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HR 7874
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Mail Ballot Integrity Act

To prohibit a State from distributing unsolicited ballots for voting by mail in any election for Federal office, and for other purposes.

Introduced Mar 9, 2026

Latest action (Mar 9, 2026) Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Issues
Voting & Elections

Summary

The bill would prohibit states from sending unsolicited mail-in ballots for federal elections and instead require individuals to request mail-in ballots through a written or electronic application. States could only issue mail-in ballots to individuals who meet specific eligibility criteria, including uniformed military personnel, students attending school outside their home county, clergy members, people with disabilities, those age 65 and older, individuals expecting to be absent on election day, people living outside the United States, and others with documented circumstances preventing in-person voting. All mail-in ballot requests would require an affirmation under penalty of perjury that the applicant meets at least one eligibility category. States could maintain lists of voters who previously qualified for mail-in ballots, but only if they continue to meet the eligibility criteria. The restrictions would apply to all federal elections beginning with the election after the bill's enactment.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)

Money behind the sponsor

Top reported contributors to Clay Higgins’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.

  • NULL $14,100
  • SAFESOURCE DIRECT $10,500
  • THE PICARD GROUP $8,300
  • WINN CORRECTIONAL $6,666
  • PHI, INC. $6,600

Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Clay Higgins → · Outside spending →

Actions (2)

  1. Mar 9, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on House Administration. · house
  2. Mar 9, 2026 Introduced in House

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

Full text

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 9, 2026

Mr. Higgins of Louisiana (for himself, Mr. Stutzman, Mr. Gosar, Mr. Timmons, Mr. Fine, Mrs. Biggs of South Carolina, and Mrs. Luna) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

A BILL

To prohibit a State from distributing unsolicited ballots for voting by mail in any election for Federal office, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Mail Ballot Integrity Act”.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON UNSOLICITED MAIL-IN BALLOTS AND LIMITATION ON ELIGIBLE REQUESTS.

(a) Prohibition on Unsolicited Mail-In Ballots.—No State or political subdivision of a State may send, distribute, or otherwise provide a ballot to vote by mail in an election for Federal office to any individual who does not request the State or political subdivision of such State to provide the ballot.

(b) Requirements for Mail-In Voting in Federal Elections.— Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a State shall not issue or transmit a ballot for voting by mail to any individual in the State in an election for Federal office held in the State unless each of the following conditions are met:

(1) Request required.—The individual submits (in person, by mail, or electronically) a written or electronic request for the ballot that includes an affirmation, under penalty of perjury, that the individual meets one or more of the eligibility criteria under paragraph (2).

(2) Eligibility criteria.—An individual who is on the official list of eligible voters in an election for Federal office in a State is eligible to request and receive a mail-in ballot for a Federal election in the State only if the individual—

(A) is a member of the uniformed services (as defined in section 101(a) of title 10, United States Code) on active duty, or the spouse or dependent of such a member;

(B) is a student, instructor, or professor at an institution of higher education located outside the county in which the voter is registered to vote and resides outside that county by reason thereof, or is the spouse or dependent accompanying and residing with such individual;

(C) is a minister, priest, rabbi, or other member of the clergy assigned to a religious post outside the county of registration, or is the spouse or dependent accompanying and residing with such individual;

(D) expects to be temporarily absent from the county in which the voter is registered to vote during the early voting period and on election day;

(E) after the close of voter registration, has moved residence to another county more than 100 miles from the county seat of the former residence;

(F) is involuntarily confined in an institution for mental treatment outside the county of registration and is not interdicted or judicially declared incompetent;

(G) resides outside the United States;

(H) expects to be hospitalized on election day and did not have knowledge of the hospitalization until after the time for early voting expired (or was hospitalized during early voting, or is restricted to bed by a physician during early voting and on election day);

(I) meets the criteria for participation in a former State program for voters with disabilities in any State that has such a program;

(J) is incarcerated in an institution inside or outside the county of registration but is not serving a sentence for a felony conviction;

(K) is a participant in a State address confidentiality program;

(L) has a disability and submits documentation with respect to—

(i) a current mobility impairment identification card with photograph and international symbol of accessibility;

(ii) current documentation of eligibility for Social Security disability benefits, veterans disability benefits, paratransit services, benefits from a State office for citizens with developmental disabilities, or benefits from State rehabilitation services; or

(iii) current proof of disability from a physician, optometrist, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner; or

(M) has attained the age of 65 years or older.

(c) No Permanent or Automatic Mail-In Lists for Unqualified Voters.—A State may maintain a list of voters who have previously qualified for and requested mail-in ballots in an election for Federal office in the State, but only with respect to voters who continue to meet one or more of the criteria described under subsection (b)(2) as determined under State law.

(d) Effective Date.—This section shall apply with respect to elections for Federal office occurring on and after the date of the enactment of this Act. <all>

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