Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Earl Blumenauer, both Democrats, will introduce the on Wednesday. It would automatically register citizens to vote when they obtain or renew driver鈥檚 licenses, allow everyone to vote by mail and provide pre-paid envelopes to return ballots.
Wyden described voting from home as 鈥渏ust common sense鈥� in a statement.
鈥淭he United States is stronger when more Americans can vote,鈥� Wyden said in a statement. 鈥淥ur bill will make elections more accessible to seniors, students and working families that might not have time to wait at a polling station. Voting at home makes elections more secure as well, since there鈥檚 a built-in paper trail for every single ballot that can鈥檛 be hacked.鈥�
Since Oregon became the first state to conduct elections entirely by mail in 2000, several other states have followed suit. California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, Vermont and Washington also mail ballots to all voters, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Other states allow voters to choose to receive ballots at home, and mail voting has increased significantly since the COVID pandemic began. In the 2018 general election, only 25% of voters voted by mail, compared to 50% of voters in 2020 and 35% in 2022, according to Wyden鈥檚 office.
Many states temporarily or permanently changed their laws to allow mail voting during the 2020 election, though Republican lawmakers have moved to restrict mail voting since President Joe Biden鈥檚 victory. An in the Oregon Legislature to end mail voting did not receive a hearing.
鈥淥regon has led the nation in defending the right to vote, which is the very cornerstone of our democracy,鈥� Blumenauer said in a statement. 鈥淰ote at home laws have been extremely successful at increasing voter turnout all while upholding strong security standards. This critical legislation will bring Oregon鈥檚 model nationwide and strengthen the fundamental right to vote that is so central to our democratic process.鈥�
The measure he and Wyden introduced would require states to mail ballots to registered voters weeks before Election Day, while allowing people to vote in person in states that have polling places. It wouldn鈥檛 affect same-day registration in the 20 states and Washington, D.C., that don鈥檛 have voter registration deadlines.
It would also require that U.S. citizens who provide identifying information, including their name, address, signature and proof of citizenship, to their state鈥檚 motor vehicle authority be automatically registered to vote. Oregon and California were the first states to automatically register voters, and 18 other states and Washington, D.C. followed suit.
Many voting rights groups, including the End Citizens United/Let America Vote Action Fund, are supporting the measure. The group鈥檚 president, Tiffany Muller, described it as crucial to ensuring every voter鈥檚 voice can be heard.
鈥淲hen we expanded access to voting in the 2020 election, there was record turnout across the country,鈥� Muller said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 clear that when Americans have access to the voting booth and have the freedom to make their voices heard, it gives more people the ability to participate in our democracy.鈥�
Oregon鈥檚 other senator, Democrat Jeff Merkley, is co-sponsoring the Senate version, along with 14 other Democratic senators. But its prospects are dim 鈥� a 2021 version of the measure didn鈥檛 advance in either the House or the Senate, and Republicans now control the U.S. House.
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