Federal Role in Voter Registration: The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) and Subsequent Developments

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Identifier

R45030

Version

16

Product type

Reports

Status

Active

Published

Oct 29, 2026

Source updated

Oct 31, 2026, 3:24 pm UTC

Authors: Sarah J. Eckman

Source topics: Voting, Elections & Redistricting

Politically.com intentionally does not reproduce the report summary or full text. Use the official Congress.gov links above to read the product in its source context.

Structured Congress.gov references

Related federal bills

• HR 6278Voter Registration Act
  93th Congress
• HR 11552Solar Global Marketing Survey Act
  95th Congress
• HR 2190National Voter Registration Act of 1989
  101th Congress
• S 874National Voter Registration Act of 1989
  101th Congress
• HR 55To repeal the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
  119th Congress
• HR 959To repeal the provisions of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 other than the provisions requiring States to conduct a general program that makes a reasonable effort to remove the names of ineligible voters from the official lists of eligible voters in the State and the provisions imposing criminal penalties for fraudulent voter registration or voting activities.
  118th Congress
• HR 160To ensure election integrity and security and enhance Americans' access to the ballot box by establishing consistent standards and procedures for voter registration and voting in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• S 2344A bill to expand Americans' access to the ballot box and reduce the influence of big money in politics, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• HR 1439To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to allow all eligible voters to vote by mail in Federal elections, to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to provide for automatic voter registration, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• S 700A bill to amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to allow all eligible voters to vote by mail in Federal elections, to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to provide for automatic voter registration.
  118th Congress
• S 2841A bill to improve voter access to the ballot box through automatic voter registration, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• S 2093A bill to expand Americans' access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, strengthen ethics rules for public servants, and implement other anti-corruption measures for the purpose of fortifying our democracy, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 2301To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require each State to ensure that each individual who provides identifying information to the State motor vehicle authority is automatically registered to vote in elections for Federal office held in the State unless the individual does not meet the eligibility requirements for registering to vote in such elections or declines to be registered to vote in such elections, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 2358To modernize voter registration, promote access to voting for individuals with disabilities, protect the ability of individuals to exercise the right to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• S 954A bill to modernize voter registration, promote access to voting for individuals with disabilities, protect the ability of individuals to exercise the right to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 5746To amend title 51, United States Code, to extend the authority of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to enter into leases of non-excess property of the Administration.
  117th Congress
• S 2747A bill to expand Americans' access to the ballot box and reduce the influence of big money in politics, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• S 4335A bill to improve voter access to the ballot box through automatic voter registration, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 1643To establish the National Office of New Americans, to reduce obstacles to United States citizenship, to support the integration of immigrants into the social, cultural, economic, and civic life of the United States, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• S 883A bill to establish the National Office of New Americans, to reduce obstacles to United States citizenship, to support the integration of immigrants into the social, cultural, economic, and civic life of the United States, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• HR 576To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require States to accept applications to register to vote in elections for Federal office in the State from individuals under 18 years of age at the time of application.
  117th Congress
• HR 635To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require each State to implement a process under which individuals who are 16 years of age may apply to register to vote in elections for Federal office in the State, to direct the Election Assistance Commission to make grants to States to increase the involvement of minors in public election activities, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 1308To establish the National Office of New Americans, to reduce obstacles to United States citizenship, to support the integration of immigrants into the social, cultural, economic, and civic life of the United States, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• S 433A bill to establish the National Office of New Americans, to reduce obstacles to United States citizenship, to support the integration of immigrants into the social, cultural, economic, and civic life of the United States, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 8341To expand youth access to voting, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• S 4500A bill to expand youth access to voting, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 126To direct the Election Assistance Commission to carry out a pilot program under which the Commission shall provide funds to local educational agencies for initiatives to provide voter registration information to secondary school students in the 12th grade.
  119th Congress
• HR 2232To amend title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of higher education that participate in programs under such title to distribute voter registration forms to students enrolled at the institution, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• S 992A bill to amend title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of higher education that participate in programs under such title to distribute voter registration forms to students enrolled at the institution, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 6293To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require States to designate public high schools as voter registration agencies, to direct such schools to conduct voter registration drives for students attending such schools, to direct the Secretary of Education to make grants to reimburse such schools for the costs of conducting such voter registration drives, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 22To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of United States citizenship to register an individual to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• S 128A bill to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of United States citizenship to register an individual to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HRES 5Adopting the Rules of the House of Representatives for the One Hundred Nineteenth Congress, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 487To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to prohibit a State from registering an individual to vote in elections for Federal office held in the State unless the individual provides documentary proof that the individual is a citizen of the United States.
  118th Congress
• HR 627To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to prohibit an individual from registering to vote in elections for Federal office held in the State unless the individual provides documentary proof that the individual is a citizen of the United States.
  118th Congress
• HR 8281To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of United States citizenship to register an individual to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• S 4292A bill to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of United States citizenship to register an individual to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• S 459A bill to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to promote integrity in voter registration, the casting of ballots, and the tabulation of ballots in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 873To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to prohibit a State from registering an individual to vote in elections for Federal office held in the State unless the individual provides documentary proof that the individual is a citizen of the United States.
  117th Congress
• HR 4488To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to establish certain photo identification requirements for voting in District of Columbia elections and to require proof of citizenship to register to vote in District of Columbia elections, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• HR 9494Making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2025, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• HR 10034To secure the border and reform the immigration laws, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• HR 860To require States to obtain information from Social Security Administration on deaths for purposes of voter registration list maintenance, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 1529To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require States to conduct post-election audits for elections for Federal office and to provide attestations of the integrity and security of voter identification and voter registration list maintenance procedures, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 2343To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Commissioner of Social Security to provide information to States upon request which will enable States to verify the citizenship status of applicants for voter registration in elections for Federal office in the State and remove individuals who are not citizens of the United States from the list of individuals registered to vote in elections for Federal office in the State, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 5037Safe and Certain Elections Act
  117th Congress
• HR 1662To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require the Postmaster General to provide State election officials with change of address information before a general election for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 2844To establish Election Security Enhancement Units in the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency of the Department of Homeland Security, to direct the Election Assistance Commission to make a grant to each State which certifies that it has implemented certain steps to ensure the integrity of voter registration, the casting of ballots, and the tabulation of ballots in elections for Federal office in the State, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 5448To promote integrity in elections for Federal office by prohibiting automatic voter registration and requiring voter identification, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• S 2843A bill to amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require States to provide for same day voter registration.
  118th Congress
• S 4887A bill to amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require States to provide for same day voter registration.
  117th Congress
• HR 4457To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to direct the Election Assistance Commission to adopt voluntary guidelines for election officials on the use of nonvoting election technology in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• HR 4494To promote election integrity, voter confidence, and faith in elections by removing Federal impediments to, providing State tools for, and establishing voluntary considerations to support effective State administration of Federal elections and improving election administration in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• HR 4563To promote election integrity, voter confidence, and faith in elections by removing Federal impediments to, equipping States with tools for, and establishing voluntary considerations to support effective State administration of Federal elections, improving election administration in the District of Columbia, improving the effectiveness of military voting programs, enhancing election security, and protecting political speech, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• HR 8528To promote election integrity, voter confidence, and faith in elections by removing Federal impediments to, providing State tools for, and establishing voluntary considerations to support effective State administration of Federal elections, improving election administration in the District of Columbia, improving the effectiveness of military voting programs, and protecting political speech, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 5293To expand youth access to voting, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• S 2985A bill to expand youth access to voting, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• HR 3162To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Commissioner of Social Security to provide information to States upon request which will enable States to verify the citizenship status of applicants for voter registration in elections for Federal office in the State and remove individuals who are not citizens of the United States from the list of individuals registered to vote in elections for Federal office in the State, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• HR 4460To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to ensure that only eligible American citizens may participate in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• HR 7959To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to clarify the authority of States to remove noncitizens from voting rolls and to require States to maintain separate voter registration lists for noncitizens, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 2566To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require an individual who applies for a motor vehicle driver's license in a new State to indicate whether the new State is to serve as the individual's residence for purposes of registering to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• S 352Voter Registration Act
  93th Congress
• S 250National Voter Registration Act of 1992
  102th Congress
• S 460National Voter Registration Act of 1993
  103th Congress
• HR 2National Voter Registration Act of 1993
  103th Congress
• HR 83To repeal the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
  118th Congress
• HR 11Freedom to Vote Act
  118th Congress
• S 1Freedom to Vote Act
  118th Congress
• HR 156To ensure election integrity and security and enhance Americans' access to the ballot box by establishing consistent standards and procedures for voter registration and voting in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• HR 1To expand Americans' access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, strengthen ethics rules for public servants, and implement other anti-corruption measures for the purpose of fortifying our democracy, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• S 1A bill to expand Americans' access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, strengthen ethics rules for public servants, and implement other anti-corruption measures for the purpose of fortifying our democracy, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 102To ensure election integrity and security and enhance Americans' access to the ballot box by establishing consistent standards and procedures for voter registration and voting in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 237To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to allow all eligible voters to vote by mail in Federal elections, to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to provide for automatic voter registration, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• S 136A bill to amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to allow all eligible voters to vote by mail in Federal elections, to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to provide for automatic voter registration.
  117th Congress
• HR 126To direct the Election Assistance Commission to carry out a pilot program under which the Commission shall provide funds to local educational agencies for initiatives to provide voter registration information to secondary school students in the 12th grade.
  118th Congress
• HR 126To direct the Election Assistance Commission to carry out a pilot program under which the Commission shall provide funds to local educational agencies for initiatives to provide voter registration information to secondary school students in the 12th grade.
  117th Congress
• HR 322To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to promote integrity in voter registration, the casting of ballots, and the tabulation of ballots in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 239To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require States to provide for same day registration.
  118th Congress
• HR 65To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require States to provide for same day registration.
  117th Congress
• HR 8078To modernize voter registration, promote access to voting for individuals with disabilities, protect the ability of individuals to exercise the right to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• S 4203A bill to modernize voter registration, promote access to voting for individuals with disabilities, protect the ability of individuals to exercise the right to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• S 1383A bill to establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 9727To modernize voter registration, promote access to voting for individuals with disabilities, protect the ability of individuals to exercise the right to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• S 5151A bill modernize voter registration, promote access to voting for individuals with disabilities, protect the ability of individuals to exercise the right to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• HR 7300To promote the integrity and improve the administration of elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 7296To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of United States citizenship to register an individual to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• S 3752A bill to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of United States citizenship to register an individual to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 8206Making further consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• S 2403A bill to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to provide a clear definition of adequate consideration for certain closely held stock, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• S 2822A bill to improve voter access to ballot box through automatic voter registration, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 9873To guarantee the right to vote for all citizens regardless of conviction of a criminal offense, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• S 5122A bill to guarantee the right to vote for all citizens regardless of conviction of a criminal offense, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 8130To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to treat certain tax return preparers as voter registration agencies under such Act for purposes of distributing voter registration application forms, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 8441To amend the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to require States to accept the official post card form prescribed by the Secretary of Defense under such Act when submitted by electronic means, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• S 5481A bill to expand youth access to voting, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 8800To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• S 4659A bill to provide additional election security funding to States providing voter registration information to the Department of Homeland Security.
  119th Congress
• S 4774A bill to prohibit the distribution of false AI-generated election media, to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to prohibit the removal of names from voting rolls using unverified voter challenge databases, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• S 5238A bill to preserve the democratic republic of the United States from the overreach of authoritarian tactics.
  119th Congress
• S 4369A bill to repeal an executive order relating to Federal elections, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 9222To ban stock trading and prediction market participation for the President, Vice President, and Members of Congress, suspend pay for Members of Congress during shutdowns, establish term limits for Congress, establish term limits and ethics rules for the Supreme Court, reform the presidential pardon power, revoke the statute of limitations for the President and Vice President, strengthen the foreign and domestic emoluments clauses, overturn Citizens United, ban dark money, corporate PACs, and partisan gerrymandering, end voter suppression, and restrict government pensions for felony convictions and lawsuits by the President, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• S 5408A bill to establish a prohibition for certain disclosures of personally identifiable information under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.
  119th Congress
• HR 9897To amend title 23, United States Code, to withhold apportioned surface transportation funding from a State if such State fails to enact certain requirements for proof of citizenship for individuals to register to vote in Federal elections, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 10700To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to increase voting accessibility for individuals with disabilities and older individuals, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 2847To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to allow all eligible voters to vote by mail in Federal elections, to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to streamline the procedures under which individuals may apply to register to vote in such elections through State motor vehicle authorities, to permit automatic voter registration through such authorities for eligible citizens of the United States, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• S 1887A bill to amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to allow all eligible voters to vote by mail in Federal elections, to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to streamline the procedures under which individuals may apply to register to vote in such elections through State motor vehicle authorities, to permit automatic voter registration through such authorities for eligible citizens of the United States who do not complete voter registration applications, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 5906To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require States to provide for same day registration.
  119th Congress
• S 2820A bill to amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require States to provide for same day voter registration.
  119th Congress
• HR 7219To require the congressional districts established by a State to meet certain requirements, to prohibit States from carrying out more than one congressional redistricting after a decennial census and apportionment, to exclude aliens without lawful status under the immigration laws from number of persons used to determine apportionment of representatives and number of electoral votes, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 4916To expand youth access to voting, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress