St. Paul, MN - Today, the House Elections Finance and Policy Committee approved legislation (HF 477) authored by State Representative Dan Wolgamott (DFL - St. Cloud) that would enable Minnesota voters to choose to automatically receive an absentee ballot, permanently. The bill passed the committee on a party-line vote of 8-5.
“Last election, over 600,000 Minnesotans voted with an absentee ballot, including nearly 3,500 ballots from those in the military, and 26,000 of those receiving an absentee ballot are already on a list to permanently receive an application form,” said Rep. Wolgamott. “Whether it's for the soldiers serving our nation overseas, or the growing number of voters who have taken advantage of the benefits of an absentee ballot, it’s time to cut back on the paperwork and streamline this process for Minnesotans.”
During the hearing, the legislation received supportive testimony from the Minnesota Secretary of State and the We Choose Us coalition, among others. The bill was referred to the Ways & Means Committee as amended.
More information on the bill can be found here. Video of today’s committee hearing can be found on the House Public Information YouTube channel.
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