Sen. Sampson Blasts Passage of H.B. 5001: “Connecticut Democrats Expanded Mail-In Voting Without Real Safeguards”

Hartford — State Senator Rob Sampson (R-16) released the following statement following debate on May 6 and passage of H.B. 5001: An Act Concerning Absentee Voting for All and Various Other Reforms Related to the Administration of Elections on the final day of the legislative session:

“I voted no on H.B. 5001 because it expands mail-in voting and makes sweeping changes to Connecticut election law without putting meaningful safeguards in place to protect election integrity.

The way this bill was handled should outrage every Connecticut resident.

This happened hours after the Democrats kept Republican lawmakers at the Capitol overnight debating the “Glock Switch” bill (H.B. 5043) until nearly 8:00 a.m. Immediately afterward, the majority wanted to roll directly into debate on this massive elections bill while legislators were sleep deprived and the public was barely watching.

That is not transparency. That is not thoughtful policymaking. That is how controversial legislation gets pushed through.

H.B. 5001 was 73 sections long and over 100 pages, yet only one section actually dealt with the absentee voting. The rest of the bill was packed with unrelated provisions, partisan messaging, and major election policy changes that deserved separate hearings and public debate.

I offered multiple amendments focused on strengthening election integrity and restoring public confidence in our elections.

I pushed for voter photo ID requirements, stronger penalties for election fraud, safeguards on absentee voting, and reasonable limits on expanded early voting timelines.

Every single amendment was rejected along party lines.

People in Connecticut have seen the headlines. They have seen the ballot harvesting scandals in Bridgeport. They have seen drop box abuse. They have seen growing concerns about election integrity brushed aside and mocked instead of addressed seriously.

Rather than restoring confidence, this bill does nothing to address the issues people are already concerned about.

The Democratic majority chose politics over safeguards once again.”

Watch Sen. Sampson’s full remarks here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ0CTSzVfEk&t=40s