The House Elections Committee on Monday advanced a set of election-related measures, passing bills that change municipal election scheduling, expand campaign finance reporting to local political subdivisions, allow emergency absentee ballots for deployed uniformed service voters, and tighten access to voter lists.

Key outcomes:

- Senate Bill 536: Allows an assistant secretary of county election boards to perform designated functions under specified conditions; passed 5-0 in committee.

- Senate Bill 652: Alters the number and timing of permissible election dates, adding a December election every four years (beginning in December 2025) so that there will be five election dates in three out of every four years; committee adopted an amendment to change the added date from every two years to every four years and passed the bill 5-0.

- Senate Bill 890: Requires candidates and political subdivisions (counties, cities, school boards) to file campaign finance reports with the Ethics Commission; the Ethics Commission’s executive director, Leanne Bruce Boone, told the committee the agency is building an online reporting system for political subdivisions and intends to provide education and support; the bill passed 5-0.

- Senate Bill 814: Expands an existing emergency-absentee provision (created in 2013 for first responders deployed to disaster areas) to include uniformed service voters deployed after the absentee request deadline but before early voting starts; passed 6-0 in committee.

- Senate Bill 1086: Directs steps for identifying noncitizens on voter rolls and includes protections limiting access to voter lists to certain users; the bill passed 5-1 in committee.

- Senate Bill 6 (school elections alignment amendment): Amended in committee to align school-board primary and runoff dates with House Bill 2106 and Senate Bill 652; passed 5-1.

Why it matters: Supporters said the bills simplify administration, improve transparency and expand access for affected voters; supporters of the ethics reporting bill said an online system will make filings easier for municipal candidates and local clerks. Critics raised concerns about rural communities’ capacity to adapt to new systems and the risk of centralizing processes without adequate outreach.

Representative Osborne, sponsor of the county-election-assistant bill and other election items, explained changes to election schedules and amendments that were made after municipal requests; regarding SB 652 he said the December election would fall between presidential primary years. On SB 890, Leanne Bruce Boone, executive director with the ethics commission, said, “the process should be very simple for anyone that actually meets the requirements for filing. They'll go online and do their filing.”

The committee recorded unanimous or near-unanimous committee votes on these measures; each bill was moved and passed as recorded below.

Votes at a glance (committee):
- SB 536 — Passed 5 ayes, 0 nay.
- SB 652 (as amended) — Passed 5 ayes, 0 nay; amendment adopted by unanimous consent to add a December election every 4 years beginning 2025.
- SB 890 — Passed 5 ayes, 0 nay.
- SB 814 — Passed 6 ayes, 0 nay.
- SB 1086 — Passed 5 aye, 1 nay.
- SB 6 (school elections alignment) — Passed 5 I, 1 nay.

What’s next: Each bill will move forward in the House process. Supporters said they plan outreach and education for municipal clerks and voters where procedural changes will take effect.