State Voting Laws

Several times a year, the Brennan Center publishes roundups 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 2023, lawmakers passed at least 17 restrictive laws in 14 states. Overall, at least 356 restrictive bills were introduced in 47 states. 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. In 2023, at least 6 states enacted 7 election interference laws. Overall, at least 86 election interference bills were introduced in 23 states.

On the other hand, pro-voter legislators are seeking to expand access to the vote. Expansive laws outpaced the number of restrictive laws passed. In 2023, at least 23 states enacted 53 expansive laws. Overall, at least 664 expansive voting bills were introduced in all 50 states.

Looking forward to 2024, at least 140 restrictive bills that were either pre-filed or carried over are up for consideration in 25 state legislatures this year. Further, at least 20 election interference bills that were pre-filed or carried over are before legislatures in 12 states. On the expansive front, at least 295 bills that were pre-filed or carried over are pending in 25 states. These numbers are comparable to the start of 2022, the last even-numbered year.