Early voting; any registered voter allowed to vote early without providing reason, etc. (HB2709)

Introduced By

Del. Rip Sullivan (D-Arlington)

Description

Elections; early voting. Allows any registered voter to vote early in any election in which he is qualified to vote without providing a reason or making prior application for an absentee ballot. The bill requires that early voting be available beginning the twenty-first day prior to any general election, the seventh day prior to any special election held on a date other than the date of a general election, and the seventh day prior to any primary election and ending at 5:00 p.m. on the Saturday immediately preceding the election. The bill further requires early voting to be available during regular business hours each weekday during the applicable period, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on each Saturday during the applicable period, and from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on each Sunday during the applicable period. The bill removes the current provisions for voting absentee in person but retains those provisions for voting an absentee ballot by mail, including the application requirement and the list of statutory reasons that allow a registered voter to vote absentee by mail. The provisions of the bill are applicable to elections beginning with the November general election in 2020; the bill requires the State Board of Elections to report on or before December 1, 2019, on the instructions and procedures promulgated by the State Board of Elections for conducting early voting. Read the Bill »

Outcome

History