Top 5 things you need to know about the bombshell new republican voting overhaul bill
- Sweeping new voter ID requirements are the centerpiece, forcing every single absentee ballot to be notarized or witnessed by two people, a massive change from current mail-in rules.
- The bill slashes early voting periods down to just 8 days, eliminating the popular "Souls to the Polls" Sunday voting that drives huge turnout in minority communities.
- A controversial "ballot harvesting" ban makes it a felony for anyone but a family member or caregiver to return another person's completed ballot, targeting volunteer drives.
- Election officials would lose most of their power to fix minor errors on ballots, like mismatched signatures, meaning thousands of valid votes could be tossed on technicalities.
- The final provision creates a new state police unit dedicated exclusively to election fraud investigations, which critics say is a chilling overreach that will intimidate voters.