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • Michigan law prevents anyone who has been convicted of a crime “in a court of this state or another state or in federal court…for which the penalty imposed is confinement in jail or prison” from voting. An individual who is “confined in a jail and who is otherwise a qualified elector may, before trial or sentence, register to vote.” Those individuals are “considered a resident of the city or township, and address, at which he or she resided before confinement.”
• Disinformation Campaigns
  • Prior to 2020, Michigan did not have a law expressly addressing disinformation related to elections.
  • Michigan law prohibits distributing “materially deceptive media” within 90 days of an election if (i) the person knows the media falsely depicts another individual, (ii) the person intends to harm the reputation or electoral prospects of a candidate and that result is likely to occur, and (iii) the person intends to change voting behaviors of the electorate by deceiving them with the distributed media.
  • This prohibition does not apply if the media includes a disclaimer that the media has been manipulated by technical means and depicts speech or conduct that did not occur.
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Any eligible Michigan voter can vote by mail.
  • ID Requirement: Registered voters are not required to provide a copy of their ID when requesting or voting with an absentee ballot. If you are registering to vote by mail, you will have to attach approved identification to your absentee ballot application or absentee ballot.
  • Timing and Process: Voters can request and submit an absentee ballot application online. The deadline to submit an online application is 5 p.m. on the Friday before election day. The deadline to submit an in-person absentee ballot application is 4 p.m. on the day before election day. Completed absentee ballots must be received by the voter’s local clerk’s office by 8 p.m. on election day.
  • Other: Voters can request to be placed on the permanent absentee voter list and receive absentee voters for all future elections unless the request is rescinded, the voter is no longer qualified to vote, the secretary of state or clerk receives reliable information that the voter moves, or the voter does not vote for six consecutive years. Voters must sign their absentee ballot, and local clerks review the signatures to “confirm its validity” and can reject the voter’s ballot if they determine that a signature is not valid.

Mississippi has the largest Black population of any state at approximately 40%. Currently, lawmakers are considering changes as soon as the 2026 general election to congressional, legislative, and state Supreme Court districts that would significantly dilute the Black vote and potentially remove the state’s only Black congressman, Representative Bennie Thompson.

Mississippi meets four of the seven criteria. The state requires an excuse to vote by mail, which limits the accessibility of voting in the state. The mailed absentee application must be sworn before an official authorized to administer oaths. Disabled voters are exempt and may use one adult witness instead. It does offer an application process that can be completed without a printer.

For more information on voting in Mississippi, visit www.vote411.org/mississippi.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Mississippi

• Redistricting
  • Immediately following the Louisiana v. Callais Supreme Court case that struck down a Louisiana district as being drawn unconstitutionally on the basis of race, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves (R) called a legislative session for May 20, 2026, to redraw Supreme Court districts in his state.
  • Then, on May 18, 2026, in light of Callais, the Supreme Court vacated a previous order requiring Mississippi to redraw its legislative districts, effectively undoing the basis for court-ordered special elections held on November 4, 2025, which had produced a new majority-Black House district in Chickasaw County.
  • Gov. Reeves then cancelled the legislative session.
  • House Speaker Jason White and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann have since created committees to study redistricting and provide recommendations to other Mississippi lawmakers.
  • The current expectation is that Mississippi lawmakers will debate redistricting during the 2027 legislative session in January 2027 and implement any approved changes that year.
  • However, Republican officials are advocating for redistricting to occur sooner and have called for nullifying the results of the recent congressional midterm primaries so districts could be redrawn before the November 2026 general election.
  • While it would be unprecedented for a state to overturn duly held elections, President Trump has been pressuring Mississippi to do just that and Gov. Reeves has left open that possibility, stating that he is working closely with the Trump administration.
  • The debate is shaped in part by ongoing litigation, including State Conf. of the NAACP v. State Bd. of Election Comm’rs and Louisiana v. Callais.
• Early Voting
  • Mississippi does not offer traditional early voting where any person registered to vote can vote before Election Day.
  • If eligible, registered voters in Mississippi can go to the Circuit Clerk’s office on designated days before Election Day to vote.
    • 2026 General Election In-person Absentee Voting Deadlines
      • In-Person Absentee Voting Begins: 09/21/2026 (8:00a.m. – 5:00p.m.)
      • Saturday In-Person Absentee Voting: 10/24/2026, 10/31/2026 (8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.)
      • In-Person Absentee Voting Deadline: 10/31/2026 (by noon)
  • To be eligible for in-person absentee voting, you must fit certain criteria such as being over 65 years old or being required to work on Election Day. The full eligibility list is available here: Absentee Voting Information | MS SOS
• Voter ID
  • In 2011, Mississippi amended its state Constitution to add a photo ID requirement for in-person voting. To vote in person, a voter must present a valid photo ID, such as a current and valid Mississippi driver’s license or other government-issued state ID, U.S. passport, government-issued employment ID card, Mississippi firearm license, tribal ID card, military ID card, or student ID card. A voter does not need to include a copy of their photo ID to request a mail-in absentee ballot or return a completed mail-in absentee ballot, except for first time Mississippi voters who did not provide ID when they registered.
  • To receive a Mississippi Voter Identification Card voters must go to the Circuit Clerk’s Office during regular business hours (M-F 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) and complete an application that includes producing one form of acceptable identification such as a birth certificate or utility bill.
  • To register for the first time either in person or by mail to vote, voters may need to provide a Mississippi driver’s license or a Social Security number.
  • If registering for the first time in Mississippi and without a Mississippi driver’s license or Social Security number, voters must send with their application a copy of a current and valid photo ID, or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows their name and address.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • Every county voting precinct is assigned a single official polling place. The board of supervisors must identify the polling place associated with each precinct and report it to the Secretary of State. “…there shall be only one (1) voting place in each voting precinct.” Section 23-15-281.
  • Governing authorities of each municipality are responsible for dividing the municipality into a “sufficient number” of voting precincts. The authority conducting an election is not required to establish a polling place in each precinct, but “may locate and establish such polling places, without regard to precinct lines, in such manner as in the discretion of such authority will better accommodate the electorate and better facilitate the holding of the election.”
  • Curbside voting must be available to physically disabled voters during all hours polls are open.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • Section 241 of Mississippi’s Constitution imposes a lifetime ban on voting for any individual who has been “convicted of murder, rape, bribery, theft, arson, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, perjury, forgery, embezzlement or bigamy.” Miss. Code §23-15-11 separately includes other “disenfranchising crimes” such as, carjacking, felony bad check, felony shoplifting, extortion, statutory rape, larceny, larceny under lease, timber larceny, armed robbery, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property, and voter fraud.
  • If an individual has been convicted of one of the enumerated offenses, the Governor, at their discretion, may pardon the individual and restore their voting rights. The state legislature can also restore an individual’s voting rights, but this process is not often used, as it requires a bill to be passed by both houses and signed by the Governor. Before an individual can have their voting rights restored, they must no longer be incarcerated, on probation, on parole, or have outstanding fines and fees. An individual who has been convicted of a crime in another state or a crime that is not listed in the Mississippi Constitution does not lose their right to vote.
• Disinformation Campaigns
  • Prior to 2020, Mississippi did not have a law expressly addressing disinformation related to elections.
  • The new law prohibits the dissemination of deepfakes (referred to as “digitization”) within 90 days of an election if (i) the person has actual knowledge that the media is a deepfake, (ii) the media is disseminated without the consent of the depicted individual, and (iii) the media is disseminated with either the intent to injure the candidate, influence the results of an election, or deter any person from voting.
  • Mississippi Office of Homeland Security Grant Program discusses “potential” projects relating to “Training and awareness programs (e.g., through social media, SAR indicators and behaviors) to educate the public on misinformation and disinformation campaigns and resources to help them identify and report potential instances of domestic violent extremism.”
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Mississippi voters must have an excuse to vote by mail. Individuals who may vote by mail include those who are 65+, individuals who are “required to be away from his or her place of residence” on Election Day due to employment, and individuals with temporary or permanent physical disabilities and cannot vote without hardship because of their disability, individuals who are the parent, spouse, or dependent of someone hospitalized outside their county, and individuals who are incarcerated but not convicted of a disenfranchising crime.
  • Process: A voter must request an Official Application for Absentee Elector’s Ballot to be mailed to them. The application will be then mailed to the voter. They must state what absentee excuse they are applying for and fill out the rest of the application, including getting the application signed by a notary public. Then, the Circuit Clerk will mail the voter their official absentee ballot within 1 business day, or as soon as ballots are ready.
  • ID Requirement: A voter does not need to include a copy of their photo ID to request a mail-in absentee ballot or return a completed mail-in absentee ballot, except for first time Mississippi voters who did not provide ID when they registered.
  • Timing: Absentee ballots received by mail must be postmarked on or before the date of the election and received by the registrar no more than five business days after the election.
    • 2026 General Election
      • Mail-In Absentee Ballot Postmark Deadline: 11/03/2026
      • Mail-In Absentee Ballot Receipt Deadline: 11/10/2026 (must be postmarked by Election Day)
  • Other: Absentee ballot applications and ballots must be signed by the voter and a witness who is designated to administer an oath (such as a notary), unless the voter is disabled, in which case the witness may be any individual over the age of 18.
  • An absentee ballot application or ballot shall be rejected if the voter and an attesting witness do not sign the ballot. An absentee ballot cannot be rejected for a mismatched signature.

New York has an independent redistricting commission, but its recommendations are not binding. In 2024, the commission proposed a new congressional map, but the Legislature rejected it and adopted its own map instead. That map remains in use for the 2026 elections after a legal challenge to New York’s 11th Congressional District was dismissed.

New York meets six out of seven of the criteria. The state’s Early Mail Voter Act, effective January 1, 2024, allows any registered voter to vote by mail through its Early Mail Ballot program, and no excuse is required. Voters may request a ballot online, in person, or by mail, and the online application process can be completed without a printer. New York also continues to offer absentee ballots for voters who qualify under traditional absentee voting requirements.

For more information on voting in New York, visit www.vote411.org/new-york.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in New York

• Redistricting
  • New York uses a bipartisan Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) to develop congressional and state legislative district maps following each decennial census. The Commission consists of 10 members and is required to consider federal and state constitutional requirements. The Commission must hold public hearings and solicit public input before submitting proposed maps to the Legislature.
  • The IRC submits redistricting plans to the Legislature, which has the authority to approve or reject them pursuant to the procedures set forth in the New York Constitution.
  • In 2024, the IRC proposed a new congressional map, but the Legislature rejected it and adopted its own map instead. That map remains in use for the 2026 elections after a legal challenge to New York’s 11th Congressional District was dismissed.
  • New York is considering a constitutional amendment that would allow the state to redraw congressional districts in the middle of a decade. The amendment passed its first vote on June 3, 2026, but must pass again in 2027 and then be approved by voters in a referendum. If approved, the earliest it could take effect is 2028.
• Early Voting
  • Early voting begins ten days before an election and ends two days before an election. County Boards of Elections designate polling places for early voting. Counties with at least 500,000 registered voters must establish one early voting place for every 40,000 voters. Counties with fewer than 500,000 registered voters must establish one early voting place for every 30,000 voters. Early voting polls must be open on weekdays for at least eight hours between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. and on weekends for at least eight hours between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. County boards of elections may offer extended hours at their discretion.
• Voter ID
  • New York generally does not require voters to present identification when voting in person. However, first-time voters who registered by mail and did not provide or verify identification during the registration process may be required to show ID when voting. New York does not generally require voters to submit a copy of an ID when requesting or returning a mail ballot, although federal requirements may apply to certain first-time voters whose identity was not previously verified.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • Local Boards of Elections must designate polling places in each election district “in consultation with each city, town and village” by March 15th of each year. Whenever possible, polling places should be located in a tax-exempt building. Polling places can be in a building owned by a religious organization or used by such organization as a place of worship, and when a contiguous college or university property has at least three hundred voters registered to an address at the property, there must be a polling place on the property or at a nearby location recommended by the college or university. Polling places must be “accessible to citizens with disabilities and comply with the accessibility guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.” County boards must survey every polling site to “verify substantial compliance with accessibility standards” and, if a polling place does not meet accessibility standards, the county must make necessary changes or modifications, or move to a “verified accessible polling place within six months.” If a district has less than 100 eligible voters, the polling place for such district may be the polling place of any other district, as long as the polling place is not an unreasonable distance away and there is not more than 500 total of persons eligible to vote in the other district.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • In New York, individuals convicted of a felony are ineligible to vote while incarcerated for that felony conviction. Voting rights are automatically restored upon release from incarceration, including for individuals on parole or post-release supervision. A person convicted of a felony under New York law, federal law, or the law of another state may register and vote once they are no longer incarcerated and otherwise meet New York’s voter eligibility requirements. Individuals may need to register or re-register to vote following release.
• Disinformation Campaigns
  • Prior to 2024, New York did not have a statute specifically regulating the use of “materially deceptive media” in political communications.
  • In 2024, New York enacted a law requiring disclosure when a person, organization, campaign, or other entity distributes or publishes a political communication containing materially deceptive media and has actual knowledge that the communication is materially deceptive. Required disclosures vary by medium and are intended to inform voters when images, audio, or video have been manipulated.
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: New York offers both absentee voting for voters who meet specified eligibility requirements and no-excuse early mail voting for any registered voter. A voter may request an absentee ballot if they expect to be absent from their county (or from New York City if they are a city resident) on Election Day, are unable to appear at the polls because of illness or disability, are caring for an ill or disabled person, are a resident or patient of a Veterans Health Administration hospital, or are detained awaiting trial or incarcerated for a non-felony offense and otherwise eligible to vote.
  • ID Requirement: New York generally does not require voters to provide a copy of identification when requesting or returning an absentee ballot, although limited federal requirements may apply to certain first-time voters whose identities were not previously verified.
  • Timing and Process: Applications requesting an absentee ballot by mail must be received by the board of elections no later than the tenth day before the election. Applications for an absentee ballot to be picked up in person must be submitted no later than the day before the election. A voter may request an absentee ballot online, in person, or by mail. Absentee ballot must be postmarked before the close of polls on election day and received by the board of elections no later than a week after election day.
  • Other: The board of elections must provide a domestic postage-paid return envelope for absentee ballots. Applications must be signed by the voter. An absentee ballot received by mail without a postmark date is presumed to have been A voter may designate another person in writing to deliver the application and pick up the absentee ballot on the voter’s behalf.

A new congressional map adopted in October 2025 reduced the share of Black voting-age residents in the First Congressional District from about 40.7% to 32.1%. The change affected a district represented by Congressional Black Caucus Member Representative Don Davis. A federal three-judge panel declined to block the new map in November 2025, and the legal challenge was dismissed in January 2026.

North Carolina meets five of the seven criteria. The state has fairly lenient vote by mail policies, including no-excuse absentee voting and an application process that can be completed without a printer. North Carolina does not provide widespread unattended ballot drop boxes, but voters may return absentee ballots by mail or deliver them to county election offices or authorized election officials at early voting sites.

For more information on voting in North Carolina, visit www.vote411.org/north-carolina.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in North Carolina

• Early Voting
  • Counties must hold early voting from the third Thursday before an election until no later than the last Saturday before an election at 3 p.m. All early voting sites must be open:
    • At the same location during early voting,
    • During the same times,
    • During weekdays for voting from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.,
    • At all early voting sites for the same Saturday and Sunday hours, and
    • On the last Saturday before the election from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Same-day registration is available during early voting. Voters must satisfy registration requirements, which include providing proof of residence and photo ID.
    • A voter’s same day registration can be rejected if an address verification notice is returned as undeliverable. In January 2024, a federal judge temporarily blocked the undeliverable mail provision. State Board of Elections subsequently updated its guidance to comply with the court order and instructed county boards to notify a voter if their address verification card is returned as undeliverable.
• Voter ID
  • In 2018, North Carolina passed a strict voter ID law, SB 824, which listed only ten acceptable forms of voter ID to vote in person. Acceptable forms of voter ID include a North Carolina driver’s license, driver’s license from another state (only if the voter registered in North Carolina within 90 days of the election), and state college or university ID (if it is on the list of IDs approved by the State Board of Elections and is a valid, unexpired ID).
    • In 2022, the state Supreme Court held SB 824 unconstitutional because the statute was motivated “with an impermissible intent to discriminate against African American voters” in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the state constitution. However, after the state Supreme Court flipped later that same year, it agreed to rehear the case and reversed its decision, and the voter ID law went into effect in 2024. There are further legal challenges still pending.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • North Carolina has not passed any recent laws reducing access to polling locations, but there have been reports about the state’s closure of polling locations since the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder (2013).
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • North Carolina’s Constitution disqualifies any person guilty of a felony from voting unless they have had their rights restored. North Carolina law requires that, for an individual’s rights to be automatically restored, they must have been “unconditional[ly] discharge[d]” from jail, probation, parole, or post-release supervision (or received an “unconditional pardon.”) Individuals must pay their fines and fees before their voting rights are restored.
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: North Carolina has no-excuse absentee voting. Voters with a sickness or disability that is “expected to last the remainder of the calendar year,” may make an annual request to vote-by-mail in all primaries and general elections during a calendar year.
  • ID Requirement: When requesting a vote-by-mail ballot, a voter must include their driver’s license number or the last four digits of their social security number and signature on their absentee ballot application.
  • Timing and Process: Absentee ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on election day. A voter or their near relative or legal guardian can return a completed absentee ballot application and ballot.
  • Other: A voter is required to have two witnesses sign their absentee ballot. Under North Carolina law, it is a Class I felony to assist a voter to vote an absentee ballot unless if the individual assisting is a near relative or legal guardian.

Since the 2024 election, Ohio redistricting has been marked by two major developments. First, voters rejected a proposal to transfer redistricting authority from elected officials to an independent citizen commission, leaving the existing system in place. Second, because Ohio’s 2022 congressional map did not have bipartisan support, the state was required to redraw its congressional districts in 2025. After the Legislature failed to agree on a new map, the Ohio Redistricting Commission unanimously adopted one on October 31, 2025. The new map maintains Cleveland’s 11th Congressional District, a Black opportunity district with roughly 44% Black residents, but increases the number of Republican-leaning districts from 10 to 12. The map will be used for the 2026 elections.

Ohio meets six out of seven of the criteria. S.B. 293, signed December 19, 2025, and effective March 20, 2026, eliminated the four-day mail grace period; all ballots must arrive by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, UOCAVA excepted.

For more information on voting in Ohio, visit www.vote411.org/ohio.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Ohio

• Redistricting
  • In Ohio, the redistricting process follows a multi-step approach.
    • • Following completion of the United States Census, state legislators can adopt a new congressional district map if three-fifths of the legislature’s total membership vote to approve, including one-half of the minority party members. This map would apply for 10 years.
      • If the legislature proves unable to adopt a new map, a commission will be formed to adopt a map. That commission will include the governor, state auditor, secretary of state, and four legislators, two of whom must come from the legislature’s minority party. A majority of the commission’s members, including two members belonging to the minority party, must agree on a map. The map would apply for 10 years.
      • If the commission proves unable to adopt a map, state legislators will be given a second chance to adopt a map. The map would have to be approved by three-fifths of the legislature’s total membership, including one-third of the minority party’s members. The map would apply for 10 years.
      • If the legislature fails a second time, the majority party of the legislature, without support from the minority party, can adopt a map that would apply for four years.
    • Maps drawn by the legislature can be vetoed by the governor or a veto referendum campaign. The amendment stipulates that 65 of Ohio’s counties cannot be split during redistricting, meaning 18 can be split once, and the state’s five most populous counties can be split twice.
    • On November 5, 2024, the citizen ballot initiative to create an Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission was voted down, meaning the redistricting process still proceeds under the previously established joint legislative and commission method established in 2018.
    • The initiative slated as Issue 1 would have created a 15-member redistricting committee composed of equal parts Republicans, Democrats, and Independents.
    • The committee would then have deliberated in public meetings over the drawing of redistricting maps and have the approval of 9 of the 15 commissioners to become the official map.
    • However, Issue 1 failed with a 53.71 percent “No” vote, meaning the previously established method of redistricting was used for the most recent redistricting process.
    • This is significant because the current method of redistricting has been criticized for not representing the true voting preferences of Ohio voters.
  • Enactment of Most Recent Congressional District Map 10/31/2025:
    • Ohio was required to redraw its congressional district boundaries ahead of the 2026 elections due to a constitutional amendment that gave shorter expiration dates to maps passed without bipartisan support. On October 31, 2025, the Ohio Redistricting Commission voted unanimously to approve a new congressional map. The map will take effect for the 2026 elections.
    • On March 2, 2022, the Ohio Redistricting Commission approved a redrawn congressional map in a 5-2 vote along party lines, meaning the map lasted for four years.  On March 18, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that it did not have jurisdiction to overturn the map before the state’s primary elections as part of the legal challenge that overturned the initial congressional map.  This map took effect for Ohio’s 2022 congressional elections. The legislature did not pass a new map with three-fifths support in both chambers by the end of September 2025, so the Ohio Redistricting Commission took over to adopt a plan by October 31, 2025.
    • The ultimate map contained a 12-3 Republican favoring split in congressional districts. While, this is a more Republican favoring map than before (10-5), it is perceivably more fair than the 13-2 map that republicans were allegedly threating to draw.
    • This map will remain in effect until 2031.
• Early Voting
  • Early in-person absentee voting begins the day after the close of the state’s voter registration period, which is 30 days prior to an election, and ends at 5:00 p.m. on the Sunday before an election. In-person absentee voting is held at the office of each county’s Board of Elections.
• Voter ID
  • Ohio requires voters to present ID to vote in person. Ohio voters are not required to provide an ID when requesting an absentee ballot or returning a completed ballot, but must provide either (1) the last four digits of their social security number, (2) an Ohio driver’s license or state ID number, or (3) a copy of a form of a current photo ID, including a driver’s license, state ID card, U.S. passport, or U.S. military ID Card.
  • Provisional Ballots: Voter ID in Ohio – Ballotpedia
    • Voters in Ohio are given provisional ballots under the following circumstances.
      • (1) If the voter’s name does not appear on the poll list for that precinct or an election official asserts a voter is ineligible to vote or is unable to determine his or her eligibility, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
      • (2) If the voter does not have the proper form of photo identification, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
      • (3) If the voter’s name appears on the official poll list as having requested an absentee ballot, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
      • (4) If the voter “is marked on the poll list or signature book with a notation that certain registration mailings have been returned as undeliverable”, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
      • (5) If the voter’s “registration has been challenged and/or a hearing on a challenge to your eligibility as an elector has been postponed until after Election Day”, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
      • (6) If the voter’s signature does not match the signature on the registration form, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
    • A provisional ballot is rejected in the following circumstances:
      • If the voter is not registered;
      • If the voter was not eligible to vote in that precinct or for that election. Voters who cast a ballot at a polling place with multiple precincts and cast a ballot at the incorrect precinct after not being directed to the correct precinct will have their vote counted;
      • If the voter did not provide the required information;
      • If the voter already voted;
      • If the voter failed to provide any additional information required within the curing period (4 days after the election);
      • If the voter did not provide proper identification;
      • If the voter’s information does not match the information in the voter registration database; or
      • If the voter’s date of birth is different from the date of birth in the voter’s registration.
  • SB 293: Dec. 19 2025
    • Gov. Mike DeWine signed SB 293 on December 19, 2025. The bill contains a provision requiring voters whose date of birth, ID number, or Social Security number does not match what is in state or federal databases to vote via provisional ballot unless they address the mismatch. Voters who present an ID indicating they are not a U.S. citizen must also cast a provisional ballot if they cannot provide proof of citizenship at the polls. A person must provide proof of citizenship within four days of the election for their provisional ballot to be counted.
  • Religious Objections:
    • If a voter does not have a photo ID because of a religious objection to being photographed, give the voter an Affidavit of Religious Objection (Form 12-O). This may occur either when the voter casts the provisional ballot or at the office of the board by the fourth day after Election Day. PEOs must attach the affidavit to the provisional ballot affirmation.
  • No Identification:
    • If a voter is unable to provide photo identification, they must be provided with a provisional ballot. In order for the provisional ballot to be eligible to be counted, the voter must present one of the acceptable forms of identification to the board office within four days after Election Day for their vote to be counted.
      • Link: Voter Identification Requirements in Ohio
• Access to Polling Locations
  • The Board of Elections shall provide a polling place for each precinct and “adequate facilities at each polling place” for an election. The Board of Elections should use, as long as practicable, “rooms in public schools and other public buildings for polling places.” The board must also ensure polling places are “free of barriers that would impede…persons with disabilities,” have adequate parking locations for people with mobility disabilities, have entrances with a “nonskid” ramp that meets requirements in the Americans with Disabilities Act, and have doors that are a minimum 32 inches wide. Curbside voting is permitted for any voter who “is physically unable to enter the polling place.”
  • Curbside Voting Guidance:
    • Guidance-for-Poll-Workers-on-Curbside-Voting.pdf
  • Polling Place Accessibility Checklist:
    • Polling Place Accessibility Checklist
  • Accessible Parking Guide:
    • ada-parking-guide.pdf
  • Precincts, Polling Locations, and Precinct Election Officials:
    • dir2026-08-ch06.pdf
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • An individual “who pleads guilty to a felony under [any state or federal law] and whose plea is accepted by the court or a person against whom a verdict or finding of guilt for committing a felony” is rendered loses their right to vote (unless the plea, verdict, or finding is reversed or annulled). An individual convicted of a felony may register to vote once they have been “granted parole, judicial release, or a conditional pardon or [are] released under a non-jail or community control sanction or a post-release control sanction.” This means that individuals on parole or probation can vote. A full pardon of a person who is ineligible to vote because of a felony conviction restores that individual’s voting rights.
  • Can Felons Vote in Ohio?
    • Can Felons Vote in Ohio? – FindLaw
  • 201: Forfeiture of rights and privileges by convicted felons
    • Section 2961.01 – Ohio Revised Code | Ohio Laws
• Disinformation Campaigns
  • Although Ohio has not enacted legislation addressing election disinformation generally, House Bill 410 from the 135^th general assembly shows Ohio is still considering implementing disinformation laws regarding AI technology. The bill would have prohibited the dissemination of AI-generated deepfakes intended to influence the outcome of an election unless the content includes specified disclosures identifying it as artificially generated or manipulated. The legislation would have also make it unlawful to distribute such content within 90 days of an election and would create a private cause of action allowing individuals harmed by the dissemination of the content to pursue civil remedies. The bill failed before the 135^th general assembly and has not been reintroduced.
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Any qualified voter can vote by mail.
  • ID Requirement: Voters are not required to provide an ID when requesting an absentee ballot or returning a completed ballot, but must provide either (1) the last four digits of their social security number, (2) an Ohio driver’s license or state ID number, or (3) a copy of a form of a current photo ID, including a driver’s license, state ID card, U.S. passport, or U.S. military ID card.
  • Timing and Process: The deadline to submit an absentee ballot application is the close of business on the seventh day before election day.
    • The Ohio General Assembly enacted Senate Bill 293 in 2025, eliminating Ohio’s four-day grace period for absentee ballots. Beginning in 2026, absentee ballots generally must be received by the close of polls on Election Day to be counted, regardless of when they were mailed. This has the potential to disproportionately effect military personal, elderly, and disabled people who often rely on this form of voting.
  • Other: Voters can request an absentee ballot on January 1 or 90 days before an election (whichever is earlier). Voters must request an absentee ballot for each separate election. An individual may not assist a voter in submitting their absentee ballot unless that person is an immediate family member of the voter, or the voter is disabled.
  • Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s 2024 Directive 2024-21 restricted the use of absentee-ballot drop boxes by requiring individuals returning ballots on behalf of others to complete an attestation inside a board of elections office. The Ohio Supreme Court declined to invalidate the directive in State ex rel. Ohio Democratic Party v. LaRose, 2024-Ohio-4953.

Pennsylvania redraws its state legislative districts every 10 years after the census through the Legislative Reapportionment Commission, which includes four legislative leaders and a chair selected by the members or appointed by the state Supreme Court. Congressional redistricting also occurs every 10 years through the legislative process. The current congressional map was established following a 2022 Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision. In 2025, Pennsylvania chose not to pursue mid-decade redistricting.

Pennsylvania meets all seven of the criteria. In addition, it has an annual absentee voter list where any voter can automatically receive absentee ballots for every election.

For more information on voting in Pennsylvania, visit www.vote411.org/pennsylvania.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Pennsylvania

• Early Voting
  • Early in-person mail ballot voting begins as early as 50 days before an election, depending on the county, and ends the first Tuesday before Election Day. Early voters may turn in their mail ballot to their local county election office or any other officially designated location.
• Voter ID
  • Pennsylvania does not require most voters to show ID to vote in person. However, Pennsylvania requires voters that are voting for the first time or for the first time or for the first time at a polling place to present photo or non-photo ID. Acceptable forms of ID include a Pennsylvania driver’s license or PennDOT ID card, ID issued by any Commonwealth agency, ID issued by the U.S. Government, U.S. passport, U.S. military ID, student ID (including an electronic/digital student ID card), or employee ID. Voters that do not have a photo ID can use a non-photo ID to vote if it includes their name and address, such as a confirmation issued by the county voter registration office (e.g., voter registration card), non-photo ID issued by the Commonwealth or U.S. Government, current utility bill, current bank statement, government check, or paycheck.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • The county Board of Elections select polling places within each election district and may change the location of a polling place at any time (after providing notice of a change). Wherever possible, the county board should select schools, municipal buildings, or other public buildings as polling locations. The county board must “make every effort to select polling places that provide all electors with an environment that is free from intimidation and violence.” The county board may exercise discretion to provide mobile polling places for any or all election districts. Temporary polling places are permissible if “no proper polling place can be obtained” in an election district. While voting is occurring at the polling place, only ten (10) voters are allowed inside the polling place at a time. All others waiting to vote must stand outside the voting area.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • In Pennsylvania, only individuals currently incarcerated or those who have violated the Pennsylvania Election Code within the past four years are prohibited from voting. Misdemeanor convictions, unless accompanied by current incarceration, have no effect on the ability to register to vote unless the misdemeanor was a violation of the Pennsylvania Election Code. Individuals who have been released from incarceration and those whose Pennsylvania Election Code violations occurred more than four (4) years are automatically eligible to vote; they need only register to vote. Nonincarcerated individuals living in a halfway house or alternative correctional facility may not use a correctional facility or halfway house as their residential address for voter registration purposes. However, they may use them as the mailing address for receiving a mail ballot.
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Pennsylvania voters may vote by mail or by absentee ballot.
    • Mail-in Ballot: A voter does not need an excuse to vote by mail. The voter must sign the mail in ballot application for it to be valid. A voter may request to be placed on an annual mail ballot list at any time.
    • Absentee Ballot: A voter must have an excuse to vote with an absentee ballot. The following voters may vote absentee: (1) registered voters who are unable to go to the polls any primary or election day because of illness or physical disability, (2) registered voters who expect to be absent from the state or their municipality of residence because “duties, occupation or business requires them to be elsewhere on the day of any primary or election,” (3) a county employee who cannot vote due to their duties relating to the conduct of election, (4) a person who cannot go to the polls because they are observing a religious holiday, (5) military service members regardless of whether they will be absent from the county on Election Day, and (6) spouses or dependents of military service members if that individual will be absent on Election Day.
  • ID Requirement: Voters must provide a current and valid Pennsylvania driver’s license or PennDOT photo ID card number, or the last four digits of their social security number to request an absentee or vote by mail ballot. If a voter does not have any of those numbers, they can provide a copy of a photo ID, including a U.S. passport, military ID, an employee ID issued by the federal, state, or local government, a photo ID issued by a Pennsylvania care facility, or a photo ID issued by a Pennsylvania private or public college.
  • Timing and Process: The deadline for mail-in and absentee ballot applications to be received is 5 p.m. on the Tuesday before Election Day. A voter may apply online, by mail, or at their local county election office. A voter must return and have their absentee/mail ballot received before 8 p.m. on Election Day via mail or in person to county board of election offices.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster (R) called a special session on May 15, 2026 to conduct congressional redistricting. The State House of Representatives passed a map that would have eliminated the only congressional district held by a Democrat, but the State Senate declined to vote on the map until the next legislative session, citing that early voting had already begun.

South Carolina meets five of the seven criteria. The state has some restrictive vote by mail policies, including requiring voters to provide an excuse to vote by mail and requiring a witness to sign the completed ballot. Anyone who is aged 18 or older can witness your signature.

For more information on voting in South Carolina, visit www.vote411.org/south-carolina.

Additional Information on South Carolina’s Voting Laws

• Early Voting
  • South Carolina Code § 7-13-25(E) requires a two-week early voting period from Monday through Saturday for the two-week period immediately before an election.
    • South Carolina Code § 7-13-25(F)(1) mandates for statewide general elections; that counties must keep early voting centers open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for statewide general elections. South Carolina Code § 7-13-25(F)(4) provides that counties are not allowed to open early voting centers on Sundays or holidays.
  • South Carolina Code § 7-13-25(C) permits voters to vote at any early voting center in their county.
    • South Carolina Code § 7-13-25(G) provides that the county Boards of Registration and Elections determine early voting locations, but the Executive Director of the State Election Commission “may, at his discretion, direct the move of early voting centers to ensure proper distribution throughout each county.”
• Voter ID
  • South Carolina Code § 7-13-710 provides that a voter is required to present a valid photo ID to vote in person. These include (1) a South Caroline driver’s license; (2) other photographic identification issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles; (3) passports; (4) photographic military identification issued by the Federal Government; or (5) a photographic South Carolina voter registration card. A student ID is not a permissible form of voter ID.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • South Carolina assigns voters to polling places established under state election law and county administration. Voters generally must vote at their designated polling place on Election Day unless they are voting during the state’s early voting period.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • Individuals who have been convicted of felonies or misdemeanors involving violations of election law are not eligible to vote until they have served their sentence, including probation and parole County boards may determine what an individual is required to show when registering to vote, which may include proof that the individual has completed their sentence.
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Voters need an excuse to vote-by-mail. The excuses to vote by mail include (1) Persons with employment obligations which prevent them from voting during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on election day; (2) Persons attending a sick or physically disabled person which prevents them from voting during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on election day; (3) Persons confined to a jail or pretrial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial which prevents them from voting during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on election day; (4) Persons who will be absent from their county of residence during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on election day; (5) Persons with physical disabilities; (6) Persons sixty-five years of age or older; (7) Members of the Armed Forces and Merchant Marines of the United States, their spouses, and dependents residing with them; (8) Persons admitted to a hospital as an emergency patient on the day of the election or within a four-day period before the election.
  • ID Requirement: Voters do not need to provide a copy of their photo ID to request an absentee ballot but must provide the last four digits of their social security number, name and date of birth. Voters may return their ballots by mail or in person to an election office, and must present valid identification, such as a driver’s license, passport, state voter registration card, when returning their ballot.
  • Timing and Process: Requests for absentee ballots by voters who are eligible to vote-by-mail may be made anytime during the calendar year of the election. A voter or their immediate family member may request a voter’s absentee ballot in person, by telephone, or mail from the county board. The absentee-ballot application must be returned by 5:00 p.m. on the eleventh day before the election. Completed absentee ballots must be received by the county voter registration and elections office no later than 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.
  • Other: As required by South Carolina Code § 7-15-220(A), a voter must have their absentee ballot witnessed by an individual over the age of eighteen; the witness must include their address and printed name. According to South Carolina Code § 7-15-385(B), a voter can also authorize a member of their immediate family to return their completed ballot in the return-addressed envelope, but the voter must complete an “authorization form” from the State Election Commission that the immediate family member submits when they return the voter’s ballot envelope. South Carolina Code § 7-15-385(D)(1) requires that immediate family member to present photo ID, and the county board will record the immediate family member’s information when they return the ballot. South Carolina Code § 7-15-330(A)(4) provides that if an individual is an authorized representative or an immediate family member, they cannot request more than five absentee ballots on behalf of other voters (in addition to their own ballot) nor can they return more than five ballots.
  • If a voter opts to return their ballot in person to their county voter registration office or an early voting center, they must present photo identification including (1) a driver’s license issued by a state within the United States; (2) Another form of identification containing a photograph issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles or its equivalent by a state within the United States; (3) Passport; (4) Military identification containing a photograph issued by the federal government; (5) South Carolina voter registration card containing a photograph of the voter.

Texas adopted a new congressional map in 2025 that will be used for the 2026 elections. The map was challenged in court after a three-judge panel found that it was likely an unconstitutional racial gerrymander and blocked it in November 2025. The U.S. Supreme Court put that decision on hold in December 2025 and later overturned it in April 2026, allowing the new map to remain in place. The map redraws five districts currently held by Democrats that include significant numbers of Black voters and other voters of color.

Texas meets four of the seven criteria. The state has some restrictive vote by mail policies, including requiring voters to provide an excuse to vote by mail and requiring voters to include a copy of their ID in order for their application to be valid.

For more information on voting in Texas, visit www.vote411.org/texas.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Texas

• Redistricting
  • In 2025, the Texas Legislature conducted a mid-decade redistricting of the state’s U.S. House districts during a special legislative session through H.B. 4, which the Texas House passed on August 20, the Senate approved on August 23, and Governor Greg Abbott signed into law on August 29. At enactment, Republicans held a 25–13 advantage in Texas’s congressional delegation, and analysts projected that the new map could yield as many as 30 Republican-leaning seats among the state’s 38 districts. The map was challenged in federal court, and on November 18, 2025, a three-judge panel blocked it as a likely racial gerrymander; however, the Supreme Court stayed the injunction in December 2025 and reversed the district court in April 2026, leaving the 2025 map in effect for the 2026 elections.
• Early Voting
  • Counties must hold early voting beginning 17 days prior to Election Day through the fourth day before Election Day between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. for at least a 9-hour period. For runoff elections, early voting begins on the tenth day before the election.
  • In 2025, Texas passed S.B. 2753 which offers twelve days of early voting, starting on a Thursday and running up to the day before election day. The legislation allows for two weekends of early voting and increases Sunday voting hours from six hours per day to nine. Counties have until August 1, 2027, to transition to the new system.
  • In 2023, Texas passed H.B. 1217 allowing all counties, regardless of population, to offer extended weekend early voting hours. Counties must offer early voting on the last Saturday and Sunday before Election Day for elections involving state and county officers.
  • Counties must hold early voting at a main early voting polling place, at which all voters in the county can vote. Counties also must establish additional temporary branch locations for early voting depending on population thresholds. B. 1217 also requires counties to hold extended weekend early voting at temporary branch locations.
• Voter ID

• • A voter must present an acceptable photo ID when voting in person. Texas accepts seven forms of ID for voting: (1) Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS); (2) Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS; (3) Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS; (4) Texas Handgun License issued by DPS; (5) United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph; (6) United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph; (7) United States Passport (book or card). Student identification cards are not accepted.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • In 2023, Texas passed S.B. 924, which limits counties with small numbers of voters from combining precincts.
  • In 2021, Texas passed S.B. 1 banning mobile polling locations and “drive-by voting,” so no voters can vote from their car except in limited circumstances for physically disabled or ill voters. S.B. 1 also banned 24-hour voting locations.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • The Texas Constitution bars “persons convicted of any felony” from voting but permits the legislature to make exceptions to this ban. Texas law requires an individual who has been convicted of a felony to be “fully discharged” from their sentence (including incarceration, parole, supervision, or court-ordered probation) to be eligible to vote. Texas does not make it clear what satisfies “fully discharged,” but payment of fines and fees is required to be released from supervision. Alternatively, if a convicted felon receives a pardon from the Governor, their voting rights are immediately restored.
• Disinformation Campaigns
  • Texas Election Code § 255.004(a) prohibits any person from printing, publishing, or broadcasting political advertising or campaign communication that “purports to emanate from a source other than its true source” with the intent to injure a candidate or influence the election.
  • Texas Election Code § 255.004(d) further prohibits creating and publishing a deepfake video within 30 days of an election with the intent to injure a candidate or influence the election. A deepfake is defined under the law as “a video, created with the intent to deceive, that appears to depict a real person performing an action that did not occur in reality.”
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: A voter must satisfy one of the following excuses to vote by mail: (1) the voter will be absent from their county of residence on election day and during the regular early voting hours; (2) the voter has an illness or disability which means they cannot make it to the polling location without help; (3) the voter is 65 years or older on Election Day; (4) the voter is in jail for a misdemeanor sentence that ends on or after Election Day, is pending trial with no bail, pending an appeal of a felony conviction without bail, or pending trial or an appeal for which release on bail is unlikely before Election Day, but is otherwise eligible to vote; or (5) the voter is expected to give birth within three weeks of election day.
  • ID Requirement: To vote by mail, voters need to include one of the following in their ballot application: (1) Texas Driver’s License; (2) Texas Personal identification Card; (3) Texas Election ID Certificate; or (4) Social Security Card. In the space provided, ensure to include (1) your driver’s license number, election identification certificate or personal identification card issued by the Texas DPS or (2) the last four digits of your Social Security Number or (3) a statement that you have not been issued a number described by (1) or (2). Disabled voters or voters over sixty-five may use a single “annual application” for all county elections during a calendar year.
  • Timing and Process: A voter must return their absentee ballot application directly to a clerk, either in person, by mail, e-mail with a scanned document, or by fax at least 11 days before Election Day (unless the 11th day falls on a weekend or holiday). Because the application must be delivered directly to the clerk through one of these authorized methods, application drop boxes are not permitted.
  • Other: Required by Texas Election Code 84.001(b) and Texas Election Code § 86.005(c); voters must sign their absentee ballot applications and their absentee ballots with handwritten signatures. Texas Election Code § 87.027 (a-1) states that Texas may conduct signature matching, which is conducted by a signature verification committee, who compares the voter’s signature on the ballot envelope with the voter’s signature on their absentee ballot application.

Virginia continues to use the congressional map adopted after the 2020 Census. In 2026, voters approved a proposal that would have allowed the state to redraw its congressional districts before the next census. However, the Supreme Court of Virginia later ruled it unconstitutional, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to overturn that decision. As a result, Virginia’s existing congressional map remains in place.

Virginia meets six of the seven criteria. The state has a permanent absentee voter list where any voter can automatically receive absentee ballots for every election.

For more information on voting in Virginia, visit www.vote411.org/virginia.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Virginia

• Early Voting
  • Early voting runs from the 45th day before an election until 4 p.m. on the Saturday before an election. Early voting is held during regular business hours on weekdays and between 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on the two Saturdays before an election. County and city electoral boards may elect to offer in-person voting on Sundays. Early voting takes place at the office of the general registrar or additional voter satellite offices established by the governing body of any city or county.
• Voter ID
  • Virginia’s voter identification requirements have evolved to allow voters to verify their identity using several forms of identification, including Virginia accepts several acceptable forms of ID, including voter confirmation documents, a valid Virginia driver’s license, valid U.S. passport, any student ID from a Virginia school, a student ID from any U.S. school with a photo of the voter, state ID, employee ID with a photo; or a copy of a government check, current paycheck, bank statement, or utility bill with the voter’s name and address. Virginia voters do not need to include a copy of their ID to request an absentee ballot or to vote by mail. However, if you registered to vote by mail and have not previously voted in a federal election in Virginia, you are required to include a copy of an acceptable form of identification with your mail-in ballot, unless you have already provided identification, a driver’s license number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number when registering to vote.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • The governing body of each county and city shall establish “as many precincts as it deems necessary” and one polling place for each precinct. Each polling place must be located in a public building where it is practical. Polling places must be accessible as required by the Virginians with Disabilities Act, the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Virginia also provides curbside voting for voters 65 and older or with a disability.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • Virginia’s Constitution permanently bars anyone with a felony conviction from voting, unless their rights have been restored by the Governor. Virginia is one of only three states “that permanently disenfranchises all people with felony convictions, unless the government approves individual rights restoration.” In 2021, then-Gov. Ralph Northam restored the voting rights of over 69,000 Virginians and “announced that going forward, any Virginian released from incarceration will qualify to have their rights restored, even if they remain on community supervision.” In 2023, Gov. Glenn Youngkin reversed this policy of automatic restoration and said that individuals must apply to have their rights restored and that the Governor will consider restoration on a case-by-case basis.
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Virginia has no-excuse absentee voting.
  • ID Requirement: Virginia voters generally do not need to include a copy of their ID to request an absentee ballot or to vote by mail—unless they are first time voters who have not previously voted in a federal election in Virginia. Voters must include the last four digits of their social security number on their vote-by-mail application.
  • Timing and Process: The deadline to return an absentee ballot application is 5:00 p.m. on the eleventh day before an election. The deadline to return an absentee ballot to a drop-off location is 7:00 p.m. on election day. Absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before election day and received before noon on the third day after an election.
  • Other: Voters may submit a vote-by-mail application for a single election or apply to join Virginia’s “Permanent Absentee Voter List”, which allows them to automatically receive absentee ballots for future elections in which they are eligible to vote.