The question we should be asking ourselves is: Are we doing everything we can to make it easy to vote Absentee, not making it harder?  We should also be allowing no-fault absentee voting.  Having to make-up excuses as to why someone is not available on election day to vote at the polls is so last century.  Also, voting by mail should be an option open to everyone.  Nonetheless, removing flexible, common sense decision-making discretion by election officials is a step in the wrong direction.