Between January 1 and May 14, 2021, at least 14 states enacted 22 new laws that restrict access to the vote. footnote1_r03tmts1 The United States is on track to far exceed its most recent period of significant voter suppression -- 2011. By October of that year, 19 restrictive laws were enacted in 14 states. This year, the country has already reached that level, and it's only May.
More restrictions on the vote are likely to become law, as roughly one-third of legislatures are still in session. Indeed, at least 61 bills with restrictive provisions are moving through 18 state legislatures. More specifically, 31 have passed at least one chamber, while another 30 have had some sort of committee action (e.g., a hearing, an amendment, or a committee vote). Overall, lawmakers have introduced at least 389 restrictive bills in 48 states in the 2021 legislative sessions. footnote2_ihhzmfb2
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