December 2025: 2025 State Election Policy, Wrapped

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In this month’s newsletter, we present an overview of election law developments in 2025, including how President Trump’s agenda is reshaping the landscape of state election policy. We also explore the fallout —with more to come — from New Hampshire’s newly-expanded proof-of-citizenship laws. Additionally, we highlight the corrosive consequences of election deniers in positions of power.

2025 ROUNDUP: HOW TRUMP’S ELECTIONS AGENDA FARED IN THE STATES

In March, President Trump issued marching orders to his allies in the states, calling on them to reshape state policies to suit his elections agenda. Our Election Policy Tracker illustrates the impact of Trump’s agenda and rhetoric on the state election policy landscape. 

This year alone:

• 37 restrictive voting bills have been enacted in states — the highest number we’ve recorded since 2021.
• One-quarter (25.9%) of all enacted bills have restricted access to the ballot — the highest share we have ever recorded.
• 51 bills aimed at improving voting and elections have been enacted — the lowest total since we began tracking.
• While one-third (32%) of enacted bills improved voter access, this figure is down from the previous low of 42% in 2023. 

Read our latest analysis to learn how the president's election agenda played out in the states, along with improvements to voter access and some stories to keep an eye on heading into the 2026 midterms. 

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BY THE NUMBERS

244

That’s how many would-be New Hampshire voters were turned away from the polls this year due to the state’s recently expanded voter proof-of-citizenship and strict identification laws. The New Hampshire Campaign for Voting Rights determined that 123 people were turned away this fall during city municipal elections. Another 121 Granite Staters were turned away when trying to register to vote for town and school district meetings last March.

The state legislature enacted H.B. 1569 in 2024, making this year the first test case for the new law. Now, first-time voters must present a photo ID, proof of age, proof of residency at an address covered by the polling place, and proof of citizenship. Formerly, registrants could submit an affidavit attesting to their qualifications. The law also requires that all registered voters present photo identification at their polling place, with no exceptions or backstops, repealing all prior provisions that allowed voters without ID at the polling place to sign an attestation under penalty of perjury. 

Notably, New Hampshire held only local elections this year, which generally see lower voter turnout. With these new restrictions, we can expect to see a significantly higher number of voters turned away in the 2026 midterm elections. 

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WHAT WE’RE READING: THEY TRIED TO OVERTURN THE 2020 US ELECTION. NOW THEY HOLD POWER IN TRUMP’S WASHINGTON

After losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden, Donald Trump mounted an all-out campaign to overturn the election results. A litany of figures aided him in this illegitimate crusade. Since Trump resumed the presidency in 2025, he has appointed many of the same election deniers to key federal positions. Now, they are using their newfound powers to reshape the federal government, meddle in state election administration, and interfere with the outcomes of future elections.

A recent story in The Guardian explored this campaign, highlighting how these anti-democracy activists are undermining free and fair elections. From drafting the language of the ill-fated Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act to demanding that states turn over sensitive voter data to building a national voter registry to making massive budgetary cuts to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, these election deniers are inserting the federal government into state-run elections in unprecedented ways. 

“In the ways that you’re seeing more high-profile election deniers in positions in the federal government, you have to also keep in mind that the benches are currently also being stacked at the more grassroots level, in county boards and state boards of elections.” – Samantha Tarazi, Co-Founder and CEO, Voting Rights Lab

Trump’s allies in state legislatures have also been hard at work this year implementing his election agenda at the state and local levels. In Georgia and Arizona, election-denier activists have gained power on local election boards. And in North Carolina, Judge Jefferson Griffin’s attempts to overturn his election loss this year offer a clear template for bad-faith actors to challenge election results they don’t like.

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THE MARKUP

The Markup is Voting Rights Lab’s law and policy update, powered by our Election Policy Tracker.  If you would like to subscribe, please check the sign-up box at the bottom of this form. 

Here’s an excerpt from last week’s Markup. We will resume weekly updates on January 5, 2026.

• Georgia court reinstates ban on providing food and water to voters in line. An appeals court in Georgia reversed a lower court's decision that had partially struck down provisions from S.B. 202. Enacted in 2021, this law prohibited providing food or water to voters waiting in line at a polling place. The appeals court decision reinstates the ban and associated criminal penalty.

• Hundreds of Texas voters were incorrectly identified as potential noncitizens. County election officials have confirmed that hundreds of voters whom the secretary of state flagged as potential noncitizens are, in fact, citizens. The secretary's office used the federal SAVE database to identify the potential noncitizens. The office failed to check with the Texas Department of Public Safety, the state agency that collects proof-of-citizenship documents before issuing driver's licenses.

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