Right to Vote Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9437
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Government Operations and Politics
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-24: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-06T18:04:08Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose The Right to Vote Act establishes a statutory fundamental right to vote in federal elections and prohibits governments from imposing undue burdens on that right through new standards for retrogression and substantial impairment.
Key Provisions
- Fundamental Right: Every citizen of legal voting age holds the right to vote in elections for federal office.
- Retrogression Standard: Governments may not diminish voting ability unless the action is the least restrictive means of significantly furthering an important, particularized government interest.
- Substantial Impairment Standard: Governments may not substantially impair voting ability unless the action significantly furthers an important, particularized government interest; impairment is defined as a non-trivial increase in difficulty.
- Judicial Review: Plaintiffs may file civil actions in the District of Columbia or the district where the violation occurred, a defendant resides, or does business; courts apply specific burden-shifting rules (plaintiff by preponderance of evidence; government by clear and convincing evidence) and must expedite cases.
- Attorney's Fees: Amends 42 U.S.C. 1988(b) to allow fee awards for prevailing parties under this Act.
- Definitions and Construction: Defines key terms including “government,” “vote,” and “covered entity”; clarifies that the Act neither authorizes burdens nor alters existing constitutional or statutory rights.
- Severability and Effective Dates: Invalid provisions do not affect the remainder; retrogression rules apply to post-November 2024 changes effective September 1, 2026, while impairment rules apply to actions effective on or after that date.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Creates new federal standards governing state and local election rules that differ from prior Voting Rights Act frameworks by focusing on retrogression and substantial impairment with explicit burden-shifting and expedited review.
- Extends attorney’s fee recovery under 42 U.S.C. 1988(b) to include claims under this Act.
- Applies prospectively to laws or practices taking effect on or after September 1, 2026, regardless of prior enactment.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Requires states, localities, and covered entities to justify changes to voting procedures under heightened scrutiny, potentially increasing administrative review and litigation costs.
- Citizens: Provides additional legal avenues to challenge voting rules that make registration, casting, or counting ballots more difficult.
- Courts: Mandates expedited handling of voting-related cases in designated districts.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- U.S. citizens of voting age.
- State, local, and territorial governments and election officials.
- Federal district courts.
- Organizations and individuals bringing voting rights challenges.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Codifies a statutory “fundamental right to vote” that may interact with existing constitutional interpretations.
- Shifts evidentiary burdens in voting cases and introduces a least-restrictive-means test for retrogressive changes.
- Applies nationwide, including to the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, without altering other federal or state remedies.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (25)
Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2], Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3], Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4], Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17], Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4], Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12], Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-50], Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3], Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12], Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1], Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7], Rep. Casar, Greg [D-TX-35], Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10], Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2], Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4], Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7], Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33], Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5], Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9], Rep. Brown, Shontel M. [D-OH-11], Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-24: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2026-06-24: Introduced in House
- 2026-06-24: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Right to Vote Act — issued 2026-06-24 — PDF (7 pages)