Andrea Salinas (D-OR)
Universal Right To Vote by Mail Act of 2025
A Democratic bill with 18 Democratic cosponsors · See all 18 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Universal Right To Vote by Mail Act of 2025 seeks to amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002. This bill aims to allow all eligible voters the option to vote by mail in Federal elections. It prohibits States from imposing additional conditions or requirements on an individual's eligibility to vote by mail, except for deadlines regarding requesting and returning ballots. Additionally, the bill establishes a process for election officials to notify voters of signature discrepancies or other ballot defects. These voters would then have a specific window of time to cure such issues to ensure their ballots are counted.
Yes· 3 of 9
- Scored +9
Does this make casting a ballot easier in practice?
By permitting mail-in voting for all federal elections, the bill makes casting a ballot easier for those with work or family commitments.
- Scored +8
Does this protect the right to vote?
The bill expands voting access by allowing all eligible voters to vote by mail in federal elections and provides a process to cure ballot defects.
- Scored +7
Does this make elections run better?
The bill improves the electoral process by establishing a standard notification and cure system for signature discrepancies or ballot defects.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Voting Accessibility: The bill allows all eligible voters to vote by mail in Federal elections, which helps those whose work, family, or other commitments make going to the polls difficult. (Section 2, Finding 2; Section 3(a))
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Increased Voter Participation: Providing the option to vote by mail can lead to higher voter participation. (Section 2, Finding 5)
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Reduced Waiting Times: Allowing more people to vote by mail can reduce the time people spend waiting in line at polling places. (Section 2, Finding 6)
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More Time for Decision Making: Voting by mail gives people more time to consider their choices, which is useful for complex ballot questions. (Section 2, Finding 4)
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Protection of Privacy: The bill addresses issues where voters currently have to provide personal information regarding health, travel, or religion to vote by mail. (Section 2, Finding 9)
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Opportunity to Fix Ballot Errors: The bill requires election officials to make a good faith effort to notify voters if there is a signature discrepancy or other defect in their mail-in ballot. This allows voters a chance to cure the issue so their vote is counted. (Section 3(b)(1) and (2))
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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State Deadline Restrictions: While the bill limits additional conditions, States are still permitted to impose deadlines for requesting and returning mail-in ballots. (Section 3(a))
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Risk of Uncounted Ballots: If a voter cannot cure a signature discrepancy or other defect within the three days following the State's deadline, their ballot will not be counted. (Section 3(b)(1) and (2))
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Deadline Exceptions: The opportunity to cure a ballot defect does not apply if the defect is the failure of the ballot to meet the applicable deadline for acceptance under State law. (Section 3(b)(2))
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would people over 65 be better off under this? — The ability to vote by mail provides convenience for seniors who may have difficulty traveling to polling places. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Mail-in voting reduces the potential burden of time and transportation costs for low-income voters. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill provides flexibility for middle-income workers who may have conflicting schedules on election day. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — The increased flexibility of mail-in voting can benefit younger voters with busy schedules. Would people in cities be better off under this? — Increased voting options may reduce waiting times at urban polling locations.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make casting a ballot easier in practice? — By permitting mail-in voting for all federal elections, the bill makes casting a ballot easier for those with work or family commitments. Does this protect the right to vote? — The bill expands voting access by allowing all eligible voters to vote by mail in federal elections and provides a process to cure ballot defects.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make elections run better? — The bill improves the electoral process by establishing a standard notification and cure system for signature discrepancies or ballot defects. Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The bill protects voter privacy by removing the need to provide personal reasons like health or travel plans to vote by mail.
- 8/31/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 8/20/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/15/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/18/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/3/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 8/26/2025
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 2/21/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 2/13/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 2/10/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/24/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
- 8 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Alma AdamsDemocrat · North Carolina
Wesley BellDemocrat · Missouri
Emanuel CleaverDemocrat · Missouri
André CarsonDemocrat · Indiana
Debbie DingellDemocrat · Michigan
Maxine DexterDemocrat · Oregon
Dwight EvansDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Shomari FiguresDemocrat · Alabama
Henry JohnsonDemocrat · Georgia
Seth MoultonDemocrat · Massachusetts
Kevin MullinDemocrat · California
Analilia MejiaDemocrat · New Jersey
Eleanor NortonDemocrat · District of Columbia
Mark PocanDemocrat · Wisconsin
David ScottDemocrat · Georgia
Lateefah SimonDemocrat · California
Rashida TlaibDemocrat · Michigan
Juan VargasDemocrat · California