Republican Secretary of State Monae Johnson is helping her party’s war on voting access by proposing to reduce the absentee voting period. She can’t mess with the 46-day absentee voting period—the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act requires at least 45 days of absentee voting in elections for federal offices to protect the franchise for our brave men and women defending democracy around the globe and other patriots away from their beloved homeland. But evidently the Secretary realized she could take away absentee voting time for local elections:
1. An Act to modify provisions pertaining to absentee voting and to declare an emergency.
a. This bill will establish that the 46-day absentee voting period only applies to statewide elections. Other elections will have at least 15 days of absentee voting when a specific absentee voting period is not defined.
b. This bill will allow county auditors to begin processing absentee ballots during regular office hours on the day before an election. Processing includes reviewing and validating signatures on absentee ballot envelopes, opening absentee ballot envelopes, stamping absentee ballots, and placing absentee ballots in ballot boxes.
c. An emergency clause is on this bill to ensure that it will be in effect during the 2026 statewide primary election [Secretary of State Monae Johnson, proposed bills for 2026 Legislative Session, presented to State Board of Elections 2025.11.18].
Reducing absentee voting time reduces the ability of citizens to participate in government. Soldiers and other world travelers should have as much opportunity to vote for school board and county commission members back home as they do for President and members of Congress. So should their friends and neighbors back home.
Hold the line; maintain that maximal 46-day absentee voting period for all citizens in all elections.