Despite gains made in voter turnout during the pandemic, 19 states have passed laws restricting voter access.
Voting laws passed
Jan 1 - Dec 7, 2021
Source: Brennan Center for Justice.
In anticipation of the 2020 election and in response to the pandemic, nearly every state did something to make voting easier, such as temporarily expanding access to mail-in voting, establishing ballot drop-boxes, or increasing the availability of early voting.1 Despite concerns that the pandemic might depress voting rates, voter turnout was at a record high in the 2020 election with national voter participation jumping to about 67% amid an increase in new voters from both parties.2,3
Since the 2020 election, there has been a deluge of new voting laws passed in states across the nation. In 2021, 11 states enacted voting laws that make it harder for Americans to vote.4 17 states passed expansive voting laws in 2021, and 8 states passed a combination of both expansive and restrictive voting laws. In states’ 2022 legislative sessions, lawmakers in 27 states are already considering more than 250 bills with restrictive provisions — including bills carried over from 2021 and at least 96 new bills.5
Among the one-third of voters who did not participate in the 2020 election, the Current Population Survey found that 8% did not vote because of structural barriers. Rather than building on the progress made in 2020, states’ efforts to further restrict voting access could have a significant impact on participation in future elections, including the upcoming 2022 and 2023 midterm elections.
“Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2020”. U.S. Census Bureau. April, 2021. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/voting-and-registration/p20-585.html
“Expanded Access To Voting Yielded Huge Turnout. Will States Take It Away?” Parks. NPR. November, 2020. https://www.npr.org/2020/11/25/937050893/expanded-access-to-voting-yielded-huge-turnout-will-states-take-it-away
“Behind Biden’s 2020 Victory”. Igielnik, Keeter, and Hartig. Pew Research Center. June, 2021. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/06/30/behind-bidens-2020-victory/
“Voting Laws Roundup: December 2021”. Brennan Center For Justice. January, 2022. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-laws-roundup-december-2021
“Voting Laws Roundup: February 2022”. Brennan Center For Justice. February, 2022. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-laws-roundup-february-2022