# 119-s-5271: A bill to amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require voters to provide photo identification.

119-s-5271, A bill to amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require voters to provide photo identification., is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Husted, Jon [R-OH] (R-OH); status in_committee (as of 2026-10-16).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5271
- As of: 2026-10-16
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-5271
- Congress: 119
- Title: A bill to amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require voters to provide photo identification.
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2026-08-05
- Sponsor: Sen. Husted, Jon [R-OH] (R-OH)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-16

## Summary

**This bill would create a nationwide photo ID requirement for federal elections.** It would apply to both in-person and non-in-person voting and adds rules on provisional ballots, acceptable IDs, and state support for copying IDs. - In-person voters would need to present a valid physical photo ID to receive a ballot. If they lack ID they could cast a provisional ballot but must show ID or submit a state affidavit of a religious objection within 3 days for an eligibility decision. - Mail and absentee voters would have to include a copy of a valid photo ID with their ballot or provide the last four digits of their Social Security number plus a state affidavit saying they could not obtain an ID after reasonable efforts. - States and local governments would be required, to the extent practicable, to offer free public access to devices that can copy or scan IDs at places like courthouses, libraries, or police stations. - Acceptable IDs would include state driver’s licenses, state ID cards, U.S. passports, military IDs, and Tribal government IDs. The bill also includes specific exceptions for absent uniformed services voters and other voters who by law vote without appearing in person.

## Cosponsors (2)

- Sen. Moody, Ashley [R-FL] (R-FL), 2026-08-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] (R-AK), 2026-08-07T00:00:00.000Z

## Votes

| Date | Chamber | Question | Result | Yea | Nay |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-08-08T04:36:00.000Z | senate | On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed S. 5271 | Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Rejected | 52 | 46 |

## Provisions PRIA read

- State help and agency guidance: benefit, low. This bill would require States to tell voter registration applicants about the photo ID rules when they register. Online registration systems would have to show the notice before you finish registering. States would, when practical, provide free public access to printers, copiers, and scanners at g…
- New photo ID required to vote: cost, high. This bill would require a photo ID to get a ballot in federal elections. The rule would take effect 1 day after enactment and apply to federal elections on or after that date. For in-person voting, you would need to show a valid physical photo ID to receive a ballot; if you do not, you could cast a…

## Related bills

- 119-s-524: Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025
- 119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-275: Veterans’ Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers (ACCESS) Act of 2025
- 119-s-3752: SAVE America Act
- 119-s-401: Fair Access to Banking Act

## Sources
- [119-s-5271 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5271)

## Related
- [119-s-524: Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-524)
- [119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1541)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-275: Veterans’ Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers (ACCESS)…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-275)
- [119-s-3752: SAVE America Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3752)
- [119-s-401: Fair Access to Banking Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-401)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5271 (as of 2026-10-16).