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General Assembly Committee Bill No. 6045
January Session, 2019
LCO No. 3794
Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
AND ELECTIONS
Introduced by:
(GAE)
AN ACT CONCERNING EL ECTION DAY AND PRIMARY DAY
REGISTRATION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 9-19j of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 2
(a) As used in [this subsection and subsections (b) to (i), inclusive, 3
of] this section, "election day" means the day on which a regular 4
election, as defined in section 9-1, is held, "primary day" means the day 5
on which a primary, as defined in section 9-372 or 9-463, as applicable, 6
is held, "election day registration" means admission as an elector on 7
election day and "primary day registration" means both admission as 8
an elector and enrollment in a political party holding a primary on 9
primary day. 10
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter, a person who (1) 11
is (A) not an elector, or (B) an elector registered in a municipality who 12
wishes to change his or her registration to another municipality 13
pursuant to the provisions of subdivision (2) of subsection (e) of this 14
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section, and (2) meets the eligibility requirements under subsection (a) 15
of section 9-12, may apply for admission as an elector on election day, 16
or for both admission as an elector and enrollment in a political party 17
holding a primary on primary day, pursuant to the provisions of 18
[subsections (a) to (i), inclusive, of] this section. 19
(c) (1) The registrars of voters shall designate a location for the 20
completion and processing of election day registration applications on 21
election day and primary day registration applications on primary 22
day, provided the registrars of voters have access to the state-wide 23
centralized voter registration system from such location. 24
(2) The registrars of voters may appoint one or more election 25
officials or primary officials, as applicable, to serve at such location 26
and may delegate to such election or primary officials any of the 27
responsibilities assigned to the registrars of voters. The registrars of 28
voters shall supervise such election or primary officials and train such 29
election or primary officials to be election day registration election 30
officials or primary day registration primary officials. 31
(d) Any person applying [to register] for admission as an elector on 32
election day, or for both admission as an elector and enrollment in a 33
political party holding a primary on primary day, under the provisions 34
[of subsections (a) to (i), inclusive,] of this section shall make 35
application in accordance with [the provisions of] section 9-20, 36
provided (1) on election day or primary day, the applicant shall appear 37
in person not later than eight o'clock p.m., in accordance with 38
subsection (b) of section 9-174, as amended by this act, or section 9-438, 39
as amended by this act, as applicable, at the location designated by the 40
registrars of voters for election day registration or primary day 41
registration, (2) an applicant who is a student enrolled at an institution 42
of higher education may submit a current photo identification card 43
issued by [said] such institution in lieu of the identification required by 44
section 9-20, and (3) the applicant shall declare under oath that the 45
applicant has not previously voted in [the] any election or primary 46
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held that day. If the information that the applicant is required to 47
provide under section 9-20 and [subsections (a) to (i), inclusive, of] this 48
section does not include proof of the applicant's residential address, 49
the applicant shall also submit identification that shows the applicant's 50
bona fide residence address, including, but not limited to, a learner's 51
permit issued under section 14-36 or a utility bill that has the 52
applicant's name and current address and that has a due date that is 53
not later than thirty days after the election or primary, as applicable, 54
or, in the case of a student enrolled at an institution of higher 55
education, a registration or fee statement from such institution that has 56
the applicant's name and current address. 57
(e) If the registrars of voters determine that an applicant satisfies the 58
application requirements set forth in subsection (d) of this section, the 59
registrars of voters shall check the state-wide centralized voter 60
registration system before admitting such applicant as an elector on 61
election day, or before both admitting such applicant as an elector and 62
enrolling such applicant in a political party holding a primary on 63
primary day. 64
(1) If the registrars of voters determine that the applicant is not 65
already an elector, the registrars of voters shall admit the applicant as 66
an elector and the privileges of an elector shall attach immediately. On 67
primary day, the registrars of voters shall also enroll the applicant in 68
the political party holding a primary of such applicant's preference and 69
the privileges of party enrollment shall attach immediately. 70
(2) If the registrars of voters determine that such applicant is an 71
elector in another municipality and such applicant states that he or she 72
wants to change the municipality in which the applicant is an elector, 73
notwithstanding the provisions of section 9-21, the registrars of voters 74
of the municipality in which such elector now seeks to register shall 75
immediately notify the registrars of voters in such other municipality 76
that such elector is changing the municipality in which the applicant is 77
an elector. The registrars of voters in such other municipality shall 78
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notify the election officials in such municipality to remove such elector 79
from the official voter list and, if applicable, any enrollment list of such 80
municipality. Such election officials shall cross through the elector's 81
name on such official voter list and, if applicable, enrollment list and 82
mark "off" next to such elector's name on such official voter list and, if 83
applicable, enrollment list. 84
(A) If it is reported that such applicant already voted in such other 85
municipality, the registrars of voters of such other municipality shall 86
immediately notify the registrars of voters of the municipality in which 87
such elector now seeks to register. In such event, such elector shall not 88
receive an election day registration ballot or a primary day registration 89
ballot, as applicable, from the registrars of voters of the municipality in 90
which such elector now seeks to register. For any such elector, the 91
election day registration or primary day registration process shall 92
cease in the municipality in which such elector now seeks to register 93
and such matter shall be reviewed by the registrars of voters in the 94
municipality in which such elector now seeks to register. After 95
completion of such review, if a resolution of the matter [can not] 96
cannot be made, such matter shall be reported to the State Elections 97
Enforcement Commission which shall conduct an investigation of the 98
matter. 99
(B) If there is no such report that such applicant already voted in the 100
other municipality, the registrars of voters of the municipality in which 101
the applicant seeks to register shall admit the applicant as an elector 102
and the privileges of an elector shall attach immediately. On primary 103
day, the registrars of voters shall also enroll the applicant in the 104
political party holding a primary of such applicant's preference and the 105
privileges of party enrollment shall attach immediately. 106
(f) If the applicant is admitted as an elector on election day, or both 107
admitted as an elector and enrolled in a political party holding a 108
primary on primary day, the registrars of voters shall provide the 109
elector with an election day registration or primary day registration 110
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ballot and [election day registration] envelope and shall make a record 111
of such issuance. The elector shall complete an affirmation imprinted 112
upon the back of the envelope for an election day registration or 113
primary day registration ballot and shall declare under oath that the 114
applicant has not previously voted in [the] any election or primary 115
held that day. The affirmation shall be in the form substantially as 116
follows and signed by the voter: 117
AFFIRMATION: I, the undersigned, do hereby state, under penalty 118
of false statement, (perjury) that: 119
1. I am the person admitted here as an elector in the town indicated. 120
2. I am eligible to vote in the election or primary indicated for today 121
in the town indicated. 122
3. The information on my voter registration card is correct and 123
complete. 124
4. I reside at the address that I have given to the registrars of voters. 125
5. If previously registered at another location, I have provided such 126
address to the registrars of voters and hereby request cancellation of 127
such prior registration. 128
6. I have not voted in person or by absentee ballot and I will not 129
vote otherwise than by this ballot at this election or primary. 130
7. I completed an application for an election day registration or 131
primary day registration ballot and received an election day 132
registration or primary day registration ballot. 133
.... (Signature of voter) 134
(g) The elector shall forthwith mark the election day registration or 135
primary day registration ballot in the presence of the registrars of 136
voters in such a manner that the registrars of voters shall not know 137
how [the election day registration] such ballot is marked. The elector 138
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shall place [the election day registration] such ballot in the election day 139
registration or primary day registration ballot envelope provided, and 140
deposit such envelope in a secured election day registration or primary 141
day registration ballot depository receptacle. At the time designated by 142
the registrars of voters and noticed to election officials, the registrars of 143
voters shall transport such receptacle containing [the election day 144
registration] such ballots to the central location or polling place, 145
pursuant to subsection (b) of section 9-147a, where absentee ballots are 146
counted and such election day registration or primary day registration 147
ballots shall be counted by the election or primary officials present at 148
such central location or polling place. A section of the head 149
moderator's return shall show the number of election day registration 150
or primary day registration ballots received from electors. The 151
registrars of voters shall seal a copy of the vote tally for [election day 152
registration] such ballots in a depository envelope with [the election 153
day registration] such ballots and store such [election day registration] 154
depository envelope with the other election or primary results 155
materials. [The] Each election day registration or primary day 156
registration depository envelope shall be preserved by the registrars of 157
voters for the period of time required to preserve counted ballots for 158
elections or primaries, as applicable. 159
(h) The provisions of the general statutes and regulations 160
concerning procedures relating to the custody, control and counting of 161
absentee ballots shall apply as nearly as possible, to the custody, 162
control and counting of election day registration and primary day 163
registration ballots under [subsections (a) to (i), inclusive, of] this 164
section. 165
(i) After the acceptance of an election day registration or a primary 166
day registration, the registrars of voters shall forthwith send a 167
registration confirmation notice to the residential address of each 168
applicant who is admitted as an elector on election day, or both 169
admitted as an elector and enrolled in a political party holding a 170
primary on primary day, as applicable, under [subsections (a) to (i), 171
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inclusive, of] this section. Such confirmation shall be sent by first class 172
mail with instructions on the envelope that it be returned if not 173
deliverable at the address shown on the envelope. If a confirmation 174
notice is returned undelivered, the registrars shall forthwith take the 175
necessary action in accordance with section 9-35 or 9-43, as applicable, 176
notwithstanding the May first deadline in section 9-35. 177
(j) No person shall solicit in behalf of or in opposition to the 178
candidacy of another or himself or herself or in behalf of or in 179
opposition to any question being submitted at the election, or loiter or 180
peddle or offer any advertising matter, ballot or circular to another 181
person within a radius of seventy-five feet of any outside entrance in 182
use as an entry to the registrars' of voters designated location for 183
election day registration or primary day registration balloting or in any 184
corridor, passageway or other approach leading from any such outside 185
entrance to such registrars' of voters designated location or in any 186
room opening upon any such corridor, passageway or approach. 187
Sec. 2. Section 9-174 of the general statutes is repealed and the 188
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 189
(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any general statute, special 190
act or municipal charter to the contrary, at any regular election, or at 191
any special election held to fill a vacancy in a state, district or 192
municipal office, the polls shall remain open for voting from six o'clock 193
a.m. until eight o'clock p.m. No elector shall be permitted to cast his 194
vote after the hour prescribed for the closing of the polls in any 195
election unless such elector is in line at eight o'clock p.m. An election 196
official or a police official of the municipality, who is designated by the 197
moderator, shall be placed at the end of the line at eight o'clock p.m. 198
Such official shall not allow any electors who were not in such line at 199
eight o'clock p.m. to enter such line. 200
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of any general statute, special 201
act or municipal charter to the contrary, at any regular election, the 202
location designated for election day registration, as defined in section 203
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9-19j, as amended by this act, pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection 204
(c) of said section, shall remain open for election day registration and 205
voting from six o'clock a.m. until eight o'clock p.m. No applicant for 206
election day registration shall be admitted as an elector or permitted to 207
cast such applicant's vote after the hour prescribed for the closing of 208
the location designated for such purposes in any regular election 209
unless such applicant is in line at eight o'clock p.m. An election official 210
or a police official of the municipality, who is appointed by the 211
registrars of voters, shall be placed at the end of the line at eight o'clock 212
p.m. Such official shall not allow any applicants for election day 213
registration who were not in such line at eight o'clock p.m. to enter 214
such line. 215
Sec. 3. Section 9-438 of the general statutes is repealed and the 216
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 217
In each municipality or voting district, the polling places for 218
primaries held under sections 9-382 to 9-450, inclusive, shall be the 219
same as those used for the election to be held. When unaffiliated 220
electors are authorized under section 9-431 to vote in the primary of 221
either of two parties, both parties shall hold their primaries in the same 222
room of each such polling place. On the day of the primary, (1) the 223
polls shall remain open for voting from six o'clock a.m. until eight 224
o'clock p.m., and (2) the location designated for primary day 225
registration, as defined in section 9-19j, as amended by this act, 226
pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of said section, shall 227
remain open for primary day registration and voting from six o'clock 228
a.m. until eight o'clock p.m. 229
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage 9-19j
Sec. 2 from passage 9-174
Sec. 3 from passage 9-438
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Statement of Purpose:
To permit applicants in line for election day registration prior to eight
o'clock p.m. to be admitted as electors and cast a vote in a regular
election, as well as apply to primaries the procedures at regular
elections for elector registration, party enrollment and voting.
[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.]
Co-Sponsors: REP. DOUCETTE, 13th Dist.; SEN. CASSANO, 4th Dist.
H.B. 6045