States must install 24/7 ballot drop boxes in every county by 2026
H.R. 10699 — Dropbox Access Act · Filed by Mary Scanlon (D-PA) · 2 cosponsors · Introduced Oct 1, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends federal election law to require every county in every state to provide secured drop boxes where voters can deposit absentee ballots starting 45 days before Election Day through poll closing. The number of boxes scales with county population (at least one per 20,000 registered voters), must be accessible to people with disabilities and limited English proficiency, located on non-discriminatory and transit-accessible sites, and available 24/7. States must consult Tribal leaders on box placement in Indian Country and post ballot requirements at each box.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is a mandate to states to provide secured absentee ballot drop boxes with accessibility and equity requirements. It is a straightforward voting-infrastructure measure with no hidden provisions or narrow beneficiaries.
What the text implies
- States will incur significant capital and operational costs to design, install, secure, and maintain drop boxes in every county—no federal funding mechanism is specified in this text, potentially shifting election administration costs to state budgets.
- The 24/7 availability requirement may create security and staffing challenges for rural and Tribal jurisdictions with limited resources, potentially creating disparities in implementation quality despite the bill's equity intent.
- The formula (1 box per 20,000 voters) may result in inadequate coverage in high-density urban areas if interpreted as a ceiling rather than a floor, though the text says 'equal to or greater than.'
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
The bill expands voting access by mandating a uniform, accessible infrastructure for absentee ballot return across all counties. Citizens gain a secured, 24/7 alternative to mail or in-person voting, with explicit protections for voters with disabilities, limited English proficiency, rural voters, and Tribal members—groups historically facing voting barriers.
Who stands to gain
- election equipment manufacturers (drop box hardware)
- security and logistics firms (installation, maintenance, monitoring)
Named in the bill
Help America Vote Act of 2002, U.S. states and counties, Attorney General, Tribal nations, protection and advocacy systems, Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000
Where it stands
2 cosponsors: 2 Democrats.
- Oct 1, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Oct 1, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on House Administration · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on House Administration”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (5,152 characters) on Oct 16, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
“States must install 24/7 ballot drop boxes in every county by 2026” QuorumCivic. https://share.quorumcivic.app/bill/119/hr10699 Report an error
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