Senate Rules Committee Holds Hearing on Improving Early and Absentee Voting Opportunities

Press Release

The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration heard testimony today from election experts on best practices involving absentee and early voting.

"Part of being American is recognizing the importance of giving a voice to all Americans to participate in our democracy," Schumer said. "Today, with busy lives and work schedules more and more Americans are looking for alternatives to voting on Tuesdays."

Congress established Election Day as a Tuesday in 1845 because that was the best option for voters of that era. In 2014, an increasing number of Americans are looking for voting options that do not conflict with their work week schedules. Today's hearing focuses on the example provided by states and localities that have served as national leaders on this issue.

The panel of witnesses includes the Honorable Kate Brown, Oregon's Secretary of State; Mr. John C. Fortier, Director of the Democracy Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center; Mr. Harvard Lomax, former Clark County Registrar in Nevada and member of the Presidential Commission on Election Administration; Ms. Rhonda Whiting, chair of the Board of Directors of Western Native Voice.

This marks the fifth hearing in a series in which the Senate Rules and Administration Committee has explored ways of improving election administration. The first was held on February 12, 2014, when the committee heard testimony from the bipartisan co-chairs of the Presidential Commission on Election Administration. The second was held on March 12, 2014, and examined ways to use technology to streamline and improve elections with online voter registration and electronic pollbooks. The third was on April 9, 2014, when the committee discussed programs designed to improve the quality of the voting lists and expand the number of registered voters. The fourth occurred on May 14, 2014, when testimony was heard on improving election data collection.

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