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HB 209 by Rep. Franklin Foil would reduce slightly the hours that polls are open. He said 14 hours (not even including set up and break down) was too many for people to work polls, that early voting was available, and, as Sec. of State Tom Schedler also pointed out to the House and Governmental Affairs Committee, research showed the first hour of the day featured chronic voters, 2.72 percent of the total including the commissioners, who will vote regardless of time and length of day had nothing to do with turnout. He said it was not a partisan issue, and emphasized that as a part of setting the effective date to the beginning of next year. Early voting, in fact, added 80.5 hours and also ballots can be mailed in.
An AFL-CIO officer testified against it. She claimed enough of the first hour voters might not vote to make their assumed lack of participation crucial. After Schedler made clarifying comments, the bill was moved and approved without objection.
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HB 876 by Rep. Henry Burns would bump runoff general elections to a week later after the current less-than four weeks gap for federal elections and four weeks for others. Angie Rogers from the Sec. of State detailed the many tasks that had to be done between elections, which means working on Saturdays if not Sundays between them.
Rep. Gregory Miller noted this could put state and local runoffs on the Saturday of Thanksgiving week. Chairman Tim Burns agreed it could be a problem, as holidays also would shorten time. Henry Burns then asked for deferral to figure out where to go from here, which was moved and approved without objection.
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HB 878 by Rep. Stuart Bishop would repeal the requirement that absentee voters’ names be posted prior to an election at registrars’ office. Schedler said this led to too aggressive campaigning, where campaigns would visit people on the list and offer to help them fill out their ballots. Without objection, it was passed and even placed on the House consent calendar.
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HB 894 by Tim Burns was like HB 876, except adds one week of delay only to certain elections, including federal elections. Rep. Mike Danahay asked about how that affect seniority and other questions regarding federal officials. Schedler said he didn’t know if it would set any state’s elections ahead of Louisiana’s, but could look it up. (In fact, it does, under a special provision in Georgia law.) For that reason, the bill was deferred voluntarily.
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