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Subcommittee questions proposal to require notarized absentee applications and color ID copies
Summary
House Bill 686 would require applicants for absentee ballots to submit a notarized application and a color copy of a government‑issued photo ID. Subcommittee members raised concerns that notarization and color‑copy requirements could create practical and equity barriers for infirm or homebound voters.
House Bill 686, discussed at the Feb. 14 subcommittee work session, would require anyone requesting an absentee ballot to provide a color copy of a government‑issued photo identification with the absentee application and to have the application notarized. The bill also would require applicants whose forms do not meet those standards to cure defects in person before the city or town clerk.
Representative C told members that requiring notarization twice (on the application and again on the absentee envelope under other bills) could impose redundant costs and burdens. He suggested the more relevant notarization, if any, would be tied to the ballot envelope rather than the application and noted the bill text should say “have notarized” rather than “sign and notarize.”
Representative Lane raised practical access concerns: many homebound or infirm voters do not have easy access to color copiers or notaries and could be forced to travel or pay for services. “I don't understand why it needs to be a color copy,” Lane said. Several members agreed that the proposal risked burdening precisely those voters who most commonly use absentee ballots.
Representative Burnham suggested remote alternatives may exist; members noted that financial institutions and private vendors use remote ID authentication and that a technology solution administered by the state could be an option in the future, although that would require funding and cybersecurity capacity the panel said local clerks might not have.
Deputy Secretary Hennessy and other witnesses told the subcommittee that town and city clerks can verify identity and domicile in person and that the Secretary of State’s office and the Attorney General’s office regularly consult after elections about recurring issues. Members asked staff to consider alternatives that preserve verification while avoiding undue barriers for elderly, infirm or rural applicants.
No final vote was taken on HB 686 at this session; members asked for further drafting and analysis.
