No excuse early voting has barely had time to become the norm in Kentucky and so far reviews have been fairly positive about the new option that emerged out of temporary reforms made during the height of the pandemic.
But one Republican lawmaker, Boone County Sen. John Shickel, wants to do away with the extra days. He said the rationale behind his bill has nothing do with vote counts or conspiracy theories. Rather, he says the more relaxed attitude toward voting sets a bad precedent and devalues what he called a “sacred” right.
"What kind of example are we setting when we say Election Day can be an afterthought, that it's not important? Maybe it's best that you vote from the couch and not even leave the house?" the GOP senator asked colleagues.
But Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams tells WLKY scrapping the expanded voting options, especially this soon after the change, is a bad idea. He noted 2024 is already primed for high turnout with a presidential election in November, adding that giving voters as many choices as possible makes sense.
Currently, the state offers three days of early, no-excuse, in-person voting.
