WASHINGTON: The debate over a proposed law to overhaul the voter registration process remains unsettled as the US heads towards the November 3 midterm elections for 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats.
US President Donald Trump has been pushing for changes to the voter registration process, including a federal requirement for states to collect documentary proof of US citizenship from people registering to vote in federal elections.
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE America Act, seeks to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require such proof of citizenship.
The House passed the legislation in February, while its Senate version remains pending, leaving the proposed changes unresolved ahead of the midterms.
Unlike India, where elections are conducted under a largely uniform national framework, the US electoral system is administered primarily by individual states, which have different rules for voter registration, identification, voting and election administration.
North Dakota is the only state that does not require voter registration. Eligible voters must meet the state's residency and identification requirements.
Though states handle most aspects of election administration, several federal laws set rules governing voter registration and protect voting rights nationwide. They include the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA), the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA).
The VRA prohibits racial discrimination in voting, while the NVRA requires states covered by the law to make voter registration more accessible and sets rules for maintaining voter rolls. Signed into law in 1993 by then president Bill Clinton, the NVRA required states to offer voter registration through motor vehicle agencies and certain other designated agencies, and also established procedures for registration by mail.
The law also sets rules governing the removal of names from voter rolls. Names may be removed at a voter's request, under state law, following a criminal conviction or determination of mental incapacity, or because the voter has died or moved outside the jurisdiction. In the case of a change of residence, federal law requires election officials to follow specific notification and waiting-period procedures.
Registration deadlines vary by state. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia allow voter registration on Election Day, while North Carolina and Montana permit same-day registration during early voting but not on Election Day, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Overall, 24 states and the District of Columbia have implemented same-day or Election Day registration. Seventeen of those states and DC allow it throughout the early voting period and on Election Day, while four permit it only on Election Day and three only during early voting. Two states allow same-day registration for presidential elections only.
Online voter registration was first implemented by Arizona in 2002. It is now available in 42 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and the US Virgin Islands, according to the NCSL.
The SAVE America Act has also become part of a broader debate over voter identification and mail-in voting. Republican lawmakers have sought tighter identification requirements, while Democrats have opposed the measures, arguing that they could make voting more difficult for some eligible voters.
California, for instance, mails ballots to all active registered voters. Mail ballots postmarked by Election Day can be received by county election officials up to seven days after Election Day and still be counted, subject to the state's other requirements
The 2026 midterm elections are scheduled for November 3, with all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats on the ballot.