HR10276Referred to Committee

Ballots by Election Day Act

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Introduced
In Committee
3
Passed One Chamber
4
Passed Both
5
Signed into Law
119th
Congress
2026-09-03
Introduced
0
Cosponsors
HR
Type

Sponsor

Laurel M. Lee
Laurel M. Lee
Republican · FL · Representative
Votes with party: 98.6% (622 recorded votes)
Top industries funding sponsor:
  • Progressive Groups$200k

Full profile: /officials/L000597

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

Cosponsors (0)

Members who have signed on to support this bill since introduction. Source: Congress.gov.

No cosponsors on record. Bills can pass without cosponsors — this often means the sponsor introduced the bill alone, either because it's a messaging bill, a chairman's mark, or simply early in the legislative cycle.

Latest Action

The most recent step in the bill's legislative path. Committee Activity below shows referrals and reports; the full action-by-action history including floor proceedings lives at Congress.gov →

Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

2026-09-03

Source: Congress.gov

Committee Activity

Currently in

Plain-English Summary

Plain-English summary pending. Introduced on 2026-09-03. Check back soon — summaries are generated as bills progress through Congress.

Full Bill Text

Verbatim text published on Congress.gov via GovInfo. Use Cmd+F / Ctrl+F to search within this excerpt.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 10276 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 10276 To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require ballots in elections for Federal office to be received by the close of the polls on the date of election. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 3, 2026 Ms. Lee of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require ballots in elections for Federal office to be received by the close of the polls on the date of election. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Ballots by Election Day Act''. SEC. 2. DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF BALLOTS. (a) In General.--Title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 20901 et seq.) is amended-- (1) by redesignating sections 305 and 306 as sections 306 and 307, respectively; and (2) by inserting after section 304 the following new section: ``SEC. 305. DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF BALLOTS. ``(a) In General.--To be considered validly cast and eligible to be counted in any election for Federal office, including a primary, runoff, or special election, all ballots (including absentee and mail- in ballots) must be received by the appropriate election official no later than the time polls close on the date of the election and, in the case of a general election for Federal office, no later than the time polls close on the date established under section 25 of the Revised Statutes of the United States (2 U.S.C. 7) for each general election for Federal office. ``(b) Untimely Ballot.--No State may accept for tabulation any ballot (including an absentee or mail-in ballot) that is received by the appropriate election official following the time polls close on the date of the election. ``(c) Exception.--The deadline described in subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to ballots cast by absent uniformed services voter or overseas voters, as defined in section 107 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 20310). ``(d) Effective Date.--This section shall apply with respect to elections for Federal office held in 2027 or any succeeding year.''. (b) Enforcement.--Section 401 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 2111) is amended by striking ``and 304'' and inserting ``304, and 305''. (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents of such Act is amended-- (1) by redesignating the items relating to sections 305 and 306 as relating to sections 306 and 307, respectively; and (2) by inserting after the item relating to section 304 the following new item: ``Sec. 305. Deadline for receipt of ballots.''. <all>

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