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Committee advances bill shortening absentee voting window and changing return deadline
Summary
House File 1253 would shorten several absentee‑voting deadlines and set the in‑person/mail return deadline at 3 p.m. on election day; county officials supported efficiency gains while the Secretary of State and some members raised concerns about voter access and reporting of unofficial results. The committee recommended the bill to pass 6‑5.
The committee recommended House File 1253 to pass and re-referred it to the General Register after a contentious discussion over absentee-voting timelines and ballot-return deadlines.
Representative Davis, author of HF1253, said the bill reduces the statutory absentee voting window from 46 days to 28 days for most voters, moves the start of in-person absentee voting accordingly, shortens the notice requirement for temporary early-voting locations, and restores a 3 p.m. deadline for absentee ballots returned in person on election day (repealing the more recent 8 p.m. return allowance).
Jory Danielson, Administrative Services…
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