Background: House Bill 464, if passed, will remove the question in the absentee ballot affidavit that asks a voter to confirm why they are voting absentee. Currently, voters must first apply for an absentee ballot, stating why they intend to vote absentee. Once approved, voters can submit the ballot, but must provide a supplemental affidavit that asks the absentee voter to reiterate why they applied to vote absentee. This bill would do away with this repetitive requirement.
Our Position: We support HB464. However, someone may choose to exercise their right to vote, and barriers to participation in the process should be eliminated. Voting by absentee ballot should be just as accessible as voting in person. Voters do not have to provide an excess of information when voting at the polls, and the same privileges should be afforded when voting by absentee ballot. Absentee voters already submit reasons for voting absentee in their application, explaining this again in their affidavit increases room for error and the chance for a constituent’s vote to be discounted. The ACLU values increasing access to the ballot box, and part of that commitment includes simplifying the absentee voting process to allow more participation.
