If you’ve ever wondered why Connecticut’s voting laws are so backward-practically Southern in their resistance to making it easier to vote- wonder no more. For reasons that most likely no one can articulate, our basic voting law is embedded in our Constitution, impervious to change by mere legislative action. It is unconstitutional for the legislature to make it easier to vote absentee, or provide for early voting, etc.
Connecticut’s constitution includes specific language outlining aspects of the state voting process, as well as a series of reasons why a voter may obtain an absentee ballot. It limits absentee ballots to people who will be out-of-state, are disabled, or are unable to go to the polls on Election Day because of their religious beliefs.
The state’s Democratic majority and Secretary of the State Denise Merrill have sought changes to the election process. But in order to amend the constitution, the General Assembly must pass the resolution two years in a row by a simple majority or once by a three-fifths majority to put it on the ballot for voters. Both chambers passed the bill last year and the House already approved the resolution again this year.
“This is about allowing Connecticut voters to cast their ballots in a way that works better with their busy mobile lives, and in turn getting more voters to participate in democracy,” Merrill said after the Senate voted Wednesday. “Some 32 states have enacted some form of early voting or no-excuse absentee ballots and more than 30 million Americans cast their ballots early in the 2012 presidential election.”
(via CT News Junkie)
This is great news for Connecticut voters, and Denise Merrill deserves a tip of the hat for pushing this issue. Naturally, the opposition is mainly from the Republican side of the aisle. Hopefully, it will pass and we can get on to the business of modernizing our voting laws.
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