Housing and Mortgage Paperwork Now Includes Voter Registration Info Under New 'Voters on the Move' Act

This bill, officially titled the Voters on the Move Registration Act of 2025, sets up a new system to automatically hand out voter registration information whenever people deal with federal housing assistance or apply for a residential mortgage. The core idea is to make voter access a standard part of major life transactions. The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (BCFP) is tasked with creating a single, standardized statement explaining how to register and what voting rights people have. Crucially, this statement must be translated into English and the ten other most common non-English languages based on Census data.

Your Lease Just Got an Extra Page

If you receive federal rental assistance—think public housing, Section 8 vouchers, or live in an apartment building that uses federally backed financing—get ready for some new paperwork. The bill mandates that Public Housing Agencies (PHAs), voucher program operators, and property owners receiving federal help must hand you this BCFP-created voter statement at two key times: when you sign your lease, and again whenever you complete an income verification form. For the millions of renters who rely on these programs, this means essential voting information is coming directly to your mailbox or leasing office, removing the need to track down a separate registration form.

Mortgage Applications: Five Days to Inform

The changes aren't just for renters; they hit the mortgage industry, too. If you’re applying for a residential mortgage loan (a loan for a standard 1-to-4 family home), the creditor—your bank or lender—is now required to mail or provide a written copy of the voter statement within five business days of receiving your application. This integrates voter outreach into the high-traffic process of home buying. While the bill aims to increase access, it specifically clarifies that no one is forced to fill out the registration application; the requirement is strictly about providing the necessary information.

Who Carries the Clipboard?

While the benefit here is clear—better access to voting information for people on the move or dealing with complex financial processes—the cost is administrative. This bill creates new compliance requirements for several groups. PHAs and property owners who receive federal rental assistance now have a new piece of paper they must track, print, and distribute consistently. Similarly, mortgage creditors have to adjust their application processing timelines to ensure that voter statement is mailed within that strict five-day window. For these entities, it’s a new administrative burden and a new compliance risk they have to manage. The BCFP itself has a big job creating, testing, and translating the standardized statement before any of this can roll out.