Early Voting In Person Authorized

If passed, this new bill will start early voting for general and special elections (but not municipal ones).

• Municipal elections: when people in a city or town vote to choose their local leaders, like mayors, city council members, or school board members. These leaders help make decisions about things like parks, schools, and safety in the community.

And, every county commission has to set up spots for early voting centers and come up with a plan to get the word out.

• County commission: a group of people chosen by voters to help run the county. They make important decisions about things like roads, parks, and how money is spent to keep the county running smoothly. 

This bill sets new rules about staffing, paying for election costs, and how things are run at early voting.

• The Secretary of State has to make sure there are rules in place to stop people from voting multiple times in any election.

  • This applies to all general and special elections (excluding municipal).

  • Secretary of State: a leader in the government who helps keep things organized. They make sure elections are fair, take care of important papers, and sometimes help with businesses and laws. 

If this bill passes, starting in November 2026, voters will be able to vote in person early without needing a reason.

Early voting will kick off 17 days before election day and wrap up 5 days before.

Polling places will need to be open for at least 8 straight hours, including certain hours on weekdays and Saturdays.

Election officials need to be chosen and start their new jobs 15-20 days before early voting begins.

Each county should have at least one early voting center for every 100,000 residents.

• These locations can be courthouses, government buildings, or places where voting happens on election day.

County commissions can cut back on early voting centers for special elections if they think it’s necessary.

Voting at early voting centers will be the same as on election day.

Anyone in line when the polls close must still be allowed to vote.

Counties need to have a plan for letting voters know about early voting.

All costs to set up early voting will be reimbursed by the state.

• Reimbursement: when someone pays back money another person spent on something. For example, if you buy snacks for a party, and your friend gives you the money back later, that's called reimbursement.

The Secretary of State will set rules to make sure early ballots are counted just like election day votes.

If the bill is passed, this act is set to start on July 1, 2025.