After a heated seven-hour debate, the Connecticut House delayed a vote on legislation letting anyone vote by mail without an excuse.

It's not clear when the bill will come up for debate again. The legislative session ends in two weeks.

House Speaker Matt Ritter (D-Hartford) said he hoped to meet with Republican leaders to iron out differences.

Currently, residents need a specific excuse, such as being sick, in the military or out of town, to receive an absentee ballot.

In 2024, voters approved an amendment to the state constitution removing restrictions on absentee voting, which paved the way for Wednesday's debate.

Republicans say they have concerns.

"Nothing in this bill that we took up in this bill or any bill in the GAE Committee addressed any problems with fraud like they had in Bridgeport. There were no protections whatsoever in place," says State Rep. Gale Mastrofrancesco (R-Wolcott).

Nearly a dozen campaign operatives from Bridgeport have been charged with ballot fraud.

Critics of the bill say campaigns should be banned from distributing absentee ballot applications.