In Texas, for instance, the deadline to register to vote for the March 1 primary is fast approaching: January 31.Broaden the forms of identification needed to vote.Make no-excuse voting by mail easier.

Big changes, but they seem unlikely to happen -- given the stalemate in the Senate.

What do new restrictions on voting actually do?

WHAT MATTERS: President Joe Biden has framed this voting rights effort as a turning point between democracy and autocracy.

Brian Kemp signed a new law last year that, among other things, required identification to vote by mail.

That's in contrast to the 2020 election, when officials used the signatures on the voters' mail-in ballots to confirm their identities.

Based on the bills state lawmakers are introducing this month, we could see new voting restrictions enacted in several key states, including Georgia, Florida and Arizona.

A number of the new proposals take aim at drop boxes, which many voters used to turn in their ballots in 2020.

Can these changes sway elections?

WHAT MATTERS: Republican legislatures in key states, in the name of security, have put curbs on mail-in voting and early voting.

Absolutely.

How does the act of voting vary across states?

WHAT MATTERS: Democrats want a new national voting standard applied to every state.

They include voters with disabilities, those over 65 and people who will be out of the county on Election Day and can't vote in person.

What's next?

WHAT MATTERS: The Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act are almost guaranteed to fail since Democrats don't have the votes to break a Republican filibuster.