The Legislative Process: How Laws Are Made

Laws are rules that must be followed, and in the United States, they are made by Congress. The process of how laws are made is known as the legislative process, and it begins with a bill, which is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. Anyone can propose a bill, including members of the Senate and House of Representatives, citizens, and citizen groups. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes to it. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If it passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions, and then both chambers vote on the same version. If it passes, it is presented to the President, who can either approve and sign it into law or refuse to approve it, which is called a veto. If the President chooses to veto a bill, Congress can vote to override that veto, and the bill becomes a law. However, if the President does not sign off on a bill and Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default, which is called a pocket veto.

Absentee/mail-in voting

How Laws Are Enacted

The legislative process is a matter that every person should be well-informed about to understand and appreciate the work of Congress. The legislative process is one of the most practical safeguards of the American democratic way of life, with its emphasis on the protection of the minority and allowing all sides to be heard and make their views known.

A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. The idea for a bill can come from a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, be proposed during their election campaign, or be petitioned by citizens or groups who recommend a new or amended law to their representative. Once a bill is introduced, it goes through the following steps before becoming a law:

• It is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill.
• The bill is then put before that chamber for a vote.
• If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body, including research, discussion, changes, and voting.
• Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they work together to resolve any differences between the two versions. Then, both chambers vote on the same version of the bill.
• If the bill passes, it is presented to the President for approval. The President can choose to sign the bill into law or veto it.
• If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can override the veto with a vote, and the bill becomes a law. However, if Congress does not override the veto and the bill remains unsigned, it will be vetoed by default, known as a "pocket veto."

Absentee and mail-in voting laws allow voters who cannot or do not want to vote in person to cast their ballots before Election Day by mail or drop-off. While the specific laws and procedures may vary by state, here are some general steps and considerations for absentee and mail-in voting:

• Each state has its own rules and deadlines for absentee and mail-in voting, including any required excuses for voting absentee. Some states require voters to have a valid reason for voting absentee, such as illness or travel, while others do not.
• Voters need to request an absentee ballot from their state or territory. They may need to meet certain eligibility requirements and deadlines to receive the ballot.
• Absentee ballots can be cast for both primary and general elections.
• Voters can return their completed absentee ballots by mail or in person at designated locations, such as ballot drop boxes or local election offices.
• Military members and families stationed outside their legal voting residence, as well as U.S. citizens living abroad, can vote absentee.
• The process for absentee voting may vary slightly depending on the voter's specific situation, such as their state of residence, military status, or citizenship status.
• Some states offer vote-by-mail programs, where ballots are automatically sent to all registered voters before Election Day.

Ranked-choice voting

How Laws are Enacted

The legislative branch of the US government is responsible for enacting laws. The process begins with a bill, which is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. A bill can be introduced by a sitting member of the US Senate or House of Representatives, or it can be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to their Congressional representative.

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee, whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to it. The bill is then put before that chamber for a vote. If it passes, the bill goes through a similar process in the other chamber. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. Then, both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the President.

The President then has the option to approve the bill and sign it into law, or refuse to approve it by vetoing the bill. If the President chooses to veto, Congress can override that veto, and the bill becomes a law. But if the President does not sign off on a bill and it remains unsigned when Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default, in what is known as a "pocket veto".

RCV is used in various municipal elections in more than 50 cities across 14 states, including New York, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Payson, Cambridge, and Las Cruces. RCV is also used in Maine for US House and Senate primary and general elections, and primaries for statewide offices and State Assembly seats. Alaskans approved RCV in 2020, and used it for the first time in statewide elections in 2022.

RCV has been proposed as a way to make democracy more equitable and give voters more choice. It increases voter participation, saves time and money by eliminating the need for costly runoff elections, avoids the "spoiler effect", reduces negative campaign tactics, and allows for more equitable representation.

Election dates and deadlines

The U.S. Vote Foundation provides voters with relevant dates and deadlines regarding upcoming elections in every state of the United States. These dates include registration deadlines, absentee ballot deadlines, and early voting options. The deadlines vary by state, and the Foundation provides an easy-to-use tool for voters to access this information.

For example, in Texas, the following are some of the important election dates and deadlines for 2024-2025:

• March 5, 2024 - Primary Election
• September 12, 2023 - First day to file for all candidates for offices on the Primary ballot
• November 11, 2023 - Filing deadline for primary candidates
• December 11, 2023 - First day to apply for a ballot by mail
• February 5, 2024 - Last day to register to vote
• February 20, 2024 - First day of early voting
• February 23, 2024 - Last day to apply for a ballot by mail
• March 1, 2024 - Last day of early voting
• May 4, 2024 - Uniform Election Date (Limited)

Similarly, each state has its own election dates and deadlines, which can be found on the U.S. Vote Foundation's website or other official sources. These deadlines are crucial for voters to be aware of, as they can impact their ability to participate in the election process.

Election officials and workers

At the county level, election officials may be a single individual, a board, or a commission. They are responsible for overseeing the voter registration process, mailing ballots, deciding the number and location of polling places, and ensuring there are enough well-trained poll workers.

Election officials undergo extensive training to ensure voting machines and election equipment are properly tested, voter eligibility is verified, and voter rolls are kept up to date. They also play a critical role in providing oversight during and after Election Day, including sending out mail-in ballots, maintaining accurate voter databases, procuring voting equipment, troubleshooting technical issues, and ensuring election results are accurately counted and reported.

In 37 states, the secretary of state serves as the chief election officer, collaborating with federal and county officials to ensure fair and secure elections. Several states have also passed laws to protect election officials and poll workers from threats and violence.

The legislative process begins with a bill, which is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. This idea can come from a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, be proposed during their election campaign, or be petitioned by citizens or groups who recommend changes to their representative. Once introduced, a bill is assigned to a committee for research, discussion, and potential changes before being put to a vote.

If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must reconcile any differences, and both chambers vote on the final version. If passed, the bill is then presented to the President for approval or veto. Congress can override a presidential veto and pass the bill into law, but if the President does not sign off and Congress is no longer in session, the bill is vetoed by default, known as a "pocket veto."

Redistricting

The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity. The Texas Constitution requires the state legislature to redistrict Texas House and Senate seats during its first regular session following the publication of each US census.

The basic purpose of decennial redistricting is to equalize population among electoral districts after the US census indicates population has increased or decreased over the last decade.

The two primary requirements governing redistricting are:

• Representative districts of a given type must have equal or nearly equal populations.
• Districts must be drawn in a manner that neither has the purpose nor will have the effect of denying or abridging the right to vote on the basis of race, color, or language group.

Frequently asked questions