Top state democratic and labor officials are lending their voices to a new campaign to make early voting more accessible in Connecticut.

The goal of the Yes for Freedom to Vote Early is to encourage voters to approve a ballot question in November that would expand early voting options.

Connecticut requires all voters to vote in person at a polling place on Election Day, unless they have a specific reason why they cannot.

If approved, officials say the initiative would make voting easier and more equitable, especially for workers.

"Elections should be decided by the voters, not by whether the line is too long, not by bad weather scaring people from turning out. And it's not because it's on one day. We need to have options," said Ed Hawthorne, president of Connecticut AFL-CIO.

Officials say during the worst time of the pandemic, many people voted early by absentee ballot, which led to increased voter turnout.