Ballots by Election Day Act

This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) to create a standard deadline for receiving mail-in and absentee ballots in federal elections. Under the bill, state and local election officials must receive absentee and mail-in ballots by the time polls close on election day for those ballots to be valid and counted.

* **Voters in federal elections:** Individuals who vote by mail or absentee ballot in elections for federal office. * **State and local election officials:** Officials responsible for receiving, tabulating, and administering federal election ballots. * **Military and overseas voters:** Individuals voting under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). * **The U.S. Department of Justice:** Specifically the U.S. Attorney General, who is given enforcement authority.

* **Ballot Receipt Deadline:** States are prohibited from accepting or counting any mail-in or absentee ballot for a federal election that arrives after polls close on election day. * **Enforcement Authority:** The bill authorizes the U.S. Attorney General to enforce the receipt deadline by filing civil lawsuits for court orders (declaratory or injunctive relief) against non-compliant jurisdictions. * **Implementation Timeline:** These rules apply to all federal elections held in 2027 and subsequent years.

The provided summary does not mention any federal spending, appropriations, grants, taxes, or fees.

* **Military and Overseas Exception:** The federal requirement to receive ballots by election day does not apply to absent uniformed services voters or overseas voters. * **State Law Flexibility for Military/Overseas Ballots:** While military and overseas voters are exempt from the federal deadline, the bill explicitly allows states to enforce their own state laws requiring military and overseas ballots to arrive by election day.

Beginning in 2027, states will be legally required to receive mail-in and absentee ballots for federal elections by the time polls close on election day in order to count them. Military and overseas voters are exempt from this federal requirement, though states retain the right to set their own deadlines for those specific voters.