Absentee and Mail Voter Protection Act
Sponsored By: Senator Padilla, Alex [D-CA]
Introduced
Summary
Limits federal control over mail voting and national voter databases. The bill bars federal funds and the U.S. Postal Service from implementing Executive Order 14399 or similar orders, and it blocks federal creation or use of nationwide voter or citizenship databases for federal elections.
Show full summary
- States: Prevents federal agencies from forcing states to turn over statewide voter registration or citizenship lists and keeps list collection under state control.
- U.S. Postal Service: Stops the Postal Service from using federal funds to regulate the mailability of absentee and mail-in ballots or to determine who is eligible to vote by mail.
- Federal agencies and the Department of Justice: Prohibits federal funds for compiling national voter or citizenship databases, sharing statewide registration lists across agencies, performing matching activities with those lists, and for suing states to compel list production under certain civil rights or election laws.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
Ban federal voter databases and sharing
This bill would prohibit Federal agencies, including DHS, SSA, DOJ, and the U.S. Postal Service, from using federal funds to create a national voter registration database or a national citizenship database for Federal elections. It would also bar compiling citizenship lists or centrally collecting State voter or citizenship lists, and would forbid sharing statewide voter registration lists between Federal agencies or running data matches using any system of records. The bill would stop the Department of Justice from using federal money to sue States to force them to provide statewide voter lists under certain federal laws. It would define "agency" and "system of records" by reference to the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a). These rules would take effect upon enactment.
Limit federal role in mail voting
This bill would stop Federal agencies and the U.S. Postal Service from using federal money to regulate mail‑in or absentee ballots or to decide who may vote by mail. It would bar the Postal Service from using funds under 39 U.S.C. 2003 or 2011 for those activities. The bill would also repeal Executive Order 14399 and prohibit using federal funds to carry out that order or any similar order. These changes would take effect upon enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Padilla, Alex [D-CA]
CA • D
Cosponsors
Gary Peters
MI • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
IL • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Charles Schumer
NY • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD]
MD • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]
WI • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
CO • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
CT • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE]
DE • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
WA • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]
DE • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]
NV • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]
IL • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ]
AZ • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
NY • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]
NM • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
John Hickenlooper
CO • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
HI • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA]
VA • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ]
AZ • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]
ME • I
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Amy Klobuchar
MN • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]
NM • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
MA • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT]
CT • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA]
WA • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV]
NV • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
VT • I
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]
CA • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
NH • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]
MD • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA]
VA • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]
MA • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Peter Welch
VT • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]
RI • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Elissa Slotkin
MI • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
RI • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov