The nationwide fight over voting rules has landed on Capitol Hill. Two allies of President Donald Trump just unveiled a new plan to fix election confidence.
Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., plans to introduce legislation on Thursday. Her bill mandates that absentee and mail-in ballots must be received by officials by the end of Election Day. A matching bill is moving through the Senate led by Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla.
From 2019 through May 2022, Lee held the position of Florida’s secretary of state. She told Fox News Digital that her state has a proven track record with this rule.
Lee explained that the current system works well in her state. “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,” she said.
She noted that voters just need to know the rules. “They can do that just as easy as they can get it postmarked by Election Day,” Lee said. The goal is simple: ensure ballots arrive on time.
In March 2025, Trump issued an executive order that prompted this action. That order essentially set the same Election Day deadline for mail ballot receipts. If passed, this legislation could impact millions of Americans. Nearly a third of voters cast their ballots by mail.
Some Republicans worry about changing systems before November. But Lee argues her bill does not stop people from voting by mail. She insists the rules just need to be clear.
“One thing that’s important to understand about this bill is that it doesn’t limit voting by mail,” she said. For states permitting mail voting, ballots must arrive by Election Day, the statement reads.
The proposal keeps all existing options available for states. “So it still keeps all of those options that states have chosen to implement on the table for them,” Lee said. “It just creates a different deadline.”
Mail-in ballots remain a hot political topic. More than 20 states and the White House are engaged in a legal dispute over a separate Trump order. New obstacles for the U.S. Postal Service would be established by that order.
The rule would require proof of citizenship before delivering ballots. It also mandates specific stationery for federal election mail. Supporters say this boosts confidence. Opponents argue it will do the opposite by sowing doubt.
