# 119-hr-9873: Inclusive Democracy Act of 2026 119-hr-9873, Inclusive Democracy Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7] (D-MA); status introduced (as of 2026-08-13). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9873 - As of: 2026-08-13 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-hr-9873 - Congress: 119 - Title: Inclusive Democracy Act of 2026 - Status: introduced - Introduced: 2026-07-22 - Sponsor: Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7] (D-MA) - Cosponsors: 13 - Policy area: Government Operations and Politics - Touches household money: no - Last recorded action: 2026-08-13 ## Summary **The Inclusive Democracy Act of 2026 would restore federal voting rights for people with criminal convictions** and set clear rules so incarcerated people, and those on probation or parole, can register, receive absentee ballots, and get accurate voting information. - People with criminal convictions would be protected from denial of the right to vote in Federal elections, covering convictions before, on, or after enactment. These access rules would begin with the November 2026 Federal elections. - Carceral facilities and State election officials would have to offer the standard National Voter Registration Act form, transmit completed registrations within 10 days, accept electronic submissions, provide online and posted voting information, ensure timely transmission and prepaid postage for absentee ballots, and allow nonpartisan groups to register and educate incarcerated voters. - The Department of Justice could seek court orders and individuals could sue for violations. Remedies include a 30-day cure period and a 10-day cure when violations are close to an election, and incarcerated people could get immediate judicial relief for key denials like being blocked from registering or from receiving their ballot. ## Cosponsors (13) - Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5] (D-MO), 2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4] (D-GA), 2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12] (D-PA), 2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Mfume, Kweisi [D-MD-7] (D-MD), 2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z - Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5] (D-MN), 2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3] (D-IL), 2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7] (D-AL), 2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12] (D-CA), 2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20] (D-NY), 2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13] (D-MI), 2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Casar, Greg [D-TX-35] (D-TX), 2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12] (D-MI), 2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z ## Provisions PRIA read - Right to vote despite conviction: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would bar the United States and any State from denying or limiting a citizen's right to vote in Federal elections because of a criminal conviction. This protection would apply to convictions before, on, or after enactment and take effect upon enactment. Ambiguous parts of the A… - Absentee mail voting for incarcerated people: benefit, medium. If enacted, incarcerated people who are registered to vote would have the right to vote in Federal elections by absentee mail starting with the November 2026 elections. Facilities must provide absentee ballot applications on request and transmit completed applications within 2 days. Ballots to and… - Private and federal enforcement remedies: benefit, medium. If enacted, people harmed by violations could give written notice to the chief State election official or the Attorney General and sue if problems are not fixed. Generally a 30‑day cure period would apply, but it would be 10 days for violations within 120 days before a Federal election. Certain fai… - Notices and national voter outreach: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would require jails, prisons, probation, and parole offices to give written notice that convictions do not block Federal voting within 90 days of enactment. The Attorney General would publish guidance within 60 days and share it with corrections and election officials. The Elec… - Voter registration inside jails and prisons: benefit, low. If enacted, heads of carceral settings would have to offer the standard mail voter registration form at booking and on request. Incarcerated people could register using their last known home address or the facility address. Facilities must send completed forms to the State election official within… ## Related bills - 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026 - 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act - 119-hr-2045: Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2025 - 119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act - 119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025 - 119-hr-2086: Rights for the TSA Workforce Act ## Sources - [119-hr-9873 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9873) ## Related - [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877) - [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973) - [119-hr-2045: Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2045) - [119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-51) - [119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-20) - [119-hr-2086: Rights for the TSA Workforce Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2086) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9873 (as of 2026-08-13).