H.R. 10679: America Votes Act of 2026

This bill would change federal election law so that, in states that require voters to show identification to vote in federal elections, a voter could meet that ID requirement by signing a sworn written statement saying who they are and that they are registered to vote.

What the sworn statement would do

• In person: A voter could give the statement to an election official at the polling place instead of showing ID.
• By mail: A voter could include the statement with their mailed ballot instead of providing ID in another way.
• The statement would have to be signed under penalty of perjury.

What states would have to provide

• States using voter ID requirements would have to prepare a pre-printed version of the statement.
• Polling places would have to make copies available for in-person voters.
• Mail ballots would have to be sent with a copy of the statement for voters who vote by mail.

How ballots would be handled

• The bill says states could not force a voter who uses the sworn statement to cast a provisional ballot just because they did not show ID.

Exception

• The bill would not apply to certain first-time voters who registered by mail and are already subject to existing federal identification rules for those voters.

Other changes

• The bill would update federal election law enforcement provisions to include the new rule.
• It would also require states to include information about this sworn-statement option in voting information posted at polling places.
• The changes would apply to elections held on or after the date the bill is enacted.

Relevant Companies

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