To require States to hold special elections to fill vacancies in the House of Representatives not later than 180 days after a vacancy occurs in the House of Representatives, and for other purposes.

119th Congress Introduced by Joyce Beatty and 4 co-sponsors

Requires states to hold a special election within 180 days to fill any vacancy in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Introduced in House

Overview

Title: To require States to hold special elections to fill vacancies in the House of Representatives not later than 180 days after a vacancy occurs in the House of Representatives, and for other purposes.

Status: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration (as of 2026-04-29); introduced in the House on 2026-04-29.

Sponsors:

Co-sponsors: Jamie Raskin, Joyce Beatty, Hank Johnson, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Yvette Clarke.

Purpose and Intent

The bill seeks to ensure timely filling of vacancies in the U.S. House of Representatives by mandating that each state hold a special election within 180 days after a vacancy occurs.

Aims to minimize periods where constituents are temporarily without representation in Congress and to reduce reliance on appointment mechanisms or extended vacancy durations.

Key Provisions (as described by the bill’s title and summary)

Mandatory timing for special elections: States must conduct a special election to fill a House vacancy no later than 180 days after the vacancy occurs.

Scope: Applies to all vacancies in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“And for other purposes”: Indicates there may be additional related provisions or mechanisms accompanying the primary requirement (e.g., implementation details, enforcement, or related administrative processes), though specific text is not provided here.

Who and What is Affected

Affected entities: States (state election authorities and legislatures) responsible for organizing and conducting federal elections.

Affected individuals: U.S. constituents in districts with vacant seats; benefited by a more rapid restoration of representation in the House.

Administrative/operational impact: State election offices would need to adjust schedules, resources, and procedures to comply with the 180-day deadline; potential implications for candidate filing windows and ballot timing.

Procedural and Timeline Considerations

Current procedural posture: Bill introduced in the House and referred to the Committee on House Administration. No floor passage information available in the provided record.

Deadline pressure: If enacted, states would face a concrete 180-day deadline to certify and hold a special election after a vacancy occurs.

Enforcement and remedies: The provided summary does not specify enforcement mechanisms, penalties, or judicial remedies; such details would appear in the full text of the bill or subsequent committee reports.

Timing with elections: The 180-day requirement may interact with existing election calendars, military/voting accessibility provisions, and primary election scheduling in each state.

Potential Impacts and Considerations

Representation: Faster restoration of constituents’ representation in the House.

State flexibility: States would need to align administrative practices to meet the deadline, which could affect primary timing, ballot design, and candidate filing windows.

Political considerations: Could influence strategic timing for special elections and party recruitment efforts in affected districts.

Comparison to current law: The bill would replace or supersede any state practices that allow longer vacancy periods or appointment-into-seat procedures with a uniform federal deadline.

If you’d like, I can pull the full text of HR 8581 or recent committee materials to provide more precise language, enforcement details, and any related fiscal or regulatory implications.

Bill