Rep. Laurel Lee introduced a bill Sept. 3 that would require all mail-in and absentee ballots in federal elections to arrive by the close of polls on Election Day. Lee's district, Florida's 15th, includes Wesley Chapel.

The measure, called the Ballots by Election Day Act, would bar states from counting any federal ballot received after polls close. It would take effect for federal elections starting in 2027. Military and overseas voters would be exempt under existing protections in the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

Lee, a Republican, former Florida secretary of state and chair of the House Administration Subcommittee on Elections, said in a news release that Florida's own Election Day receipt deadline served as the model. Florida already requires most vote-by-mail ballots to arrive at the supervisor of elections' office by 7 p.m. on Election Day, regardless of postmark, according to the Florida Division of Elections.

"This is something that we've done in Florida for many years, and it's a really effective way of making sure that elections stay organized and that we have timely election results," Lee told the Floridian Press on Sept. 3.

Senate Companion Bill Introduced by Sen. Ashley Moody in July

The House bill is a companion to Senate legislation introduced July 15 by Sen. Ashley Moody, a Florida Republican. Moody's version, S. 5001, would amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002. Moody said in Lee's news release that the bill is a simple fix meant to rebuild trust in elections.

Bill Follows Supreme Court Ruling on Mississippi Mail-Ballot Law

The legislation follows the U.S. Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling June 29 in Watson v. Republican National Committee. The court held that Mississippi's law allowing mail ballots postmarked by Election Day and received up to five business days later does not violate federal election statutes, according to the ACLU's case page.

The justices left it to Congress or individual states to set mail-ballot receipt deadlines.

Fourteen States Currently Allow Late-Arriving Ballots

Fourteen states currently allow mail ballots to be counted if they arrive after Election Day. Late-arrival windows range from one day in Texas to 21 days in Washington state, according to the R Street Institute. Six of the 18 U.S. House races rated toss-ups by the Cook Political Report sit in states that count late-arriving ballots.

Legislation Aligns With Trump's 2025 Election Integrity Order

The Floridian Press reported that the bill aligns with President Donald Trump's March 2025 executive order on election integrity. That order directed the Election Assistance Commission to tie state funding to standards including Election Day deadlines.

No committee hearing date or floor vote timeline has been announced for the House version. No opposition response to the bill appeared in available public statements as of publication.