MD Rahman

SENATOR RAHMAN JOINS SENATE PASSAGE OF NO-EXCUSES VOTING RESOLUTION

HARTFORD – State Senator MD Rahman (D-Manchester) this evening joined the Senate’s final passage of a bill removing the Connecticut constitution’s current, multiple restrictions on absentee voting and allowing for “no-excuses” absentee voting if Connecticut residents approve of that when the question is placed on the 2024 general election ballot.

This same resolution was approved by Democrats in both the House and Senate in 2021, but with enough opposition from Republican legislators to require an additional vote in the General Assembly this year.

“Making it easy to vote is great for voters. That’s this bill put simply,” said Sen. Rahman. “Next year, Connecticut residents will have the chance to enshrine absentee voting in perpetuity. I’m confident and excited to see the results.”

Under current Connecticut law, voters can only vote by absentee ballot if they’re going to be out of town on Election Day, sickness, if they’re on active military duty, because of a religious prohibition, or if they are poll workers who will be working all day in another town.

But 27 other U.S. states already allow for no-excuse absentee voting, including the deep Red Republican states of Arizona, Florida, Idaho, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming.

On a related matter, Last fall, 60% of Connecticut residents voted to amend the state constitution to allow for early voting.