Connecticut Makes No-Excuse Mail Voting Universal Amid Partisan Pushback

Connecticut is set to join the growing list of states offering universal mail-in voting after its Senate approved legislation to eliminate restrictions on absentee ballots. The 25-11 vote came at the close of the General Assembly’s session, signaling a decisive, though partisan, shift in election access.

House Bill 5001 repeals a longstanding law requiring voters to prove they cannot vote in person due to illness, disability, military service, religious conflicts, or election work to qualify for absentee ballots. This change anticipates a constitutional amendment expected to pass in November 2024 that will formally enshrine no-excuse absentee voting in state law.

“This has been a long time coming,” said Sen. Mae Flexer, who co-chairs the Government Administration and Elections Commission. She emphasized the bill’s role in modernizing voting procedures and countering federal attempts, notably by former President Trump, to “nationalize” elections—a move contrary to the Constitution’s allocation of election authority to states.

Republicans, however, remain deeply skeptical. Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding supports the concept in theory but insists the expansion must come with stronger fraud protections. While he rejects Trump’s claims of widespread fraud and a stolen 2020 election, Harding acknowledged that fraud, though rare, does exist and called for more safeguards.

Sen. Rob Sampson was the bill’s most vocal Republican opponent, proposing multiple amendments including mandatory photo ID requirements and harsher penalties for voter fraud. All were defeated along party lines. Sampson also criticized the legislative process as rushed and lacking transparency, lamenting the limited time to review the bill’s extensive provisions.

The bill includes several measures aimed at election security, such as establishing risk-limiting audits to verify paper ballots with a capped 5% risk limit. It also upgrades penalties for harassing election workers and tampering with absentee ballot drop boxes to felonies.

Beyond voting access and security, the legislation creates a task force to explore how Connecticut might achieve 100% voter turnout by 2030, a nod to long-standing efforts by former Secretary of the State Miles Rapoport and others advocating universal voting.

Connecticut’s move to universal mail voting is a direct response to the national climate of election denialism and partisan attacks on voting rights. While Democrats hail the bill as a necessary modernization and protection of democracy, Republicans warn of vulnerabilities and resist what they see as politicization of election rules.

As the bill awaits Gov. Ned Lamont’s signature, the battle over mail voting in Connecticut reflects the broader national struggle over access, security, and trust in American elections.