Election legislation tracking: list of sub-topics
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Every bill in our database has been assigned at least one category tag. These tags help summarize the contents of a bill. For example, if a bill addresses early voting policy, the corresponding tag will appear alongside the bill. Complex bills (such as omnibus bills) may call for multiple tags. Below is a list of these tags and a brief description of each. Note that each tag belongs to a parent category, which describes a broader applicable policy area (e.g., the parent category for the "Absentee/mail-in voting eligibility" tag is "Absentee/mail-in voting").
Click a topic below to navigate to that section.
- Absentee/mail-in voting
- Alternative voting methods
- Audits and oversight
- Ballot access
- Ballot verification
- Ballots and voting materials
- Bills without substantive content
- Campaign finance
- Counting and certification
- Early voting (in-person)
- Election dates and deadlines
- Election Day voting
- Election funding
- Election officials and workers
- Election types and contest-specific procedures
- Enforcement and election fraud
- Legal conflicts and litigation
- Offices
- Redistricting
- Voter assistance
- Voters and voter qualifications
- Voter registration and list maintenance
- Voting equipment
- Voting security
Absentee/mail-in voting
- Absentee/mail-in ballot administration: Any bill concerning the administration of the absentee/mail-in voting process, such as dates for transmitting ballots.
- Absentee/mail-in ballot deadlines: Any bill that changes the deadline for voters to request or return absentee/mail-in ballots.
- Absentee/mail-in ballot request processes: Any bill concerning the way in which voters can request or receive absentee/mail-in ballots.
- Absentee/mail-in ballot return processes: Any bill that changes how voters can return absentee/mail-in ballots. This category does not include bills related to third-party ballot collection (see “ballot collection”).
- Absentee/mail-in voting eligibility: Any bill that either expands or restricts absentee/mail-in voting eligibility, including any excuse requirement to vote by absentee/mail-in ballot.
- Automatic mail-in ballots: Any bill concerning an automatic mail-in ballot voting system in which officials automatically send mail-in ballots to all eligible voters.
- Drop-box availability: Any bill that regulates the allowance, availability, or placement of ballot drop-boxes.
- Permanent absentee/mail-in ballot lists: Any bill regarding the creation, maintenance, or elimination of a permanent absentee/mail-in voter list.
Alternative voting methods
- Online voting: Any bill that addresses internet voting.
- Proportional representation voting: Any bill addressing proportional representation voting. Under this system, the number of votes a party’s candidates win in an election determines the number of seats that party will control in the legislature.
- RCV - Allow RCV: Any bill allowing (but not requiring) the use of ranked-choice voting in one or more elections.
- RCV - Amends RCV laws: Any bill amending existing laws on ranked-choice voting (but not repealing or prohibiting ranked-choice voting in a place where it is already allowed or required).
- RCV - Prohibit RCV: Any bill prohibiting ranked-choice voting in one or more elections.
- RCV - Repeal RCV: Any bill repealing existing laws requiring or allowing ranked-choice voting in one or more elections.
- RCV - Require RCV: Any bill requiring the use of ranked-choice voting in one or more elections.
- RCV - Study RCV: Any bill commissioning a study of ranked-choice voting.
- RCV - Federal elections: Any bill concerning the use of ranked-choice voting in federal-level elections.
- RCV - State elections: Any bill concerning the use of ranked-choice voting in state-level elections.
- RCV - Local elections: Any bill concerning the use of ranked-choice voting in local-level elections.
- RCV - Executive branch elections: Any bill concerning the use of ranked-choice voting in executive branch elections.
- RCV - Legislative branch elections: Any bill concerning the use of ranked-choice voting in legislative branch elections.
- RCV - Judicial branch elections: Any bill concerning the use of ranked-choice voting in judicial branch elections.
- RCV - Primaries: Any bill concerning the use of ranked-choice voting in primaries.
- RCV - General elections: Any bill concerning the use of ranked-choice voting in general elections.
- RCV - Statutory changes: Any bill concerning the use of ranked-choice voting that would be implemented through state statute.
- RCV - Constitutional amendment: Any bill concerning the use of ranked-choice voting that would be implemented through a constitutional amendment.
- RCV - Voter approval: Any bill concerning the use of ranked-choice voting that would require voter approval to take effect.
- RCV - Top-three primary: Any bill concerning ranked-choice voting in a primary election in which the top three vote-getters advance to the general election.
- RCV - Top-four primary: Any bill concerning ranked-choice voting in a primary election in which the top four vote-getters advance to the general election.
- RCV - Top-five primary: Any bill concerning ranked-choice voting in a primary election in which the top five vote-getters advance to the general election.
- RCV - Single winner: Any bill concerning ranked-choice voting in an election in which the one candidate who receives the greatest number of votes is elected to a single office.
- RCV - Multiple winners: Any bill concerning ranked-choice voting in an election in which more than one candidate is elected to a single office.
- RCV - Proportional winners: Any bill concerning a ranked-choice voting election that uses a proportional system in which a candidate must reach a predetermined threshold for victory (eg. 25% of first-ranked votes) after which no more ballots will be counted towards their election. Any remaining ballots that rank a candidate first that has already reached the threshold will have their next highest ranked vote for a remaining eligible candidate counted towards that candidate's election. This process repeats until the number of candidates equaling the seats up for election have reached the predetermined threshold and all seats have been filled.
- RCV - Absentee voting: Any bill regulating absentee voting in ranked-choice elections.
- RCV - Early voting: Any bill concerning the use of ranked-choice voting specifically for early voting.
- RCV - In-person voting: Any bill concerning the use of ranked-choice voting specifically for in-person voting.
- RCV - Military/overseas voting: Any bill regulating military or overseas voting in ranked-choice elections.
Audits and oversight
- Audits: Any bill that involves auditing election results and/or election processes, procedures, or election officials’ performance.
- Oversight and accountability: Any bill creating or modifying oversight authorities, investigatory or disciplinary review processes for state or local officials, or public reporting requirements.
- Poll observers: Any bill affecting poll observer training or qualifications, or affecting observer access to any part of the voting and canvassing process.
- States of emergency: Any bill affecting the modification of the times, places, or manner of elections during declared emergencies.
- Transparency: Any bill that affects the publication of election data, such as the posting of ballot images online or the publication of voter rolls.
Ballot access
- Ballot access for ballot measures (initiative and referendum): Any bill that affects the process by which ballot measures qualify for the ballot or changes procedural or documentation requirements. This applies to local initiatives, bond elections, referenda, and constitutional amendments.
- Ballot access for candidates: Any bill that affects the process(es) by which individual candidates file for placement on the ballot or changes procedural or documentation requirements.
- Ballot access for parties: Any bill that affects the process(es) by which political parties can be granted ballot status or changes procedural or documentation requirements.
- Personal qualifications for ballot access: Any bill that addresses personal (non-procedural) qualifications for ballot access, such as age or residency requirements.
Ballot verification
- Cure provisions: Any bill that creates, eliminates, or amends ballot curing provisions, including signature-matching requirements (see also: “Signature matching”).
- Driver's licenses for voter ID: Any bill related to the content or issuance of driver's licenses as used to verify a voter's identity for voting or registering to vote.
- In-person voter ID: Any bill that concerns voter identification requirements for in-person voting. This category does not include voter identification requirements for voter registration (see “Voter ID for registration”).
- Signature matching: Any bill that concerns a signature matching process for absentee/mail-in ballots.
- Voter ID for absentee/mail-in ballots: Any bill that concerns voter identification requirements for absentee/mail-in voting, including requiring identification when requesting an absentee/mail-in ballot. This category does not include voter identification requirements for voter registration (see “Voter ID for registration”).
- Voter ID for low-income voters: Any bill that concerns a program to provide free or low-cost identification to low-income voters.
- Voter ID for registration: Any bill that concerns identification requirements for registering to vote by mail.
- Witness or notary requirements: Any bill that requires absentee/mail-in voters to have their ballots witnessed or notarized to affirm the voter’s identity.
Ballots and voting materials
- Ballot design: Any bill concerning the design, form, or content of ballots, including the placement of candidates’ names on the ballot, straight-ticket voting, and official ballot measure summaries.
- Language accommodations: Any bill concerning the provision of language accommodation materials.
- Voting materials: Any bill concerning the form, content, or distribution of official voting materials—excluding ballots—such as registration forms, absentee/mail-in ballot applications, or voter guides.
Bills without substantive content
- Bills without substantive content: Any bill that does not contain substantive content. Such bills may be filed as placeholders at the beginning of a legislative session. If such bills are later amended with substantive provisions, they will be put in new categories.
Campaign finance
- Campaign finance for ballot measures: Any bill that creates, modifies, or repeals campaign finance regulations related to ballot measure campaigns.
- Campaign finance for candidates: Any bill that creates, modifies, or repeals campaign finance regulations related to candidate campaigns.
- Campaign finance for party committees and political action committees: Any bill that creates, modifies, or repeals campaign finance regulations related to party committees or political action committees.
- Campaign use of funds: Any bill that creates, modifies, or repeals regulations related to how campaigns may use contributions.
- Contribution limits: Any bill that creates, modifies, or repeals limits on how much individuals, organizations, corporations, or committees may contribute to political campaigns or committees.
- Disclosure and reporting requirements: Any bill that creates, modifies, or repeals requirements for campaign finance disclosure and reporting.
- Foreign contributions: Any bill that creates, modifies, or repeals campaign finance regulations related to contributions from foreign individuals or entities.
- Public campaign financing: Any bill that creates, modifies, or repeals public financing of campaigns.
- Use of public campaign funds: Any bill that regulates how campaigns use public funds.
Counting and certification
- Certification: Any bill affecting how election results are certified.
- Counting and canvassing procedures: Any bill concerning how ballots are processed, counted, and/or canvassed.
- Hand counting: Any bill that establishes or modifies requirements for hand counting ballots, not including hand counted audits.
- National Popular Vote Interstate Compact: Any bill intended to join or withdraw from the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
- Recounts: Any bill affecting how recounts and recanvasses are conducted.
- Reporting: Any bill affecting how election returns are posted, including measures establishing online dashboards or requiring that tallies be reported or updated at certain intervals or deadlines.
Early voting (in-person)
- Early voting administration: Any bill concerning early voting administration.
- Early voting duration: Any bill that sets or alters the duration of the early voting period, including early voting hours.
- Early voting eligibility: Any bill that either expands or restricts early voting eligibility, including any excuse requirement to vote early.
Election dates and deadlines
- Administrative deadlines: Any bill that changes an administrative deadline.
- Alignment of elections: Any bill that moves or allows jurisdictions to move elections to coincide with existing state and/or federal election dates, such as moving an election from odd- to even-year cycles or from spring dates to November.
- Ballot access deadlines: Any bill that changes a candidate or ballot measure access deadline.
- Election dates: Any bill that changes an election date.
- Voter participation deadlines: Any bill that changes a voter participation deadline (e.g., registration, absentee/mail-in ballot request, etc.).
Election Day voting
- Electioneering: Any bill that addresses attempts to influence voters, such as providing food or things of value to voters at polling places.
- In-person voting and polling places: Any bill that concerns the administration of in-person voting on Election Day.
- Provisional ballots: Any bill regarding provisional voting.
- Voter pictures of ballots: Any bill concerning whether voters may photograph their ballot or share ballot selfies.
Election funding
- Federal funding: Any bill that regulates how election officials may use grant funding provided by the federal government.
- Private funding: Any bill that deals directly with whether private funding can be used for election administration.
- Redistricting funding: Any bill that provides funding for redistricting.
- State appropriations: Any bill that appropriates tax dollars for election administration.
Election officials and workers
- Election officials: Any bill that sets requirements or regulations for state or local election officials.
- Election workers/volunteers: Any bill that sets regulations, qualifications, or training requirements for election workers or volunteers.
- Protections for election officials or workers: Any bill that concerns protections for election officials, workers, or volunteers, including bills that create penalties for intimidation, harassment, or other prohibited behavior.
Election types and contest-specific procedures
- Approval voting: Any bill that concerns approval voting, a system where voters may vote for as many candidates as they approve of, and the candidate (or candidates) that receives the most votes wins.
- Ballot measures and initiatives: Any bill that deals with ballot measures or initiatives, including requirements for how a measure appears on the ballot or election dates for ballot questions. (See also: Ballot access for ballot measures (initiative and referendum))
- Bond elections: Any bill concerning the administration of bond elections.
- Elections in specific jurisdictions: Any bill that concerns election administration in specifically named municipalities, jurisdictions, or special-purpose districts, including charter amendments.
- Indirect elections: Any bill that concerns a non-presidential election system where the popular vote is used to select electors who then vote to determine the winner of the election.
- Municipal election procedures: Any bill containing provisions exclusively related to the administration of municipal elections.
- Nominating caucuses or conventions: Any bill addressing local, state, or federal political party nominating caucuses or conventions.
- Party labels: Any bill that changes whether an office is elected on a partisan or nonpartisan basis, or otherwise changes whether or how party labels appear on the ballot, including cross-endorsement or fusion voting.
- Presidential elections: Any bill containing provisions exclusively related to presidential elections.
- Primary elections: Any bill that concerns the administration of primaries.
- Primary election types: Any bill modifying a state's primary election type or system, such as changes related to open, closed, or semi-closed primaries (including changing the date by which a voter must affiliate with a political party in order to participate in a primary) or changes related to plurality systems, majority systems, or top-two or top-four primaries.
- Recalls: Any bill that concerns recall elections.
- Retention elections: Any bill that concerns retention elections.
- Runoffs: Any bill that concerns runoff elections.
- School board elections: Any bill containing provisions exclusively related to school board elections.
- Special election procedures: Any bill that concerns the administration of special elections.
- Vacancy procedures: Any bill that deals with how vacancies are filled.
Enforcement and election fraud
- Enforcement against non-officials: Any bill concerning civil or criminal penalties associated with election fraud or other non-compliance on the part of a non-official.
- Enforcement against officials: Any bill concerning civil or criminal penalties associated with election fraud or other non-compliance on the part of an official.
Legal conflicts and litigation
- Conflicts between levels of government: Any bill that addresses conflicting election laws and procedures between one level of government and another.
- Legal causes of action: Any bill that regulates the filing of election-related or redistricting litigation.
- Legislative authority: Any bill that establishes a legislative right to intervene in election litigation, or to approve of settlements or consent decrees in election-related cases.
- Partisan gerrymandering: Any bill that creates, alters, or eliminates a cause of action for partisan gerrymandering.
- Post-election challenges: Any bill affecting the process for bringing or resolving post-election challenges.
Offices
- Elected official term length: Any bill that changes the term length of an elected public official, changing the frequency of elections for that office.
- Offices up for election: Any bill that creates or eliminates an elected public office or alters the number of seats in an elected governing body, changing the types or number of offices up for election. This includes bills that change a previously elected office to an appointed office, and vice-versa.
Redistricting
- Redistricting: Any bill that creates or alters district boundaries.
- Redistricting commissions: Any bill that creates, alters, or establishes a commission for reapportionment.
- Redistricting criteria/requirements: Any bill that creates or alters criteria for redistricting, such as contiguity, compactness, communities of interest, etc.
- Redistricting process: Any bill that alters the process by which district boundaries are drawn.
Voter assistance
- Absentee/mail-in voter assistance: Any bill that regulates the types of assistance available to individuals voting by mail.
- In-person voter assistance: Any bill that regulates the types of assistance available to individuals voting in person.
Voters and voter qualifications
- Mandatory voting: Any bill that establishes or modifies a mandatory/universal voting regime.
- Military/UOCAVA voting: Any bill addressing issues specifically arising from military or overseas voting.
- Noncitizen voting: Any bill addressing whether noncitizens may vote in elections within a state.
- Time off for voting: Any bill that addresses time off work for voting, or creates or eliminates a public holiday.
- Voter qualifications: Any bill concerning voter eligibility requirements, such as duration of residency, age, or mental status.
- Voting by felons or incarcerated individuals: Any bill that concerns voting by people convicted of a felony or incarcerated individuals.
- Youth voting: Any bill that lowers the voting age, or that permits minors to vote in primary or municipal elections so long as they are 18 by the next general election.
Voter registration and list maintenance
- Automatic voter registration: Any bill addressing the automatic registration of voters.
- Availability of state voter files: Any bill addressing the availability or cost of state voter files.
- Same-day/Election Day registration: Any bill addressing the ability of voters to register and vote on the same day.
- Voter list maintenance: Any bill that establishes or modifies processes for maintaining voter roll accuracy, addresses membership in an interstate program such as the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), etc.
- Voter registration: Any bill that deals with the voter registration process, including registration deadlines.
Voting equipment
- Digital/electronic voting: Any bill that regulates the use of digital/electronic voting.
- Testing and certification: Any bill that addresses pre- and post-election testing and certification of voting equipment.
- Voting equipment: Any bill that deals directly with voting equipment.
Voting security
- Ballot collection: Any bill that regulates, limits, or bans the collection of ballots by third parties.
- Chain of custody: Any bill that establishes or alters requirements for maintaining chain of custody for ballots.
- Cybersecurity: Any bill that establishes or alters requirements for cybersecurity of electronic election-related systems.
- Drop-box security: Any bill that sets or alters requirements for the physical security of drop boxes, such as requiring security cameras or in-person staffing.
- Physical security: Any bill affecting physical security requirements for facilities, equipment, or ballots, such as requiring escort of ballots during transport.
- Video surveillance: Any bill establishing video surveillance requirements for facilities, equipment, or ballots, including the installation of security cameras or the streaming of live feeds.
See also
- Ballotpedia's election legislation tracker
- Ballotpedia's The Ballot Bulletin
- Election laws and legislation in the United States
Footnotes
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