An election resolution board counts absentee ballots Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, at the Hinds County Courthouse in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Michael Goldberg)
- State Rep. Sanford has amended the Senate’s early voting legislation to expand absentee voting instead. Senator England says the goal right now is to keep the conversation alive.
Support for the Senate’s early voting legislation has dwindled in the House.
State Rep. Noah Sanford (R), chairman of the House Apportionment and Elections Committee, says the House lacks support for early voting. As such, he has amended SB 2654, replacing early voting provisions with an expanded version of absentee balloting.
Sanford’s amendment would add anticipating being at work and being a caretaker of a child, disabled person, or senior citizen to the allowed excuses for those wishing to cast an absentee ballot in Mississippi.
The amendment also mandates that absentee ballots be placed in a secured voting machine when cast, similar to what was proposed in HB 177, and outlines that all ballots should be counted and reported to the tabulating center on the night of the election.
Sanford’s amendment does not change the 45 days allowed to vote by absentee ballot.
The House action comes after Governor Tate Reeves (R) took to social media following SB 2654’s passage in the Senate, saying early voting was a “terrible idea.” Reeves specifically took issue with State Senator Jeremy England (R), the bill’s author. The Governor posted that the issue was a Democratic priority and said England had earned the “MVP award for the Mississippi Democratic Party” in pushing for the legislation. England responded by saying he would not be bullied.
The intra-party squabble appears to have given some lawmakers pause on the issue, at least for this session.
This is the second consecutive session that Senate Elections Committee Chairman England has sought to pass an early voting bill that would allow for no excuse, 15-day voting prior to an Election Day, effectively ending the need for absentee voting in Mississippi. The legislation passed the Senate in strong votes each time only to die in the House.
READ MORE: Early voting legislation again passes the Senate, drawing criticism from Governor Reeves
Last session, Sanford killed England’s bill, saying more discussion was needed prior to moving the measure forward. Hearings were held late last year that focused on how to implement early voting in the state as seamlessly as possible.
Now, tucked in this year’s amendment, Sanford wants to create the Mississippi Early Voting Study Committee to study the issue further.
Magnolia Tribune spoke with England on Monday. The Coast senator said he did not think the two chambers were that far off from what both chairmen are trying to accomplish.
“I think we’re very close on what we can do,” Senator England said. “Obviously, the goal is to make it easier and more convenient to vote as well as adding the additional integrity of being able to have your votes counted on Election Night as opposed to waiting for envelopes to be opened.”
With committee deadlines approaching, England merely wants to keep the conversation alive.
“Our goal right now is to get a vehicle that we can continue the conversation this session on early voting / absentee voting with an excuse and see if we can’t end up with some product that makes it easier for Mississippians to vote prior to Election Day, makes it more convenient,” England said.
The Magnolia State is one of three states without a form of early voting.
Sanford’s amended version of the Senate bill passed out of committee last Thursday and could be considered on the floor this week. If it passes the chamber, the measure would then go back to the Senate for concurrence or conference.
Frank Corder
