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It turns out there is more than one way to make absentee voting more accessible in Connecticut.
While we would prefer a state constitutional change that would allow no-excuse absentee voting — meaning a citizen can use that option without having to explain why — we welcome a bill approved in the House of Representatives that at least expands the absentee opportunities.
The Connecticut Constitution allows absentee ballot voting due to “absence from the city or town of which they are inhabitants or because of sickness, or physical disability.”
The General Assembly is empowered to enact voting rules as long as they fall within those constitutional parameters. Recall that in the 2020 election, the legislature expanded the “sickness” provision to include fear of sickness due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The rule change was for that election only.