Vote at Home Act of 2025
The Vote at Home Act of 2025 would make it easier for eligible voters to cast federal ballots by mail, require automatic voter registration through state motor vehicle authorities (DMVs), and extend free mailing for ballots. Specifically, the bill would prohibit states from adding extra hurdles to voting by mail beyond deadlines for requesting and returning ballots, and would require states to mail ballots to registered voters at least two weeks before federal elections. It would also create a new, mandatory framework for automatic voter registration through DMVs, while preserving the option to use polling places. In addition, the bill would authorize free postage for ballots sent to and from voters in federal elections, and would streamline voter registration processes by linking them to DMV applications (driver’s license and related forms). The changes tied to automatic registration would take effect after a 180-day period post-enactment, while the mail-voting provisions would apply to federal elections beginning in 2026. Overall, the legislation aims to increase access to voting (especially for people who have work, disabilities, or other barriers), boost participation by making mail voting the default option for federal elections, reduce registration friction through automatic DMV-based registration, and reduce administrative costs associated with in-person voting. It also includes privacy and integrity protections for automatic registration and specifies execution timelines and conforming amendments to existing voting and registration statutes.
Key Points
- 1Expanded ballot-by-mail for federal elections. States may not impose additional eligibility barriers for voting by mail beyond deadlines for requesting ballots and returning them; ballots must be mailed to all registered voters not less than two weeks before federal elections; ballots and accessibility must accommodate voters with disabilities; states may still conduct polling places if desired. Effective for elections beginning in 2026.
- 2Free postage for mail voting. Ballots mailed by a state/local official to a voter and ballots mailed back by a voter to an election official would be carried without postage under new USPS provisions.
- 3Automatic voter registration through DMVs. States must implement streamlined DMV-based voter registration (as part of driver’s license processes) and automatically register eligible citizens when possible, transmitting the minimum necessary information to election officials. Deadlines for transmitting registration data to election officials are generally within 10 days of acceptance (or within 5 days if acceptance occurs close to the registration deadline).
- 4Protections and limitations on automatic registration. The bill includes protections against penalties or immigration-status consequences for individuals automatically registered due to DMV or election-official data, while allowing enforcement for fraud or willful false statements. It also limits how automatic registration information may be used and requires that noncitizen status not be transmitted or relied upon to deny registration unless supported by reliable information.
- 5Conforming amendments and implementation timeline. The act would adjust related sections of HAVA and NVRA to reflect the new processes, and would set different effective dates: 2026 for the mail-voting provisions and 180 days after enactment for the DMV-based registration provisions.