WASHINGTON - As the 2026 midterm elections approach, multiple aspects of U.S. voting practices and election administration are drawing intense debate and proposed changes. One major area of uncertainty surrounds voting by mail, a once-widespread practice that now faces challenges in several states. In Oregon — a longtime mail-ballot state — local election officials defend the system’s convenience and security, but lawmakers and grassroots organizers in some places have pushed legislation and ballot campaigns to roll back or restrict mail-in voting. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that could eliminate “grace periods” that allow ballots arriving after Election Day to still be counted, a decision that could reshape mail-in voting rules in as many as 16 states and the District of Columbia. Former President Donald Trump has publicly criticized mail ballots, asserting without evidence that they are linked to fraud, signaling broader national conflict over the practice.
At the same time, Republican lawmakers in Congress are pursuing changes to how voter rolls are managed. During a House hearing, GOP members discussed proposals to amend the National Voter Registration Act to allow states more authority to remove voters from registration lists — including those who may have moved, died, or were never eligible in the first place. Supporters argue such changes would help states keep voter rolls accurate and up to date, while critics warn that broader removal authority could lead to overzealous purges and risk disenfranchising eligible voters. The effort reflects continued debate over federal versus state roles in election administration, but major voting legislation faces significant obstacles in Congress ahead of the 2026 midterms.