With their eyes on the 2024 presidential election, state lawmakers around the country are preparing to reshape voting rules in what election experts expect will be another busy legislative season.
Republican lawmakers — many of whom are motivated by the mistaken belief that the voting system is riddled with election fraud — are looking to tighten rules around absentee voting and give state officials more powers to prosecute election discrepancies. Meanwhile, Democrats will try to expand access to the ballot box through early voting, new voting rights for people with former felony convictions and additional protections for election workers.
While few state lawmakers have pre-filed bills ahead of legislative sessions, many of the stark divisions between red and blue states around voting rules already are apparent, said Liz Avore, senior policy adviser for Voting Rights Lab, a nonprofit that tracks state legislation. More and more, voters’ ZIP codes will determine their access to the ballot, she said.
