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.

  1. Age eligibility would be raised from 65 to 75 years of age.
  2. 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.

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