Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed Rep. Katie Porter’s (D-CA) Vote By Mail Tracking Act to boost confidence in our elections and help Americans verify their vote is counted. The bill would add standardized official barcodes to each mail-in ballot, so voters can track their ballot’s status. In advance of yesterday’s vote, Rep. Porter delivered remarks on the House floor in support of her legislation.

“Voters deserve to see that their ballots are securely delivered and counted, no matter what state they vote in,” said Rep. Porter. “Improving efficiency and transparency in our elections is good for all Americans, and I’m proud the House passed my Vote By Mail Tracking Act with broad, bipartisan support. Americans are counting on the Senate to send this bill to the President’s desk for his signature.”

The Vote by Mail Tracking Act would help voters track their ballots and have confidence that election officials count their vote. Under this bill, each mail-in ballot envelope must:

• Contain a United States Postal Service (USPS) barcode;
• Meet USPS design requirements and standards for machinable letters; and
• Include an Official Election Mail logo.

Some states already have ballot tracking systems available for voters to use, but in other states it can be hard to verify if a ballot arrives on time. Rep. Porter’s bill would make transparency the standard nationwide so every eligible voter trusts that their vote is safely received and processed. The Vote By Mail Tracking Act is cosponsored by 19 Members of Congress. Representatives Nancy Mace (R-SC), Kweisi Mfume (D-MD), Byron Donalds (R-FL), Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), and Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) introduced the bill with Rep. Porter in September 2023. 

“We’ve been pushing this bill for a year, and it’s time we got it across the finish line,” said Rep. Mace. “Every American should have the right to track their vote from mailbox to ballot box. This legislation will bring much-needed transparency, ensuring voters know their voice will be heard and counted.”

“Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy, so we must doggedly protect every step of the voting process. This common-sense legislation adds another safeguard to the increasingly efficient and effective mail-in balloting process — thereby strengthening the electoral process as a whole. I am proud to co-lead this bipartisan legislation and urge its passage in the U.S. Senate to help ensure mail-in ballots are properly delivered and counted in future elections,” said Rep. Mfume. 

“I am proud the House took a critical step forward in protecting the integrity of our elections,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick. “Our bipartisan legislation will ensure every mail-in ballot meets USPS standards, can be tracked, and is properly identified as official election mail. I urge my Senate colleagues to join us in restoring confidence in the electoral process and guaranteeing every voter's voice is heard.”

“We need to make voting more accessible for every American and ensure the process is always secure and transparent,” said Rep. Connolly. “With passage of the Vote By Mail Tracking Act in the House, we’ve taken a significant step toward achieving that goal. As more Americans choose to vote by mail, this simple measure will ensure all ballots are trackable and every valid vote is counted.”

Congresswoman Porter has championed transparency and accountability during her time in Congress. She’s introduced multiple bills to help restore Americans’ trust in government, like her proposals to modernize Congress, improve government efficiency, and ban stock trading by our nation’s leaders. Each month, Rep. Porter discloses meetings she takes in her official capacity on her website so Americans can see how she spends her time. She’s also introduced legislation to eliminate foreign funding of ballot initiatives, reduce foreign influence in our elections, and crack down on scammers who pocket money through fake political action committees. 

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