Bill · H.R. 2054· House(119-HR-2054)
VOTE Act
- Introduced
- 3/11/2025
- Last activity
- 3/11/2025 — Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Sponsored by
- Abraham Hamadeh
- Cosponsors
- - 10 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, titled the "Voting Only Through English Act" or the "VOTE Act," aims to change how election funds are distributed to states. It proposes that any state providing election ballots for federal office containing text in a language other than English would become ineligible to receive certain federal funds. This rule would apply to any fiscal year in which such ballots are used. Additionally, the bill seeks to amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by striking specific paragraphs.
Yes
Does this give the federal government more power?+5
The bill increases federal power by using funding restrictions to dictate state-level election language policies.
Would white Americans be better off under this?+2
The bill aligns with a preference for English-only administration, which may benefit this demographic.
The opposite· 3 of 12
Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this?-7
The mandate for English-only ballots specifically targets linguistic communities like Hispanic Americans.
Would immigrants be better off under this?-7
The bill creates language barriers that negatively impact naturalized citizens and immigrants.
Does this protect the right to vote?-7
The bill negatively impacts voting rights by creating financial penalties for states that provide multi-language election materials.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Language Uniformity: The bill establishes a requirement that election materials for federal offices be provided only in English, which may impact how states manage their election administration (Section 2).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Loss of Federal Election Funding: States that choose to include text in languages other than English on federal election ballots would become ineligible to receive federal funds designated for the administration of those elections (Section 2).
-
Changes to the Voting Rights Act: The bill amends Section 4(f) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by striking paragraphs (1), (3), and (4) (Section 3).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For White Americans+2Good For Hispanic Americans-7Good For Immigrants-7Good For Asian Americans-6Good For African Americans-5Good For Low Income Households-5Good For Native Americans-5Good For Urban Residents-4
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Voting Access-7Improves Voting Rights-7Improves Racial Equity-6
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+5Increase States Rights-5Improves Electoral Process-4
- 11/12/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/2/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/18/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/11/2025
- Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 7 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Josh BrecheenRepublican · Oklahoma
Michael BaumgartnerRepublican · Washington
Randy FineRepublican · Florida
Brandon GillRepublican · Texas
Pat HarriganRepublican · North Carolina
Ronny JacksonRepublican · Texas
Doug LaMalfaRepublican · California
Victoria SpartzRepublican · Indiana
W. SteubeRepublican · Florida
Joe WilsonRepublican · South Carolina