Committee advances wide-ranging elections substitute, including ERIC withdrawal timeline and changes to election procedures

The Governmental Affairs Committee advanced a comprehensive elections substitute that bundles multiple provisions: a phased withdrawal from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), limits on weekend absentee ballot drop-off, authority for legislative leaders to remove and replace certain appointments to the State Elections Board, changes to when proposed election rules can take effect, and other election administration changes. The committee approved the substitute after extended debate and procedural motions.

Representative Montahan, identified in committee as the author of the version that would remove the state from ERIC, walked members through the substitute and said the original ranked-choice ban language had been replaced with broader elections provisions. He described a phased timeline: the State Elections Board is to submit a report evaluating voter-registration and maintenance procedures to the Legislature by Dec. 30, 2025, and the bill would not require withdrawal from ERIC until July 1, 2027.

Represent…