Bill increasing requirements for absentee voting heads to the governor
- By Xain Ballenger, TheStatehouseFile.com
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The Indiana House concurred Tuesday with the Senate’s amendments to House Bill 1334, which would increase requirements for absentee voters, in a 64-30 vote, sending it to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk. The bill was authored by Rep. Timothy Wesco, R-Osceola.
![Rep. Pfaff speaks in opposition to House Bill 1334](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/thestatehousefile.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/49/2492af32-d8a9-11ed-92b1-4f286cd5774a/6435e144407a9.image.jpg?resize=150%2C91 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/thestatehousefile.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/49/2492af32-d8a9-11ed-92b1-4f286cd5774a/6435e144407a9.image.jpg?resize=200%2C121 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/thestatehousefile.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/49/2492af32-d8a9-11ed-92b1-4f286cd5774a/6435e144407a9.image.jpg?resize=225%2C136 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/thestatehousefile.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/49/2492af32-d8a9-11ed-92b1-4f286cd5774a/6435e144407a9.image.jpg?resize=300%2C182 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/thestatehousefile.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/49/2492af32-d8a9-11ed-92b1-4f286cd5774a/6435e144407a9.image.jpg?resize=400%2C242 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/thestatehousefile.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/49/2492af32-d8a9-11ed-92b1-4f286cd5774a/6435e144407a9.image.jpg?resize=485%2C294 540w)
Rep. Tonya Pfaff, D-Terre Haute, spoke in opposition to House Bill 1334, which passed 64-30. “It is unnecessary to make it more difficult for the elderly, people voting by travel board, or those serving in the military to vote. It won’t make elections safer and only serves to hamper democracy. Please vote no,†Pfaff said. Photo by Xain Ballenger, TheStatehouseFile.com
Under the bill, an agency of the state or political subdivision may not provide an individual with an application for an absentee ballot unless requested by the individual or family member.
The bill would also have the absentee ballot application require that applicants include certain identification numbers or a photocopy of the person’s photo identification.
Groups such as Indiana Vote by Mail and Common Cause Indiana opposed the legislation, saying it would limit voting in a state already plagued with poor turnout and penalize those most dependent on casting an absentee ballot.
“It creates a number of different pitfalls, and because Indiana’s vote by mail law is very restrictive; 66% of the people utilizing it are senior citizens or people with disabilities,’’ said Julia Vaughn of Indiana Common Cause.
Rep. Tonya Pfaff, D-Terre Haute, opposed the bill.
“It is unnecessary to make it more difficult for the elderly … or those serving in the military to vote. It won’t make elections safer and only serves to hamper democracy. Please vote no,†Pfaff said.
FOOTNOTXain Ballenger is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.Â