Election season is underway. Here's what we're watching

From documentation requirements to redistricting, several developments could shape women's voting and representation before the 2026 midterms.

Several important election developments are unfolding that could have unique implications for women. Some of those implications exist regardless of timing. But if major changes move forward in the months leading up to the November midterms, the limited time available for voters and election officials to adapt could make them even more significant.

Voting

A Longer Paper Trail
For many women, proving eligibility isn't the challenge—it's navigating a much longer paper trail.

Women are far more likely than men to have official records that reflect different legal names over the course of their lives. Marriage, divorce, remarriage, and other life events can leave a birth certificate, driver's license, passport, and voter registration record reflecting different points in time. Most of the time, those differences don't matter. But laws that place greater emphasis on documentary proof of citizenship—or on matching records across multiple government databases—can make those differences much more important.

That's why we're paying close attention to three related developments.

The SAVE America Act
Although the SAVE America Act stalled in the Senate earlier this year, it remains a top legislative priority for the administration. The proposal would require eligible voters to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote or updating their voter registration, and lawmakers continue exploring ways to advance it before the 2026 midterm elections.

For many women, the challenge isn't proving citizenship—it's proving it with the documents the bill requires. An estimated 84% of women who marry change their surname, and as many as 69 million women may not have a birth certificate reflecting their current legal name. A current passport would generally satisfy the documentation requirement, but only about half of Americans have one. If legislation requiring new documentation were enacted shortly before the election, many eligible women who lack both a current passport and a matching birth certificate could face the time and expense of obtaining new documents before their state's voter registration deadline. Election officials would face that same compressed timeline as they work to implement new procedures with little additional time or funding.

State policy changes
Even if Congress never passes the SAVE America Act, the broader conversation around proof of citizenship is already influencing state policy.

Fourteen states—including South Dakota, Utah, New Hampshire, and Wyoming—have enacted or expanded proof-of-citizenship requirements or voter verification procedures, while others continue considering similar proposals. While the details vary, the practical questions for many women remain similar: Which documents will be accepted? Will older name changes create additional paperwork? How much time will voters have to resolve those issues before registration deadlines?

Earlier this year, implementation of New Hampshire's proof-of-citizenship law illustrated some of those practical challenges when eligible voters—including at least one woman whose legal name no longer matched her birth certificate—encountered difficulties providing the required documentation. As more states consider similar policies, these are the kinds of implementation questions we'll continue watching.

Federal verification efforts
The federal government is seeking to play a larger role in voter verification.

Over the past year, the Department of Justice has sought access to statewide voter registration records from nearly every state, saying the information would help verify voter eligibility through the use of federal databases. Some states have agreed to provide those records, while others have challenged the requests in court, and multiple federal judges have rejected the government's efforts to compel disclosure of sensitive voter information.

Unlike the SAVE America Act, these efforts would not automatically change voter registration requirements. Instead, they reflect a broader shift toward using federal databases to verify eligibility—a process that could create additional challenges when official records don't align.

For women whose legal names have changed over time, that raises practical questions about whether records created decades apart accurately connect a birth identity to a current legal identity—and what additional documentation may be required if they don't.

Because the legal landscape continues to evolve from state to state, we recommend reviewing the Brennan Center's state tracker to see what's happening where you live. We'll continue monitoring these developments throughout the election season.

Civic Representation

Voting is only one part of the election story. The people who ultimately hold office determine which laws are introduced, debated, and enacted long after Election Day.

This year, another issue deserves attention: how changing district boundaries could influence who gets elected in the first place.

District boundaries determine which neighborhoods and communities vote together to elect a representative. When those boundaries change, the political makeup of a district can change as well, making it easier—or harder—for certain candidates to win.

The Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais narrowed protections under the Voting Rights Act, and several states have continued revisiting district boundaries ahead of the 2026 elections. While the reasons behind those map changes vary from state to state, they are reshaping the districts where candidates will compete this November.

For example, longtime Ohio Representative Marcy Kaptur won her Democratic primary and is now seeking reelection in a district that became more Republican following redistricting. In Texas, Representative Sylvia Garcia also successfully defended her seat in a district whose political and demographic makeup changed after new maps were adopted. These examples illustrate how changing district boundaries can reshape the electoral environment long before voters cast their ballots.

Women remain far from parity in elected office, holding about 28% of the seats in Congress and roughly one-third of state legislative seats nationwide. Because women remain underrepresented, even relatively small changes in district boundaries can influence who serves—and which issues receive attention after the election.

For women, this isn't only about electing more women. District maps also influence whether communities can elect candidates—women or men—who prioritize issues affecting women's healthcare, education, workplace protections, public safety, and family policy. Throughout the election season, we'll be watching how changing district boundaries influence both women's representation and the policies that follow.

Throughout the election season, we'll be watching not only where district boundaries change, but how those changes affect the women running to represent them.

Before November

Regardless of what happens before the midterms, now is a good time to prepare:

Confirm that your voter registration is current and check again in October.
Review your state's voter registration and identification requirements.
If you've changed your name for any reason, make sure that your voting records and identification documents match.
If you've changed your name through marriage, divorce, or another legal process, consider obtaining an original or certified copy of your birth certificate if you don't already have one. Even if your state doesn't currently require proof of citizenship, having those documents readily available could save time if requirements change.
Bookmark our 2026 Elections page. We'll continue tracking these developments throughout the election season.

The rules governing elections often change gradually until they don't. As the 2026 midterms approach, we'll continue tracking the developments most likely to affect women—before they reach the ballot box and long after the votes are counted.

What the latest VRA ruling could mean for women’s political influence (May 26)
The states revisiting voting maps after the April VRA ruling (May 26)
A major pathway tied to Black women’s political representation is now weaker (May 26)
Ohio changes voting rules ahead of the 2026 elections (Feb 26)

Resources

Center for American Progress - The SAVE Act May Be Stalled in Congress, But State Versions Are Being Advanced All Across the Country
Bipartisan Policy Center - Five Things to Know About the SAVE America Act
Vote.org - The SAVE Act: What Every American Voter Needs to Know
Ohio Capital Journal - The Justice Department is suing states for sensitive voter data − an election law scholar explains
National Conference of State Legislatures - Women in State Legislatures for 2025
Pew Research Center - Women account for 28% of lawmakers in the 119th Congress – unchanged from the last Congress
National Constitution Center - The Supreme Court’s Callais decision sets new framework for racial gerrymandering
ACLU - Your Questions Answered: What is Redistricting and Why Should We Care?

WRDI Watch