Connecticut: “Senate Republicans urged by conservative base to oppose early voting”

Hartford Courant:

A group of key conservatives is urging Senate Republicans to oppose an early voting measure, which the House overwhelmingly approved on a bipartisan basis earlier this year to bring Connecticut into line with most other states.


Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia have some form of early voting, which proponents say would boost turnout and remove the hardships for groups such as senior citizens, college students, parents of young children and people having to take time off of work.

The change would require an amendment the state constitution. which requires legislative approval and a public referendum. A previous effort failed to win public approval in 2014, but Democrats have revived the effort during the current legislative session and culled enough votes from Republicans to pass it with a super-majority in the House….

Markley said early voting diminishes the significance of Election Day and binds voters to candidates before potential late-breaking developments in an election. He cited the withdrawal of fellow Southington Republican Steven Baleshiski from the 30th House District race with just over three weeks before the election last fall for criticizing the victims of the Parkland, Fla., school shooting online.


“Once you get away from the idea that there’s an Election Day, then you get on a constant slippery slope,” Markley said. “The votes are cast if something changes on the ballot. The votes are cast if something happens in the news.”

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