In Opposition
Voting Restrictions (H.4150)
H.4150 provides for but restricts in-person no-excuse early voting as well as greatly reduces the existing excused-absentee voting criteria for mail-in or hand delivery. This would lead to poor access for some voters.
Voting is a central principle of a democracy. WREN is committed to increasing access to democracy by eliminating all forms of voter suppression and removing barriers to the franchise and opposes H.4150 which provides for but restricts in-person no-excuse early voting as well as greatly reducing the existing excused-absentee voting criteria for mail-in or hand delivery.
H.4150 provides a period of no-excuse early voting (though shorter than in 2020 or in H.3822), but it is only in-person and is off-set by a series of restrictions that do not appear to be grounded in any accepted security concerns. It also dictates criteria for establishing early voting locations and their hours of operation in a way that could lead to poor access for some voters. Further, H.4150 does not include no-excuse early absentee voting by mail or hand delivery AND greatly restricts the existing excused absence criteria, including removing caregivers from eligibility.
- Age eligibility would be raised from 65 to 75 years of age.
- The following people would no longer be eligible:
- persons on vacation,
- governmental employees,
- persons with employment obligations,
- poll watchers and other elections staff,
- caretakers for sick or physically disabled persons,
- persons with a death or funeral in the family,
- persons serving as jurors.
A consequence, for example: someone out of town for several weeks before and during the election on business) would be entirely disenfranchised, having no method of voting.