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House narrowly rejects DOJ data request amendment, advances broader election‑administration bill
Summary
The House considered a broad elections package that would modernize absentee procedures and reimburse special‑election costs. A proposed amendment to share voter‑file data with the U.S. Department of Justice failed on a 67–67 tie; the underlying elections bill later passed as amended.
House File 40240, a package of election‑administration changes, drew extended floor debate on Wednesday as members debated amendments touching on voter privacy, verification and provisional ballots.
Representative Freiberg, the bill’s author, described the measure as a set of administrative updates meant to standardize use of the statewide voter registration system, streamline absentee administration, and reimburse local governments for costs of special elections. “These changes modernize election statutes, streamline administration and provide clear guidance for election officials while maintaining election security,” Freiberg said.
The most contested amendment would have required the Secretary of State to provide voter‑registration information to the U.S. Department of Justice upon request for enforcement of federal voting rights laws. Representative Schultz moved the amendment and sought a roll call; critics, including Representative Green, said the proposal risked exposing sensitive voter data and cited recent federal‑state litigation over similar requests. Supporters argued federal assistance can help identify registration fraud, and pointed to federal convictions in specific cases.
On the roll call the DOJ‑data amendment produced a 67–67 tie and therefore failed. Other amendments debated during the session included: a ban on prediction markets on elections (adopted), a proposed requirement for annual Secretary‑of‑State verification of citizenship on the rolls (defeated 67–67 in a separate recorded vote), and a controversial provisional‑ballot proposal that would alter same‑day registration procedures (defeated on the floor).
After the series of amendments and extensive floor debate about balancing election security, privacy and voter access, the House passed the underlying elections administration bill as amended (final recorded tally reported later in the day). The bill advances to the next step for consideration or concurrence with Senate changes.
Lawmakers on both sides urged additional work in committee or conference to resolve outstanding details, with repeated references to the need to protect both voter privacy and election integrity.
