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GOP-led panel asks Jocelyn Benson to submit new voting rules

GOP-led panel asks Jocelyn Benson to submit new voting rules

There’s a new fight over voting rules at the state Capitol. A Republican-led committee returned proposed voting regulations today to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office and asked her agency to re-submit new rules.

Republicans on the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules focused largely on absentee ballots and signature verification.

Republicans say their proposed changes are about confidence in elections. Democrats say the changes would make it too easy to toss out absentee ballots and disenfranchise voters.

Democratic Representative Julie Brixie complained the GOP amendments were not shared until the night before the meeting.

“My problem with this is it doesn’t appear to be in a collaborative spirit so I’m not going to be able to support these changes.”

A spokesperson for the Secretary of State says the Republicans’ proposed changes are being reviewed.