# 119-s-5122: Inclusive Democracy Act of 2026

119-s-5122, Inclusive Democracy Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT); status introduced (as of 2026-08-13).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5122
- As of: 2026-08-13
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-5122
- Congress: 119
- Title: Inclusive Democracy Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-07-23
- Sponsor: Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-13

## Summary

**Prohibits withholding the right to vote in Federal elections because of a criminal conviction.** This bill would require states, courts, and carceral settings to notify people with convictions about preserved Federal voting rights, and to provide registration and absentee voting access.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Absentee mail voting and protections: benefit, medium. If enacted, incarcerated people who are registered to vote in Federal elections would be allowed to vote by mail. Facility heads would have to provide an absentee ballot application on request and send a completed application to the State election official within 2 days. Ballots to incarcerated vot…
- Easier voter registration in prisons: benefit, medium. If enacted, heads of carceral settings would have to offer the mail voter registration form when someone is booked and when they ask for it. Facilities would have to send completed forms to the State chief election official within 10 days. If a form is given within 5 days of a State registration de…
- Prison voter education and access: benefit, medium. If enacted, facilities would have to allow nonpartisan voter registration groups and candidates to bring in and hand out voting information. For in‑State Federal elections, materials must be allowed at least 60 days before the election. Facilities could not bar representatives just because they wer…
- New enforcement and private lawsuits: benefit, medium. If enacted, people who think the Act was violated could give written notice to the chief State election official or the Attorney General. If a violation is not fixed in 30 days, or in 10 days when it happened within 120 days before a Federal election, the person could go to court for declaratory or…
- Restore federal voting rights after conviction: benefit, medium. If enacted, the United States and each State could not deny a person's right to vote in Federal elections because of a criminal conviction. The bill would apply to convictions that happened before, on, or after the date of enactment. The law would also define who and what are covered, including whi…
- Notices and national outreach on voting: benefit, low. If enacted, States and Federal courts would have to give written notice at conviction that a conviction does not affect Federal voting rights. Within 90 days after enactment, probation, parole, and facility heads would have to notify people under their supervision or in custody about the change. Th…

## Related bills

- 119-s-4668: Protect College Sports Act of 2026
- 119-s-5071: Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2026
- 119-s-5022: Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act
- 119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act
- 119-s-5283: Momnibus Act
- 119-s-1507: Agriculture Resilience Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-5122 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5122)

## Related
- [119-s-4668: Protect College Sports Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4668)
- [119-s-5071: Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5071)
- [119-s-5022: Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5022)
- [119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2819)
- [119-s-5283: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5283)
- [119-s-1507: Agriculture Resilience Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1507)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5122 (as of 2026-08-13).