The Voters on the Move Registration Act legislation aims to make voting easier for people as they change their residences

The legislation will help Americans register to vote by requiring federal housing agencies, as well as residential and multi-family mortgage loan providers, to provide information to new renters and homeowners about how to register to vote.

Senator Reverend Warnock: “Access to the ballot box is foundational to a thriving, healthy democracy, and a recent move shouldn’t prevent an eligible voter from casting a ballot.”

Read the Voters on the Move Registration Act one-pager here

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Representative Nikema Williams (GA-05) announced the introduction of the Voters on the Move Registration Act, legislation to make it easier for people to register to vote when they change residences. The Voters on the Move Registration Act requires the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, in coordination with the Election Assistance Commission, to design a uniform statement that would be included with certain leases and vouchers for federally assisted rental housing, as well as with mortgage applications, to inform recipients about their voting rights and how they can register to vote at their new address.

“Access to the ballot box is foundational to a thriving, healthy democracy, and a recent move shouldn’t prevent an eligible voter from casting a ballot,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “The Voters on the Move Registration Act will help ensure movers receive accurate and timely information about registering to vote in their new locality. When our elected officials reflect the people they are elected to represent, we are all better off. This bill gets us closer to that goal.”

“Moving to a new home shouldn’t be a barrier to voting,” said Representative Williams. “Helping people register to vote as they prepare to move into their new homes is one of the simplest ways to strengthen our democracy. This commonsense legislation will give people the tools they need to exercise their voice in our representative government no matter their ZIP code – or the ZIP code they are moving to.”

“All Americans, no matter their age, race, or zip code, deserve to have the freedom to vote,” said Aunna Dennis, Executive Director of Common Cause Georgia.“Especially as certain Republican state legislatures are creating barriers to voting, mostly targeting Black and brown voters, we commend Senator Warnock and Congresswoman Williams for introducing this common-sense bill, the Voters on the Move Registration Act, to help ensure that all Americans can have their voices heard and votes counted.”

The Voters on the Move Registration Act would:

• Direct the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), working with the Election Assistance Commission, to develop a uniform statement to provide information about how to register to vote and voter’s rights under the law; 
• Require public housing agencies, as well as any owner of rental units that receive federal rental assistance, to provide a copy of this statement to renters;
• Require owners of multifamily residential units receiving federally-backed mortgage loans to provide a copy of this statement to renters;
• Direct the CFPB to require every creditor that receives an application for a residential mortgage to provide a copy of this statement to mortgage applicants.

In the Senate, Senator Warnock led the legislation with co-sponsors: Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Diane Feinstein (D-CA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR). In the House, Representative Williams led the legislation along with Representatives Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), John Sarbanes (MD-03), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Terri A. Sewell (AL-07), and Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03). 

The Voters on the Move Act is supported by Common Cause, National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low-income clients), National Housing Law Project, and National Low Income Housing Coalition.

**Read the full bill text here**

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