Bob Godfrey

Voting is a fundamental right that should be fair and accessible, but Connecticut's voting laws are needlessly restrictive when it comes to voting by absentee ballot.

On Wednesday, The House passed a bill I co-sponsored, HB 5262, An Act Revising Certain Absentee Voting Eligibility Statutes, to make it easier for voters to vote absentee if they're feeling unwell, worried about their health, or out of town on Election Day.

This measure will be especially helpful to seniors, commuters, and working people.

To be eligible to cast an absentee ballot, current law requires voters to have a physical disability or illness that prevents them from voting in person or be out of town for at least 14 hours on Election Day.

No voter should ever have to choose between protecting their health and exercising their right to vote. This proposal eases some of the eligibility restrictions for absentee ballots so that more residents can choose this method to cast their ballot.

In effect, we expanded a too-constrictive statute to recognize the full provisions of the state constitution. The expansion of the ability to vote by absentee ballot for any reason will be the subject of a future referendum on amending the constitution.

I encourage you to track this legislation as it moves forward for a vote in the Senate. I will keep you informed with further updates.