General Assembly Raised Bill No. 217
February Session, 2012 LCO No. 1216
*01216_______GAE*
Referred to Committee on Government Administration and Elections
Introduced by:
(GAE)
General Assembly
Raised Bill No. 217
February Session, 2012
LCO No. 1216
*01216_______GAE*
Referred to Committee on Government Administration and Elections
Introduced by:
(GAE)
AN ACT CONCERNING CHALLENGERS AS POLLING PLACE OFFICIALS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 9-232 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2012):
(a) [Each registrar may appoint one or more challengers in his town or district, one of whom may be present at the offering of any vote; and any such challenger or any] Any elector may challenge the right of any person offering to vote, on the ground of want of identity with the person on whose name the vote is offered, or disfranchisement or lack of bona fide residence, and the moderator shall decide upon the right of the person so challenged to vote.
Sec. 2. Section 9-235d of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2012):
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of sections 9-233, 9-235 and 9-258, as amended by this act, to the contrary, a United States citizen who is sixteen or seventeen years of age and a bona fide resident of a town may be (1) appointed as [a challenger or] an unofficial checker in an election, or (2) appointed as a checker, translator or voting tabulator tender in an election after (A) attending poll worker training, and (B) receiving the written permission of a parent, guardian or the principal of the school that the citizen attends if the citizen is a secondary school student and the citizen is to be appointed to work on a day when such school is in session.
(b) Notwithstanding any provision of section 9-436, as amended by this act, or 9-436a to the contrary, a United States citizen who is sixteen or seventeen years of age and a bona fide resident of a town or political subdivision holding a primary may be (1) appointed as a [challenger or] candidate checker in the primary, or (2) appointed as a checker, translator or voting tabulator tender in a primary after (A) attending poll worker training, and (B) receiving the written permission of a parent, guardian or the principal of the school that the citizen attends if the citizen is a secondary school student and the citizen is to be appointed to work on a day when such school is in session.
Sec. 3. Subsections (a) and (b) of section 9-258 of the 2012 supplement to the general statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2012):
(a) For municipalities with more than one voting district, the election officials of each polling place shall be electors of the state and shall consist of one moderator, at least one, but not more than two official checkers, two assistant registrars of voters of opposite political parties, each of whom shall be residents of the town, [not more than two challengers if the registrars of voters have appointed challengers pursuant to section 9-232,] and at least one and not more than two ballot clerks and at least one but not more than two voting tabulator tenders for each voting tabulator in use at the polling place. A known candidate for any office shall not serve as an election official on election day or serve at the polls in any capacity, except that a municipal clerk or a registrar of voters, who is a candidate for the same office, may perform his or her official duties. If, in the opinion of the registrar of voters, the public convenience of the electors in any voting district so requires, provision shall be made for an additional line or lines of electors at the polling place and, if more than one line of electors is established, at least one but not more than two additional official checkers and at least one but not more than two ballot clerks for each line of electors shall be appointed and, if more than one tabulator is used in a polling place, at least one and not more than two additional voting tabulator tenders shall be appointed for each additional machine so used. Head moderators, central counting moderators and absentee ballot counters appointed pursuant to law shall also be deemed election officials.
(b) For municipalities with one voting district, the election officials of such polling place shall be electors of the state and shall consist of one moderator, at least one, but not more than two official checkers, [not more than two challengers if the registrars of voters have appointed challengers pursuant to section 9-232,] at least one and not more than two voting tabulator tenders for each voting tabulator in use at the polling place and at least one but not more than two ballot clerks. Additionally, such election officials may consist of two registrars of voters of opposite political parties, or two assistant registrars of voters of opposite political parties, as the case may be, subject to the requirements of sections 9-259 and 9-439, provided if the registrars of voters are present in the polling place, they shall appoint at least one designee to be present in their office. A known candidate for any office shall not serve as an election official on election day or serve at the polls in any capacity, except that a municipal clerk or a registrar of voters, who is a candidate for the same office, may perform his or her official duties. If, in the opinion of the registrar of voters, the public convenience of the electors in any voting district so requires, provision shall be made for an additional line or lines of electors at the polling place and, if more than one line of electors is established, at least one, but not more than two, additional official checkers for each line of electors shall be appointed and, if more than one tabulator is used in a polling place, at least one and not more than two additional voting tabulator tenders shall be appointed for each additional tabulator so used. Head moderators, central counting moderators and absentee ballot counters appointed pursuant to law shall be deemed to be election officials.
Sec. 4. Subsection (c) of section 9-436 of the 2012 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2012):
(c) The registrar shall appoint from among the enrolled party members in the municipality or political subdivision holding the primary, as the case may be, to serve in each polling place, the primary polling place officials, who shall consist of one moderator, at least one, but not more than two official checkers, not more than two [challengers] if he deems it necessary, and at least one and not more than two ballot clerks and at least one but not more than two voting tabulator tenders for each tabulator in use at such primary and, in towns with two or more voting districts at least one and not more than two assistant registrars, provided (1) in the case of a political subdivision holding a primary, if no enrolled party member who resides in the political subdivision and who is a certified moderator consents to serve as a moderator, the registrar may appoint any enrolled party member who resides in the municipality and is a certified moderator to be moderator, (2) in the case of either a municipality or a political subdivision holding a primary, if no enrolled party member can be found or no such person consents to serve as a moderator, the registrar may appoint any elector who resides in the municipality and is a certified moderator to be moderator, (3) in the case of a political subdivision holding a primary, if an insufficient number of enrolled party members who reside in the political subdivision consent to serve as checkers, [challengers,] voting tabulator tenders or assistant registrars, the registrar may appoint any enrolled party member who resides in the municipality to be a checker, [challenger,] voting tabulator tender or assistant registrar, (4) in the case of either a municipality or a political subdivision holding a primary, if a sufficient number of enrolled party members cannot be found or do not consent to serve in a position described in subdivision (3) of this subsection, the registrar may appoint any elector who resides in the municipality to any such position, and (5) in the case of either a municipality or a political subdivision holding more than one primary on the same day for different political parties, one certified moderator may serve as moderator for both primaries, if the registrars of voters so agree. If unaffiliated electors are authorized under section 9-431 to vote for some but not all of the offices to be contested at the primary, the registrar shall appoint two additional checkers to check the list of unaffiliated electors who are authorized to vote on the separate tabulators. If unaffiliated electors are authorized under section 9-431 to vote in the primary of either of two parties in the same polling place, whether for some or for all offices to be contested at the primary, each such registrar shall appoint two additional checkers to check the list of unaffiliated electors who are authorized to vote in either such primary.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2012 9-232(a)
Sec. 2 July 1, 2012 9-235d
Sec. 3 July 1, 2012 9-258(a) and (b)
Sec. 4 July 1, 2012 9-436(c)
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
July 1, 2012
9-232(a)
Sec. 2
July 1, 2012
9-235d
Sec. 3
July 1, 2012
9-258(a) and (b)
Sec. 4
July 1, 2012
9-436(c)
Statement of Purpose:
To eliminate the position of challenger as a polling place official.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]