| 13 | | - | (b) The registrars of voters of a municipality may reduce the number of polling places required under subsection (a) of this section and shall designate such polling place or places not later than sixty days prior to a primary held under sections 9-382 to 9-450, inclusive, the location of which may be the same or different than of those polling places required under subsection (a) of this section. Not earlier than sixty days prior to such primary, but not later than forty-five days prior to such primary, the registrars of voters shall notify the Secretary of the State and the candidates seeking nomination to an office in such primary of the change in the polling place or places. If such a candidate objects to a change in the polling place or places, the candidate shall notify the Secretary of such objection not later than four o'clock p.m. on the thirtieth day prior to the primary. Such notification from the candidate shall be in the form of a written letter, signed by the candidate, and shall be held confidential by the Secretary. The Secretary shall promptly notify such registrars of voters and any candidate seeking nomination to an office in such primary that the Secretary has received a letter of objection, which notification shall not identify the candidate who objected. If such a candidate so objects, or if a municipality's registrars of voters cannot agree upon a polling place or places for a primary, the polling place or places shall be the same as those used for the election to be held. Not later than twenty-one days prior to a primary, the registrars of voters shall send notification of the polling place for the primary, by mail, to each elector whose polling place for the primary will be different than the elector's polling place for the election, except that no registrar of voters shall be required to so notify an elector for any subsequent primary, provided the primary polling place for such elector remains the same as that which was provided for in the initial notification. If any polling place that would otherwise be open pursuant to subsection (a) of this section is closed pursuant to this subsection, the registrars of voters shall ensure that a sign is posted at such polling place providing electors with information to redirect the electors to the open polling place or places for the primary. When unaffiliated electors are authorized under section 9-431 to vote in the primary of either of two parties, both parties shall hold their primaries in the same room of each such polling place. Notwithstanding any provision of title 7 or this title, any special act, charter or ordinance, if the number of polling places are reduced pursuant to the provisions of this subsection, the number of moderators required for such primary may be reduced, if the registrars of voters so agree, provided at least one certified moderator serves each polling place. |
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| 20 | + | (b) The registrars of voters of a municipality may reduce the number of polling places required under subsection (a) of this section and shall designate such polling place or places not later than sixty days prior to a primary held under sections 9-382 to 9-450, inclusive, the location of which may be the same or different than of those polling places required under subsection (a) of this section. Not earlier than sixty days prior to such primary, but not later than forty-five days prior to such primary, the registrars of voters shall notify the Secretary of the State and the candidates seeking nomination to an office in such primary of the change in the polling place or places. If such a candidate objects to a change in the polling place or places, the candidate shall notify the Secretary of such objection not later than four o'clock p.m. on the thirtieth day prior to the primary. Such notification from the candidate shall be in the form of a written letter, signed by the candidate, and shall be held confidential by the Secretary. The Secretary shall promptly notify such registrars of voters of such objection, which notification shall not identify the candidate who objected. If a municipality's registrars of voters cannot agree upon a polling place or places for a primary, or if such a candidate objects, the polling place or places shall be the same as those used for the election to be held. Not later than twenty-one days prior to a primary, the registrars of voters shall send notification of the polling place for the primary, by mail, to each elector whose polling place for the primary will be different than the elector's polling place for the election. When unaffiliated electors are authorized under section 9-431 to vote in the primary of either of two parties, both parties shall hold their primaries in the same room of each such polling place. Notwithstanding any provision of title 7 or 9, any special act, charter or ordinance, if the number of polling places are reduced pursuant to the provisions of this subsection, the number of moderators required for such primary may be reduced, if the registrars of voters so agree, provided at least one certified moderator serves each polling place. |
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| 17 | | - | Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) Whenever a complaint is made, in writing, to the State Elections Enforcement Commission that a registrar of voters of any town is guilty of misconduct, wilful and material neglect of duty or incompetence in the conduct of such registrar's office, said commission shall investigate the charges as the commission deems proper and shall, if of the opinion that the evidence obtained warrants such action, prepare a statement, in writing, of the charges against such registrar of voters, together with a citation in the name of the state, commanding such registrar of voters to appear before a judge of the Superior Court at a date named in such citation and show cause, if any, why such registrar should not be removed from office as provided in this section. Said commission shall cause a copy of such statement and citation to be served by the proper officer upon the defendant not later than ten days before the date of appearance named in such citation, and the original statement and citation, with the return of the officer on such statement and citation, shall be returned to the clerk of the superior court for the judicial district within which such town is situated. To carry out the provisions of this section, the commission shall have power to summon witnesses, require the production of necessary books, papers and other documents and administer oaths to witnesses. Upon the day named in such citation for the appearance of such registrar of voters, or upon any adjourned day fixed by the judge before whom such proceedings are pending, the commission shall appear and conduct the hearing on behalf of the state. If, after a full hearing of all the evidence offered by the commission and by and in behalf of the defendant, the judge is of the opinion that the evidence presented warrants the removal of such registrar of voters, the judge shall cause to be prepared a written order to that effect, which shall be signed by the judge and lodged with the clerk of the superior court for the judicial district in which the defendant resides. Such clerk of the superior court shall cause a certified copy of such order to be served forthwith upon such registrar of voters, and upon such service the office held by such registrar of voters shall become vacant and the vacancy shall be filled in the manner provided in section 9-192 of the general statutes. Any witnesses summoned and any officer making service under the provisions of this section shall be allowed and paid by the state the same fees as are allowed by law in criminal prosecutions. |
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| 45 | | - | (b) Each town clerk shall electronically file the consolidated listing required under subsection (a) of this section, provided the town has provided the town clerk with access to a computer. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require a town to purchase a computer. |
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| 46 | | - | |
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| 47 | | - | (c) Any town clerk who fails to comply with the provisions of this section shall be fined twenty dollars. |
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| 48 | | - | |
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| 49 | | - | Sec. 8. Subsection (a) of section 9-159q of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): |
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| 50 | | - | |
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| 51 | | - | (a) As used in this section and section 9-159r, as amended by this act: |
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| 52 | | - | |
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| 53 | | - | (1) "Institution" means a veterans' health care facility, residential care home, health care facility for the handicapped, nursing home, rest home, mental health facility, alcohol or drug treatment facility, an infirmary operated by an educational institution for the care of its students, faculty and employees or an assisted living facility; and |
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| 54 | | - | |
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| 55 | | - | (2) "Designee" means an elector of the same town and political party as the appointing registrar of voters which elector (A) is not an employee of the institution at which supervised voting is conducted, and (B) did not solicit qualifying contributions under chapter 157 for any candidate on the ballot during the election cycle in which any such candidate is seeking nomination or election to office. |
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| 56 | | - | |
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| 57 | | - | Sec. 9. Subsection (a) of section 9-159r of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): |
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| 58 | | - | |
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| 59 | | - | (a) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, [to the contrary,] if twenty or more of the patients in any institution in the state are electors, absentee ballots voted by such electors shall be voted under the supervision of the registrars of voters or their designees of the town in which the institution is located, in accordance with the provisions of this section. [As used in this section, the term "institution" shall be construed as defined in section 9-159q. ] |
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| 60 | | - | |
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| 61 | | - | Sec. 10. Subsection (e) of section 9-35 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2012): |
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| 62 | | - | |
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| 63 | | - | (e) In any case in which the registrars have obtained reliable information of an elector's change of address within the municipality, they shall enter the name of such elector on the registry list at the place where the elector then resides, provided, if such reliable information is the National Change of Address System of the United States Postal Service, the registrar shall change the registry list and send the elector a notice of the change by forwardable mail and a postage prepaid preaddressed return form by which the elector may verify or correct the address information. If during the canvass the registrars determine that an elector has moved out of town and such elector has not confirmed in writing that the elector has moved out of the town, the registrars shall, not later than May first, send to the elector, by forwardable mail, a notice required by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, P. L. 103-31, as amended from time to time, together with a postage prepaid preaddressed return card on which the elector may state the elector's current address. In the year of a presidential preference primary, the registrars shall send such notice not earlier than the date of such primary. If the registrar does not receive the return card within thirty days after it is sent, the elector's name, including the name of an elector who has not voted in two consecutive federal elections, shall be placed on the inactive registry list for four years. At the expiration of such period of time on the inactive registry list, such name shall be removed from the registry list. If such elector applies to restore the elector's name to the active registry list or votes during such period, the elector's name shall be restored to the active registry list. Such registrars shall retain a duplicate copy or record of each such notice in their office or, if they do not have a permanent office, in the office space provided under section 9-5a, and shall note on such duplicate copy or record the date on which such notice was mailed. In each municipality, any elector, upon change of residence within the municipality, may cause the elector's registration to be transferred to the elector's new address by presenting to the registrars [a signed request therefor, stating the elector's present address, the date the elector moved to such address and the address at which the elector was last registered] a new application for voter registration. The registrars shall thereupon enter the elector's name on the list at the elector's new residence; provided no transfer of registration shall be made on the registry list on election day without the consent of [both registrars] each registrar. |
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| 49 | + | Joint Favorable |
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