Several times a year, the Brennan Center publishes a roundup of state voting legislation around the country. Since the 2020 election, this legislation has taken on new importance in state legislatures, with lawmakers aggressively attempting to limit voting access and roll back gains in turnout.
In 2024, at least 10 states enacted 19 restrictive laws. Overall, at least 317 restrictive bills were considered in 40 states. Since the 2020 presidential election, at least 30 states enacted 79 restrictive laws. Restrictive legislation makes it harder for eligible Americans to cast their ballots.
Since 2022, the Brennan Center has been tracking another category of legislation that subverts democracy: election interference legislation. These measures allow for partisan interference in elections or threaten the people and processes that make elections work. They stand to not only harm existing election administration, but they also undermine voters’ faith in the security of elections. So far this year, at least 2 states — South Dakota and Louisiana — have each enacted an election interference law. Overall, at least 60 election interference bills have been considered in 21 states. Since 2020, at least 15 states passed 33 election interference laws, with at least 31 interference laws in 14 states set to be in effect for a presidential election for the first time.
On the other hand, pro-voter legislators are seeking to expand access to the vote. Expansive laws have outpaced the number of restrictive laws passed. In 2024, at least 21 states enacted 32 expansive laws. Overall, at least 648 expansive voting bills were considered in 44 states and Washington, DC. At least 42 states plus Washington, DC, have enacted 172 expansive laws since January 2021.
