Vote by Mail Tracking Act
Sponsored By: Representative Mfume
In Committee
Summary
Trackable election mail is the goal. This bill would require mailed ballot envelopes to carry Postal Service barcodes or equivalent markings, meet USPS machineability and design rules, and show the Official Election Mail logo. It would apply to federal elections in 2026 and later.
Show full summary
- Voters: Voters would be able to check the delivery status of a mailed ballot using Postal Service tracking marks.
- Election officials: State and local election offices that furnish ballot envelopes would need to use envelopes that meet Postal Service design and machineability rules and include the Official Election Mail logo. The Postmaster General must provide annual guidance and tools to those offices by June 1.
- Military and overseas voters: Federal write-in absentee ballots under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act are excluded from these tracking and design requirements.
- Postal Service: The Postal Service would write regulations and provide the barcode and tracking tools or markings that entities must use.
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Trackable mail ballots for voters
If enacted, government entities that send ballots by mail would have to use envelopes that let the Postal Service track each individual ballot. Envelopes would need a Postal Service barcode or an equivalent tracking mark, meet Postal Service design and machineability rules, and show the Official Election Mail logo or its successor. The Postmaster General would have to provide the required information and tools, including how to generate the barcode, not later than June 1 of each year. The rule would apply to federal elections in 2026 and later and would not apply to Federal write-in absentee ballots under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 20303).
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Mfume
MD • D
Cosponsors
Sessions
TX • R
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Garcia (CA)
CA • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Fitzpatrick
PA • R
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Min
CA • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Bacon
NE • R
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Ciscomani
AZ • R
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Lynch
MA • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Johnson (GA)
GA • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Tonko
NY • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Evans (PA)
PA • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Craig
MN • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Tlaib
MI • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Budzinski
IL • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Deluzio
PA • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Lee (PA)
PA • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Mullin
CA • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Sykes
OH • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Ansari
AZ • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Simon
CA • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Scott (VA)
VA • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Bishop
GA • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Frost
FL • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Subramanyam
VA • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Latimer
NY • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Cleaver
MO • D
Sponsored 3/17/2026
Vindman
VA • D
Sponsored 2/9/2026
Pingree
ME • D
Sponsored 3/24/2026
Scanlon
PA • D
Sponsored 3/24/2026
McClain Delaney
MD • D
Sponsored 3/27/2026
Thanedar
MI • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.govTake It Personal
Get Your Personalized Policy View
Start a Free Government Policy Watch to see how policy affects your household, then upgrade to PRIA Full Coverage for year-round monitoring.
Already have an account? Sign in