Connecticut House Debates Universal Absentee Ballots

0:00Connecticut's house just hit pause on a big vote for universal absentee ballots, no excuses needed. The debate dragged on Wednesday night, but Republicans stress that out protesting Democrats block on cutting the 14-day early in-person voting. Window in half, House Bill, 5,001, aims to open mail voting to everyone, and they might circle back Thursday for the final call. This push comes after voters approved a constitutional tweak back in November 2024 by 58 to 42 percent, scrapping old. Limits tie to illness, travel, or military duty. If it passes, Connecticut joins 36 other states letting folks mail in ballots freely, ditching some of the tightest rules in the nation. Tensions flared with Republican slamming fraud risks, like automatic permanent absentee status without address checks, and a clause blocking masked. Federal agents, near polls. Democrats held firm, but showed some give, nodding to small-town election workers gripping about the cost and burn out from those long early voting, stretches.

1:03Speaker Matt Ritter called the break to cool things down and hunt to compromise, especially since even some in his party back trimming early voting to. Save cash and energy. Local registrars had been vocal, saying 14 days is overkill when fewer folks show up anyway. Expect more back and forth as they tweaked the bill, balancing easier access with practical fixes for those running the show on Election Day. That's your update from Hartford News Today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with The Story.