In the early 1970s, Congress considered several proposals to require the U.S. Census Bureau to mail voter registration forms to every household, none of which passed.

[8]: 1–2 Congress passed two pieces of legislation in the 1980s that made voter registration for federal elections more accessible for certain disadvantaged populations.

A similar bill in 1991 [Introduced by Congressman Al Swift] gained less bipartisan support; it passed in both the Senate and the House but was vetoed by President George H. W. Bush.

Between 2004 and 2013, Arizona required voter-registration officials to "reject" any application for registration, including a federal form, that was not accompanied by documentary proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate.

In a 7–2 decision written by Justice Antonin Scalia, the court held that the NVRA's mandate that states "accept and use" the federal form disallowed Arizona's documentary proof-of-citizenship requirement.

The act reduces costs to the state of voter registration by accumulating individual data when applying for a drivers license or receiving social assistance.

[13] The "motor voter" nickname came from the idea that most of the NVRA data was accumulated from applicants renewing or obtaining driver's licenses.

rejected all 63 voter registration applications on the basis that the fraternity did not follow correct procedures, including obtaining specific pre-clearance from the state to conduct their drive.

A senior U.S. district judge upheld earlier federal court decisions in the case, which also found private entities have a right, under the federal law, to engage in organized voter registration activity in Georgia at times and locations of their choosing, without the presence or permission of state or local election officials.

The act requires states to keep voter registration lists accurate and current, such as identifying persons who have become ineligible due to having died or moved outside the jurisdiction.

In several states, organizations such as Demos, Project Vote, Campaign Legal Center[18] and Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law have filed lawsuits or sent pre-litigation letters.