Senate amends and temporarily circles satellite voter‑registration bill, citing fairness and language tightening

The Senate debated and amended Senate Bill 164, which would authorize county clerks to accept in‑person voter registration at satellite locations (for example, county fairs or other offsite collection points) rather than requiring personal delivery to the clerk’s office.

Senator McCoy, who offered Amendment Number 2, said the change requires that if clerks elect to register voters at satellite locations, “the clerk shall ensure that the locations are approximately proportionally distributed based on population within the county.” He described the amendment as modeled on earlier language governing distribution of early‑voting sites.

Opponents voiced constitutional and administration concerns. Senator Betters said he consulted constitutional attorneys who warned the language could open a loophole and “massive voter fraud,” and urged defeat. Other senators raised practical questions about whether forms could be accepted in uncontrolled places, with one senator asking whether the bill would allow applications to be left on a doorstep.

The sponsor and supporters responded that the Lieutenant Governor’s Office drafted the in‑person language and that the authorization is meant to permit designated deputies to accept forms at publicly noticed locations; the forms would then be processed at the clerk’s office, they said. The sponsor agreed to prepare tightened language to require officially noticed collection sites and volunteered to circle the bill for redrafting; the motion to circle carried.

What’s next: The sponsor agreed to draft clarifying language to require officially noticed sites and other guardrails; the bill was circled (set aside) so the amendment can be finalized and reintroduced for future consideration.