absentee ballots

Republicans Want More Transparency About State's New Absentee Ballot Portal

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Election Day is less than a month away, and for those eligible, voters can now submit an application for an absentee ballot through the state’s new online portal.

“I think it’s obviously an initiative that I think a lot of people want to see and to be able to take advantage of,” said Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly (R – Stratford.)

Previously, absentee voters were required to submit their absentee ballot application either by mail or by visiting the town clerk in-person.

According to Deputy Secretary of State Scott Bates, absentee voters increased roughly 25% from 2019 to 2020, prompting the legislature to support a more accessible way to participate.

“It’s all about voter choice and making sure that every eligible voter in Connecticut is able to cast their ballot,” Bates said.

But in a letter to the Secretary of State’s office, Senate Republicans voiced their concern over a lack of transparency regarding the portal’s release.

“I think they could’ve been a lot better prepared, and certainly could have done this with collaboration in the legislature to make sure our questions were answered ahead of time,” Kelly said.

Kelly said one of those questions regarded the portal’s technological dependability, and making sure it’s reliable for all who use it.

“The important component here is that everybody who makes an opportunity to vote must have the ability to actually vote,” he said.

In response, Bates was confident in the new system, saying the portal went through months of testing prior to its release.

“All of our systems are designed in a way to make sure that security is number one,” Bates said.

Kelly said moving forward, he would like to see both sides sit down and go through the portal to demonstrate its effectiveness. Secretary Bates said his office would welcome any sort of discussion.

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