Home > On Capitol Hill: Voting By Mail

On Capitol Hill: Voting By Mail

People For the American Way believes action by election officials to implement electoral reforms should be guided by four fundamental principles:

• The voting process must be uniform and nondiscriminatory;
• Voters must be able to independently and privately cast and verify their ballot;
• Any voting system must comply with national certification standards; and
• Voter confidence and reliability in the electoral process must be maintained.

The Universal Right to Vote by Mail Act of 2007 helps to fulfill these principles by giving every voter in the United States an equal opportunity to vote by mail, with uniform standards for all voters.

Understanding the Universal Right to Vote by Mail Act of 2007

Reasons Behind the Vote by Mail Act

• There is presently a disparity in rules and regulations pertaining to voting by mail in the states.
• This bill would serve to guarantee all individuals the right to vote by mail.
• It could possibly help increase civic participation by allowing those who may not otherwise have an opportunity to make it to the polls to vote.
• A recently conducted state poll shows that nearly 30% of voters said they would vote more often if given such an option. In fact, states that give voters the universal right to vote by mail experience up to 30% growth in the use of mail-in ballots.

What the Vote by Mail Act Does

• Requires states to allow any person eligible to vote in a federal election to have the opportunity to vote by mail.
• This does not make voting by mail mandatory for all electors, but it is an option provided for all people.
• Requires that this change be established by the federal elections of 2008.

Current Status in Congress

• The Universal Right to Vote by Mail Act of 2007 (HR 281) was introduced by Representative Susan Davis (D-53rd CA) on January 5, 2007. It currently has 76 cosponsors and awaits markup by the House Administration Committee.
• Representative Davis introduced a companion bill known as the Mail-In Ballot Tracking Act of 2007 (HR 1646) on March 22, 2007. This bill requires that states establish methods of tracking ballots sent out to voters who are voting by mail. This helps to ensure that all individuals who requested a ballot have a right to vote. H.R. 1646 would take effect in November 2010. It currently has 5 cosponsors and awaits markup by the House Administration Committee.
• Last October, the Committee held a 2-part hearing, "Expanding and Improving Opportunities to Vote by Mail or Absentee," which included the testimony of Representative Davis among several witnesses.

Updated February 28, 2008