La. Lawmakers Kill Bill That Would Make It Easier To Get An Absentee Ballot

In a partisan vote, lawmakers are deferring a bill that would have removed many of the restrictions for getting an absentee ballot to vote.

In a 10-4 vote yesterday, the House and Governmental Affair Committee voted to keep the proposal from advancing to the House floor for debate.

The bill would have eased restrictions on who can qualify to request an absentee ballot, which currently is limited to military members, those 65 and older, people who are hospitalized, and those with a disability that prevents them from voting in-person.

Opponents of the bill said it would open the door to fraud, while supporters pointed to the pandemic as an example of why mail-in and absentee voting is becoming more important.