Policy Advocacy

Fair Elections Center works year-round to prevent policy makers from enacting barriers to voting, especially those that harm already-marginalized communities, including young people, the elderly, people of color, people with felonies, disabled people, or those who fall into some combination of those categories. We work with election officials throughout each year to guide best practices, advocate for adequate election resources, and introduce creative solutions to make voting more accessible.

Community Voter Registration Drives

Florida Anti-Voter Bill

Letter to the Florida Senate Committee on Appropriations in opposition to SB 524, which would make elections less accessible and less efficient (2022)

Maryland Pre-Registration (2024)

Testimony in support of Maryland HB 436 which would reduce the age at which an individual may preregister to vote, from sixteen years to fifteen years and nine months. Preregistration permits otherwise-eligible citizens who are not yet of voting age to complete a voter registration application and automatically be added to the state’s voter rolls when they turn 18. Such laws have been shown in other states to improve registration rates and to increase the likelihood that these young citizens will vote upon reaching voting age. These laws prepare our young people for a future with fewer barriers to vote, expand opportunities for teens to organize in their communities, and assist students in developing early voting habits that will last a lifetime. Michigan passed such a law last year. (2024)

Tennessee Third-party Voter Registration Assistance Restrictions

Testimony opposing Tennessee HB 1955, which inhibits third-party voter registration drives by imposing civil liability on third-party organizations for unintentionally permitting someone with certain felony convictions from handling voter registration applications and prohibits prefilling voter registration applications for prospective voters. (2024)

Early In-Person Voting

Minnesota College Campus Temporary Polling Locations (2024)

Testimonies in support Minnesota HF 3447/SF 3616, which would require county auditors to establish temporary polling locations on postsecondary instituion campuses when requested by the institution’s administration or the student government, making voting before election day more accessible to college students in Minnesota (2024).

Minnesota In-person Early Voting

Testimony supporting Minnesota HF 558, which would establish in-person Election Day-style early voting opportunities. (2023)

Ohio Voter ID Restrictions

Letter to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose expressing concern over the implementation of HB 458 (2023), and urging that his office takes lawful measures to reduce confusion during the early voting period prior to the law taking effect.

Pennsylvania Early Voting/Same Day Registration

This bill will allow lawfully registered Pennsylvania voters to vote early in person during the two weeks leading up to Election Day and make it easier for all eligible Pennsylvanians to register to vote by allowing in person voter registration at polling locations on Election Day. These two critical modernizations will make it more convenient for busy people who want to vote in person to cast their ballot, increasing voter participation, and strengthening our democracy. This is about ensuring all eligible Pennsylvanians have the opportunity to exercise their voting rights. (2024)

Texas A&M University Early Voting Site

Letter to the Brazos County, TX Election Administrator Urging Him to Designate an Early Voting Location on the Texas A&M University Campus (2022)

Texas A&M University Early Voting Site Removal

Letter to the Brazos County, TX Commissioners Court Opposing the Removal of an Early Voting Site at Texas A&M University (2022)

Virginia Campus Voting Sites

VA HB 941 would require registrars to establish satellite offices on public four-year campuses with enrollment of more than 3,000 students, which would have the effect of creating early voting (absentee-in-person) sites at each of those campuses.

Virginia Voter Satellite Offices (2024)

Testimony in support of Virginia HB 1490 which would give local governments more flexibility to establish additional voter satellite offices while protecting existing in-person voting access set out by the Virginia Code. The bill also provides that reductions in dates or hours cannot be enacted within 60 days of a general election. (2024)

Election Administration

Louisiana Federal Election Directive Implementation Restrictions

Letter requesting Governor John Bel Edwards of Louisiana to veto HB 260, which would require any election official to obtain permission from the Louisiana House and Senate Governmental Affairs Committees before implementing federal directives or guidance pertaining to elections that they do not have a strict legal requirement to implement. (2023)

Ending Voting Discrimination

John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (2024)

Statement in support of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act which will restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act, repairing damage done by the Supreme Court and modernizing the most successful civil rights law in history.

Maryland Language Access (2024)

Testimony in support of Maryland House Bill 563 which aims to widen the tent to cover more language-minority communities: HB 563 would lower the translation threshold for election materials from 5% to 2% (with at least 100 individuals) of the voting age population in a county or less than 2% but with at least 4,000 individuals. HB 563 also would correct for a gap in the federal language assistance coverage formula by not limiting its coverage to only the few language-minority groups identified in the Voting Rights Act coverage formula (American Indian, Asian American, Alaskan Natives, or of Spanish heritage). (2024)

Maryland Language Access (2025)

Fair Elections Center supports Maryland HB983, which would widen the tent to cover more language-minority communities.

Preventing Racial Discrimination in Virginia

Testimony in Support of Virginia HB 1890, Which Would Require Preclearance Prior to Implementation of Certain Covered Election-related Practices to Prevent Implementation of Racially Discriminatory Policies (2021)

Mail/Absentee Voting

Absentee Voting in Ohio During COVID-19 Pandemic

Testimony Opposing Ohio HB 680, Which Would Prohibit the Secretary of State from Sending Unsolicited Mail-in Ballot Request Forms (2020)

Florida Anti-Voter Bill

Letter to the Florida Senate Committee on Appropriations in opposition to SB 524, which would make elections less accessible and less efficient (2022)

Florida Election Efficiency Restrictions

Testimony Opposing Florida SB 90 Amendment 262784, Which Would Restrict Drop Box Availability for Mail Ballots (2021)

Florida Vote by Mail Restrictions

Testimony Opposing Florida SB 90, Which Would Require More Frequent Vote By Mail Applications, Limit Mail-in Ballot Assistance for Disabled and Limited-English-proficient Voters, and Ban Drop Boxes (2021)

Louisiana Absentee Ballot Restrictions

Testimony Opposing a Proposed Alteration to Louisiana Law That Would Change the Absentee Ballot Request Deadline From 4 Days to 15 Days Before an Election (2021)

Louisiana Mail Ballot Restrictions

Testimony Opposing Louisiana SB 144, Which Would Impact Voters With Disabilities by Restricting Who May Assist Voters in Returning Mail Ballots (2022)

Making Absentee Voting in Virginia More Accessible

Testimony Supporting Virginia SB 1097, Which Would Repeal the Witness Signature Requirement for Voted Absentee Ballots (2021)

Modernizing New Hampshire Absentee Voting and Registration

Testimony Supporting New Hampshire SB 47, Which Would Allow No-excuse Absentee Voter Registration and Voting (2021)

New Hampshire Absentee Voting

Testimony Opposing New Hampshire HB 292, Which Would Create Options to Provide Voter ID or Have a Ballot Notarized When Voting Absentee In Person, and Supporting HB 516, Which Would Establish No-excuse Absentee Voter Registration and Voting, and HB 144, Which Would Would Permit Those with Certain Disabilities to Vote Securely from Home. (2021)

New Hampshire Coronavirus Election Protection Act

Testimony Supporting an Amendment to New Hampshire HB 1672, Which Would Permit all New Hampshire Voters to Cast an Absentee Ballot (2020)

North Carolina Vote-By-Mail Ballot Restrictions

Testimony Opposing North Carolina SB 326, Which Would Shorten the Mail-in Ballot Return Deadline (2021)

Ohio Voter ID Restrictions

Letter requesting Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to veto HB 458, containing strict voter ID requirements among other restrictive measures (2023)

Ohio Voter ID Restrictions

Testimony Opposing Ohio HB 458, Which Would Establish Strict Voter ID Requirements Among other Restrictive Measures (2023)

Ohio Voting Restrictions

Testimony Opposing Ohio HB 294, Which Would Limit the Availability and Accessibility of Absentee Voting. (2022)

Virginia Absentee Ballot Restrictions

Testimony Opposing Virginia HB 2028 and HB 2209, Which Would Require Unnecessary Information From Absentee Ballot Witnesses to be Provided and Add a Signature Matching Requirement to Absentee Voting (2021)

Wisconsin Absentee Ballot Requirements

Testimony Opposing Wisconsin SB 935, Which Would Impose New and Needless Requirements for Absentee Ballot Certificate Envelopes (2022)

Pre-Registration

Maryland Pre-Registration (2024)

Maryland Pre-Registration (2025)

MD HB 153 would reduce the age at which an individual may preregister to vote, from sixteen years to fifteen years and nine months and improve the communications between county election offices and preregistered voters.

Michigan Pre-Registration

In May 2023, Fair Elections Center and its Campus Vote Project submitted testimony urging Michigan to pass HB4569, which would establish pre-registration for 16 and 17 year olds. In November of the same year, Michigan signed into law HB 4569, taking an important step to increase youth voter turnout and engagement. The bill was signed as part of a larger set of reforms aimed at reducing barriers to voting in the state.

Minnesota Preregistration

Testimony in support of Minnesota HF 110, which would permit those at least 16-years-old but not yet 18 who otherwise meet the eligibilibility criteria to register to vote to preregister. (2023)

Residency Requirements

Georgia Domicile Requirements for the U.S. Senate Runoff Election

Letter to Georgia Secretary of State Urging Him to Clarify An Incorrect Interpretation of the Georgia Domicile Requirements for Voting (2020)

Iowa Voter ID

Letter to the Iowa Legislature Urging Them to Fix Irrational Proof of Residence Requirements for Voting (2019)

New Hampshire Residency Requirements

Testimony Supporting New Hampshire SB 67, Which Would Repeal a Post-Election Motor Vehicle Related Poll Tax (2019)

Same Day Voter Registration

New Hampshire Same Day Registration and Right to a Secret Ballot

Letter Opposing New Hampshire SB 418, Which Would Prevent Voters From Proving Identity, Citizenship, or Domicile Via Sworm Affidavit for Purposes of Registering and Voting (2022)

New Hampshire Student Voter Registration and Voting

Testimony Opposing New Hampshire SB 418, Which Would Make it Harder for Students to Register and Vote a Regular Ballot by Effectively Ending Same-day Registration and Prohibiting Voters Who Lack Photo ID from Having Their Ballot Counted (2022)

North Carolina Same Day Registration Identification Requirements

Testimony opposing North Carolina SB 747, which would, among other things, impose burdensome identification requirements for those registering to vote and casting a ballot in the same day. (2023)

Pennsylvania Early Voting/Same Day Registration

Restricting New Hampshire Students from Participating in Democracy

Testimony Opposing New Hampshire HB 362, Which Would Prevent Students from Claiming Domicile for Voting Purposes in their College Town or Proving Domicile with a College or University Address (2021)

Student Voting

Florida Omnibus Anti-Voter Bill

HB 1381 is an omnibus (multi-issue) anti-voter bill which among other things adds documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote, shortens the list of accepted voter IDs for voting including taking student ID off the list, adds harmful data sharing and list maintenance provisions, and adds a requirement of marking citizenship status on driver licenses & identification cards.

For the People Act of 2021

With the introduction of the For the People Act in the U.S. Senate (S. 1), Congress is one step closer to protecting the most sacred tenet of our democracy, the right to vote. The bill is a sweeping reform package that will strengthen that hallowed right to vote, especially in Black, brown and indigenous communities, as well as for the elderly and students.

Maryland Pre-Registration (2024)

Minnesota College Campus Temporary Polling Locations (2024)

Minnesota Student Voter Registration

Testimony Supporting Minnesota HF 495, Which would require postsecondary institutions enrolling attendees receiving state financial aid to provide the necessary residential information to election officials for use in the election day voter registration of qualifying students. (2023)

New Hampshire Ballot Language Access

Letter to the New Hampshire House Election Law Committee, in support of HB 1442, which would improve language access for some voters whose first language is not English; and in opposition to HB 1522, which would would hurt student voters by removing the option to register and cast a regular ballot by signing an affidavit, and HB1567, would allow any registered voter to sue to remove an election official for failure to perform their duties, making it easier to harass and intimidate election officials (2022)

New Hampshire Residency Requirements

Testimony Supporting New Hampshire SB 67, Which Would Repeal a Post-Election Motor Vehicle Related Poll Tax (2019)

New Hampshire Student Voter Registration and Voting

Restricting New Hampshire Student Voter Registration

Testimony opposing New Hampshire HB 86, Which Would Limit Student Voter Eligibility to Those Receiving In-state Tuition and Remove Same Day Registration (2021)

Restricting New Hampshire Students from Participating in Democracy

Testimony Opposing New Hampshire House Bills 362, 429, 531, 535 and 554, Which Would Change Domicile Rules to Prevent Students from Voting in New Hampshire, Eliminate Student ID as Acceptable Voter ID, and Prevent a Voter from Swearing an Affidavit to Register and Vote When Lacking Documentary Proof of Their Qualifications to Vote (2021)

Restricting New Hampshire Students from Participating in Democracy

Testimony Opposing New Hampshire HB 362, Which Would Prevent Students from Claiming Domicile for Voting Purposes in their College Town or Proving Domicile with a College or University Address (2021)

Restricting New Hampshire Students from Participating in Democracy

Testimony Opposing New Hampshire HB 362, Which Would Prevent Students from Claiming Domicile for Voting Purposes in their College Town or Proving Domicile with a College or University Address (2021)

Student Bill of Rights

Students Learn Students Vote Coalition partners — through the Youth Voting Rights Subcommittee — identified core policy priorities that, if equitably implemented, would ensure every eligible college student and young person can vote under fair, equitable and accessible conditions that welcome them into the democratic process, regardless of their background or location:

Tennessee Student ID as Voter ID

Testimony supporting of Tennessee HB 303/SB 285, which would permit the use of student IDs issued by accredited postsecondary institutions in Tennessee as a voter ID. (2023)

Texas A&M University Early Voting Site

Letter to the Brazos County, TX Election Administrator Urging Him to Designate an Early Voting Location on the Texas A&M University Campus (2022)

Texas A&M University Early Voting Site Removal

Letter to the Brazos County, TX Commissioners Court Opposing the Removal of an Early Voting Site at Texas A&M University (2022)

Virginia Campus Voting Sites

Virginia Pre-Registration

Testimony Supporting Virginia HB 2025, Which Would Establish Pre-Registration for 16 and 17-Year Old Citizens (2021)

Youth Voting Rights Act

Just like the 15th and 19th Amendments prohibit the denial of the right to vote on account of race, color, previous condition of servitude, and gender, the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits denying the right to vote based on age to anyone over the age of 18. However, 50 years later the full promise of the 26th Amendment remains unfulfilled. Much like the Voting Rights Act was needed to fully realize the 15th Amendment’s purpose, Sen. Warren and Rep. William’s Youth Voting Rights Act is crucial to finally realizing the purpose of the 26th Amendment and creating structures that actually welcome-in the newest members of our democracy.

Voter ID

Florida Omnibus Anti-Voter Bill

Iowa Voter ID

Letter to the Iowa Legislature Urging Them to Fix Irrational Proof of Residence Requirements for Voting (2019)

Michigan Voter ID

Testimony Opposing Michigan HB 6066, 6067, and 6068, Which Would Establish Strict Photo ID Requirements for In-person Voting (2016)

Ohio Voter ID Restrictions

Letter requesting Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to veto HB 458, containing strict voter ID requirements among other restrictive measures (2023)

Ohio Voter ID Restrictions

Testimony Opposing Ohio HB 458, Which Would Establish Strict Voter ID Requirements Among other Restrictive Measures (2023)

Tennessee Student ID as Voter ID

Testimony supporting of Tennessee HB 303/SB 285, which would permit the use of student IDs issued by accredited postsecondary institutions in Tennessee as a voter ID. (2023)

Voter Registration

Florida Election Efficiency Restrictions

Testimony Opposing Florida SB 90 Amendment 262784, Which Would Restrict Drop Box Availability for Mail Ballots (2021)

Florida Omnibus Anti-Voter Bill

Louisiana Free Speech Restrictions

Testimony Opposing Louisiana HB 138, Which Would Establish an Unnecessary Supplemental Canvass of the Voter Rolls, HB 167, Which Would Require Voter Purges Based on Insufficient Death Record Data, and Section 2 of HB 581, Which Would Chill Speech By Criminalizing Certain Election Communications (2021)

Louisiana High School Voter Registration Assistance

Testimony supporting Louisiana HB 490, which would clarify the ability of nonpartisan nonprofit entities to participate in faciliating high school voter registration programs. (2023)

Louisiana Third-party Voter Registration Restrictions

Testimony opposing Louisiana HB 506, which would require any individual or entity that is not an election official or voter registration agency to register with the Secretary of State’s office prior to hosting community voter registration assistance events. (2024)

Maryland Automatic Restoration of Voter Registration for Individuals Released from State Correctional Facilities (2025)

Fair Elections Center supports Maryland HB 1110, which would streamline the registration process for individuals with a felony conviction after being released from incarceration by requiring state agencies to collaborate to provide automatic restoration of their pre-existing voter registration upon release from incarceration.

Maryland Automatic Voter Registration

Testimony Supporting Maryland House Bill 627, which would designate the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services as an automatic voter registration agency. Expanding automatic voter registration to state correctional facilities would simplify the registration process for newly re-enfranchised citizens and emphasize the importance of their participation in democracy. In 2016, Maryland law established that as soon as an individual with a felony conviction was released from incarceration, they automatically retained the right to vote. In 2018, the Maryland General Assembly established automatic voter registration, seeking to streamline the process at the MVA and other government offices. HB 627 is an opportunity to realize the full potential of these two policies and expand automatic voter registration to ensure that returning citizens face no barriers in exercising their right under Maryland law to have a voice in our elections. (2024)

Maryland Pre-Registration (2025)

Michigan Pre-Registration

Minnesota Preregistration

Testimony in support of Minnesota HF 110, which would permit those at least 16-years-old but not yet 18 who otherwise meet the eligibilibility criteria to register to vote to preregister. (2023)

Minnesota Student Voter Registration

Modernize New Hampshire Election Laws

Letter to the New Hampshire Special Committee on Voter Confidence, Urging it to Condemn Election Denialism and Modernize the State’s Election Laws (2022)

Modernizing New Hampshire Absentee Voting and Registration

Testimony Supporting New Hampshire SB 47, Which Would Allow No-excuse Absentee Voter Registration and Voting (2021)

New Hampshire Ballot Language Access

New Hampshire List Maintenance

Testimony Opposing New Hampshire HB 620, Which Would Provide Authority to Join Interstate Crosscheck (2015)

New Hampshire Same Day Registration and Right to a Secret Ballot

Letter Opposing New Hampshire SB 418, Which Would Prevent Voters From Proving Identity, Citizenship, or Domicile Via Sworm Affidavit for Purposes of Registering and Voting (2022)

New Hampshire Student Voter Registration and Voting

North Carolina Same Day Registration Identification Requirements

Testimony opposing North Carolina SB 747, which would, among other things, impose burdensome identification requirements for those registering to vote and casting a ballot in the same day. (2023)

Ohio Online Voter Registration

Testimony Supporting Ohio SB 63, Which Would Implement Online Voter Registration (2015)

Ohio Online Voter Registration

Testimony Supporting Ohio SB 63, Which Would Implement Online Voter Registration (2015)

Ohio Voter Registration Cancellations

Letter to the Ohio Secretary of State Seeking Information Regarding Voter Registration Cancellations (2019)

Restricting New Hampshire Student Voter Registration

Testimony opposing New Hampshire HB 86, Which Would Limit Student Voter Eligibility to Those Receiving In-state Tuition and Remove Same Day Registration (2021)

SAVE Act (2025)

Fair Elections Center opposes the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require every American to provide documentary proof of citizenship to register or re-register to vote. Requiring oftentimes hard-to-get and expensive documents make it harder for citizens to vote, and doesn’t solve any problems with our elections. Recent studies show that around ten percent of voting-eligible Americans do not have documents to show their citizenship. Those citizens are more likely to be women, low income people, and from communities of color.

Tennessee Third-party Voter Registration Assistance Restrictions

Voting Assistance and Accessibility

Florida Anti-Voter Bill

Letter to the Florida Senate Committee on Appropriations in opposition to SB 524, which would make elections less accessible and less efficient (2022)

Florida Vote by Mail Restrictions

Louisiana Mail Ballot Restrictions

Testimony Opposing Louisiana SB 144, Which Would Impact Voters With Disabilities by Restricting Who May Assist Voters in Returning Mail Ballots (2022)

Louisiana Voters with Disabilities Task Force

Letter Supporting Louisiana HRC 14, Which Would Create a Task Force to Address Barriers to Voting for Louisianans with Disabilities (2022)

Maryland Language Access (2024)

Maryland Language Access (2025)

Fair Elections Center supports Maryland HB983, which would widen the tent to cover more language-minority communities.

Michigan Precinct Size Increase

Testimony Opposing Michigan HB 5032, Which Would Increase Election Precinct Sizes (2019)

New Hampshire Ballot Language Access

Ohio Voter ID Restrictions

Letter requesting Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to veto HB 458, containing strict voter ID requirements among other restrictive measures (2023)

Ohio Voter ID Restrictions

Testimony Opposing Ohio HB 458, Which Would Establish Strict Voter ID Requirements Among other Restrictive Measures (2023)

Ohio Voting Restrictions

Testimony Opposing Ohio HB 294, Which Would Limit the Availability and Accessibility of Absentee Voting. (2022)

Removing Barriers for Louisiana Voters with Disabilities

Letter to Louisiana Secretary of State Highlighting Disparities in Treatment of Voters with Disabilities under Louisiana law (2021)

Texas Voter Accessibility

Testimony Recommending an Amendment to Texas HB 22 to Require that Election Officials Provide Sufficient Space Outside to Accomodate Voters with Disabilities that Cannot Enter a Polling Place (2021).

Virginia Absentee Ballot Restrictions

Voting Rights Restoration

Maryland Automatic Restoration of Voter Registration for Individuals Released from State Correctional Facilities (2025)

Maryland Automatic Voter Registration

New Mexico Voting Rights Restoration

Testimony Supporting New Mexico HB 74, Which Would Restore Voting Rights to Persons with Felony Convictions Upon Their Release From Prison (2021)

Virginia Voting Rights Restoration

Testimony in Support of Virginia HJ 555, Which Would End Disenfranchisement of People with Felony Convictions When They Are No Longer Incarcerated (2021)

Virginia Voting Rights Restoration Amendment

The most recent iteration of this amendment, HJ 2 / SJ 248, was passed by both the Virginia House of Delegates and the Senate during the 2025 legislative session. The amendment must pass again in next year’s legislative session before heading to the ballot for a statewide vote at the earliest, in November 2026.

Virginia Voting Rights Restoration Amendment

Testimony urging the Virginia House of Delegates Committee on Privileges and Elections to carry over HJ 2—a constitutional amendment to ensure Virginians who are not incarcerated and not currently judicially declared incompetent have the right to vote—to the 2025 legislative session. (2024)

Washington Voting Rights Restoration

Testimony in Support of Washington HB 1078, Which Would End Disenfranchisement of People with Felony Convictions When They Are No Longer Incarcerated (2021)

Policy Advocacy

Community Voter Registration Drives

Early In-Person Voting

Election Administration

Ending Voting Discrimination

Mail/Absentee Voting

Pre-Registration

Residency Requirements

Same Day Voter Registration

Student Voting

Voter ID

Voter Registration

Voting Assistance and Accessibility

Voting Rights Restoration

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