James Lankford (R-OK)
Ballots by Election Day Act
A Republican bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and 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
This bill is called the Ballots by Election Day Act. It amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to set a clear deadline for receiving absentee or mail-in ballots in Federal elections. Under the bill, these ballots must be received by the right election official by the time polls close on election day. States are prohibited from accepting or counting any absentee or mail-in ballot that arrives after the polls close. There is a specific exception to this deadline for ballots cast by absent uniformed services voters or overseas voters. The new rules apply to Federal elections held in 2027 and future years.
Yes
- Scored +5
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill explicitly provides an exception for uniformed services and overseas voters.
- Scored +3
Does this give the federal government more power?
The bill establishes a federal deadline for the receipt of ballots for all federal elections.
- Scored +1
Does this make elections run better?
The bill creates a uniform deadline for the receipt of ballots in federal elections.
The opposite· 3 of 4
- Scored -3
Does this protect the right to vote?
The bill implements stricter deadlines for ballot receipt which may disenfranchise voters who cannot mail ballots in time.
- Scored -3
Does this make casting a ballot easier in practice?
The requirement that ballots be received by polls closing may reduce overall access for voters relying on mail-in systems.
- Scored -2
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
Stricter deadlines may disproportionately affect low-income voters who may face more logistical challenges in returning mail-in ballots.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- There are no positive impacts for people explicitly found within the text of this bill.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- There are no negative impacts for people explicitly found within the text of this bill.
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.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make casting a ballot easier in practice? — The requirement that ballots be received by polls closing may reduce overall access for voters relying on mail-in systems. Does this protect the right to vote? — The bill implements stricter deadlines for ballot receipt which may disenfranchise voters who cannot mail ballots in time.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill explicitly provides an exception for uniformed services and overseas voters. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Stricter deadlines may disproportionately affect low-income voters who may face more logistical challenges in returning mail-in ballots.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill establishes a federal deadline for the receipt of ballots for all federal elections. Does this make elections run better? — The bill creates a uniform deadline for the receipt of ballots in federal elections. Does this leave more decisions to the states? — The bill limits state discretion regarding when they can accept mail-in ballots for federal elections.
- 8/6/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Mike LeeRepublican · Utah