(The Center Square) – Legislation requiring mail-in ballots to use the U.S. Postal Service barcode service overwhelmingly passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday.
“We should be able to track a ballot just like we can track a package,” Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., wrote on social media. “California already does this, but my Vote By Mail Tracking Act – which just passed the House – would add a barcode to each ballot nationwide, so every American can have confidence their vote is counted.”
The Vote by Mail Act was introduced by a bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Porter and Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., in September 2023. Cosponsors included Reps. Kweisi Mfume, D-Md., Byron Donalds, R-Fla., Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., Gerry Connolly, D-Va., Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., and Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz.
In February of 2024, the House Oversight Committee advanced the bill to the floor of the U.S. House.
The legislation requires all mail-in ballot envelopes include the barcode, the official election mail logo to certify authenticity, and adhere to USPS design standards to ensure correct processing.
Citizens will be able to see when their ballot is received, in transit and has arrived at their election authority. If enacted, the Vote by Mail Tracking Act would apply to all federal elections, reinforcing nationwide standards for mail-in voting.
Mail-in voting surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to various changes in voting methods across the country. According to Ballotpedia, 43% of voters nationwide cast their ballot nontraditionally by mail and/or before Election Day.
In 2022, that number dropped to 31.9%.
Since the pandemic, the ways voters could cast ballots have varied widely from state to state, but mail-in voting has remained a significant part of federal elections.
The new legislation seeks to address challenges while promoting trust in America’s voting system.
The bill next goes to a Senate chamber in its final days of leadership by Democrats. If passed there, it would be ready for the president’s signature.
Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, USPS said it anticipated “similar service performance as demonstrated in the 2020 general election,” and implemented “extraordinary measures” that began on Oct. 21.
The measures included Extra deliveries and collections, special pick-ups of ballots, specialized sort plans at processing facilities to expedite delivery to boards of elections, and local handling and transportation of ballots.
