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Secretary of the State outlines technical fixes and concerns across multiple election bills, flags e‑poll books and polling‑place reductions
Summary
Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas told the Government Administration and Elections Committee that she supports many election reform bills on the committee’s agenda but urged lawmakers to fix several technical and timing issues, particularly around polling‑place reduction, absentee pre‑processing and e‑poll book certification.
Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas told the Government Administration and Elections Committee on Friday that her office supports a range of election-admin bills but flagged several technical and operational concerns that lawmakers should address before enacting legislation.
In written and oral testimony, Thomas told the committee she and her staff “are in strong support of most of these measures,” specifically citing several bills by number and urging attention to the practical details that accompany them. Among the issues she raised:
- Polling‑place reduction window: Thomas said a provision in HB 7,228 would allow registrars in municipalities with populations under 35,000 to reduce the number of polling places, with final decisions as late as 21 days before an election. “That feels like it’s much too short to make sure that voters get that information in time,” she said, warning the shorter timeline could create voter confusion and disenfranchisement.
- Absentee pre‑processing and chain‑of‑custody: The secretary’s office suggested stricter rules and training around pre-processing of absentee ballots and the chain‑of‑custody for absentee and early‑voting materials, particularly where new procedures or pre-processing are proposed.
- E‑poll books: Thomas said she has been reluctant to approve statewide e‑poll books until federal standards were issued; now that the U.S. Election Assistance Commission has begun to certify e‑poll book products, she said her office is prepared to evaluate and approve devices for statewide use, while emphasizing the need for safety and testing standards.
- Early‑voting funding and counting timing: The secretary urged restoration and expansion of funding for early voting at both the state and municipal levels, and noted that towns may need additional staff or tabulators when early‑voting popularity increases.
Thomas said the office had filed written testimony on a number of bills and included suggested language changes to reduce administrative confusion.
Why it matters: These items are operational details that shape how election laws function on the ground; changes to polling‑place rules, e‑poll book certification, or absentee pre‑processing can materially affect turnout, accuracy and public confidence.
Next steps: The committee is expected to work with the secretary’s office and municipal stakeholders to refine draft language before any vote. Lawmakers and municipal officials will need to consider amendments that address the timing, communication and training concerns Thomas raised.
Sources and attribution: Statements and summaries are based on public testimony by Secretary Stephanie Thomas during the Government Administration and Elections Committee hearing.
