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Press Release

March 19, 2009

Rep. Susan Davis Re-Introduces Bill to End Absentee Ballot Restrictions

22 states limit a voter’s ability to vote by mail

WASHINGTON – You’re planning your vacation in early November.  You stop your mail, ask a neighbor to water your plants, and put a hold on your newspaper.  But don’t forget to tell your local election office where you’ll be vacationing.

If you plan to be on vacation on Election Day, yet want to vote, some states want to know where you will be sunning on that beach before allowing you to vote by mail.  They also want a phone number where you can be reached.  Ironically, in many states, vacationing is an acceptable reason to vote absentee, but working or caring for a loved one may not be.

Currently, 22 states and the District of Columbia restrict an eligible voter’s ability to vote by mail, also known as absentee.  The other states offer no-excuse absentee voting.  Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) re-introduced her bill to end such restrictions and allow all eligible voters nationwide to vote by mail for any reason in federal elections. 

Vacation location is just the tip of the iceberg.  If a person can’t make it to the polls and wants to vote absentee, some states require a doctor’s note, the details of a religious obligation or latest pregnancy status.  Attending to a sick loved one can sometimes be considered a valid reason as long you provide the name of the person in need and the nature of their illness.  And, by the way, it will all be part of the public record.   Other states require a notary signature, even for students, which essentially amounts to a poll tax.

Davis’s bill, the Universal Right to Vote by Mail Act (H.R. 1604) would eliminate these antiquated and unnecessary restrictions. 

“There’s really no need for the government to require all this information to vote absentee,” said Davis.  “Voters should not have to put their life on display or jump through a series of hoops just to participate in one of the most hallowed acts of a democracy – voting.  And no one should be denied the chance to vote because they don’t have the proper excuse.  This is not only a matter of privacy but fairness.  Voters in one state should not be denied a privilege that voters in other states have when voting in federal elections.”

Absentee voting also provides a secure alternative for voters who have concerns about other voting mechanisms. Mail ballots offer a clear, re-countable record of voters’ intentions and are not subject to computer hacking, electrical failures, and other malfunctions.

States that place restrictions on absentee voting are Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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