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Connecticut Senate approves no‑excuse absentee voting after heated amendment fights
Summary
After hours of debate on the final day of the 2026 session, the Connecticut Senate passed House Bill 5001, expanding no‑excuse absentee voting and related election reforms. Republican amendments seeking additional security measures and limits failed largely on party‑line votes.
The Connecticut Senate on May 6 passed House Bill 5001, a package to implement no‑excuse absentee voting and other election‑administration changes, following a lengthy, late‑day debate and a string of failed Republican amendments.
Senator Flexer, who spoke for the bill, described the measure as “about a decade’s worth of work in updating our state's election systems” and said the bill implements the constitutional change voters approved in 2024 to expand absentee voting. He told the chamber the bill adds steps such as a ballot‑“cure” process for missing signatures and protections for election workers, and includes risk‑limiting audits to strengthen voter confidence.
Republican ranking member Senator Sampson opposed several provisions and offered a series of amendments, calling elements of the measure the “Shenanigans Bill” and arguing the package lacked safeguards used in other states. Sampson sought to strike a provision limiting law‑enforcement presence near polling places (LCO 6030), require photo identification for in‑person and absentee ballots (LCO 6005), prohibit unsolicited absentee‑ballot mailings, create an anonymous voter identifier and signature‑verification mechanism (LCO 6012), audit voter rolls annually, increase penalties for election crimes, and shorten the early‑voting window. He repeatedly urged colleagues to vote on each change and asked viewers to “watch how we vote.”
Senator Flexer and other supporters pushed back, saying many of Sampson’s changes would disenfranchise voters or duplicate protections already in the bill. Senator Flexer urged rejection of the ID and other amendments, arguing the underlying measure struck a balance between access and ballot integrity and would permit voters to fix problems with a ballot during a cure process.
Most of Sampson’s amendments failed on recorded votes by roughly 25‑11 margins. The Senate rejected the amendment to remove the 250‑foot restriction on federal presence near polling places, the photo‑ID amendment, and multiple other measures on consecutive roll calls. After the final roll call, House Bill 5001 passed the Senate 25–11.
What happens next: the bill heads to final processing for transmittal consistent with legislative procedure. Supporters say the law will expand access and modernize ballot handling; opponents say additional security measures should have accompanied the expansion.
Vote at a glance: House Bill 5001 (absentee voting for all) — Senate passage: 25 yes, 11 no. Several Republican amendments (LCO 6030, 6005, 6203, 6012, 6004, 6007, 6002, 6026) were defeated on similar 25‑11 votes.
