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General Assembly Committee Bill No. 6048
January Session, 2019
LCO No. 6399
Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
AND ELECTIONS
Introduced by:
(GAE)
AN ACT CONCERNING INTEGRITY OF ELECTION 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 Section 9-19j of the general statutes is repealed and the 1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 October 1, 2019): 2
(a) As used in this subsection and subsections (b) to (i), inclusive, of 3
this section, "election day" means the day on which a regular election, 4
as defined in section 9-1, is held. 5
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter, a person who (1) 6
is (A) not an elector, or (B) an elector registered in a municipality who 7
wishes to change his or her registration to another municipality 8
pursuant to the provisions of subdivision (2) of subsection (e) of this 9
section, and (2) meets the eligibility requirements under subsection (a) 10
of section 9-12, may apply for admission as an elector on election day 11
pursuant to the provisions of subsections (a) to (i), inclusive, of this 12
section. 13
(c) (1) The registrars of voters shall designate a location for the 14
completion and processing of election day registration applications on 15
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election day, provided the registrars of voters have access to the state-16
wide centralized voter registration system from such location. 17
(2) The registrars of voters [may] shall appoint one or more election 18
officials, including official checkers, to serve at such location and may 19
delegate to such election officials any of the responsibilities assigned to 20
the registrars of voters. The registrars of voters shall supervise such 21
election officials and train such election officials to be election day 22
registration election officials. Nothing in this subdivision shall be 23
construed to prohibit any unofficial checker or challenger from being 24
present at such location. 25
(d) Any person applying to register on election day under the 26
provisions of subsections (a) to (i), inclusive, of this section shall make 27
application in accordance with the provisions of section 9-20, provided 28
(1) on election day, the applicant shall appear in person at the location 29
designated by the registrars of voters for election day registration, (2) 30
an applicant who is a student enrolled at an institution of higher 31
education may submit a current photo identification card issued by 32
[said] such institution in lieu of the identification required by section 9-33
20, [and] (3) the applicant shall declare under oath that the applicant 34
has not previously voted in the election, and (4) the applicant shall be 35
administered the elector's oath individually. If the information that the 36
applicant is required to provide under section 9-20 and subsections (a) 37
to (i), inclusive, of this section does not include proof of the applicant's 38
residential address, the applicant shall also submit identification that 39
shows the applicant's bona fide residence address, including, but not 40
limited to, a learner's permit issued under section 14-36 or a utility bill 41
that has the applicant's name and current address and that has a due 42
date that is not later than thirty days after the election or, in the case of 43
a student enrolled at an institution of higher education, a registration 44
or fee statement from such institution that has the applicant's name 45
and current address. 46
(e) If the registrars of voters determine that an applicant satisfies the 47
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application requirements set forth in subsection (d) of this section, the 48
registrars of voters shall check the state-wide centralized voter 49
registration system before admitting such applicant as an elector. 50
(1) If the registrars of voters determine that the applicant is not 51
already an elector, the registrars of voters shall admit the applicant as 52
an elector and proceed in accordance with subdivision (1) of 53
subsection (f) of this section, and the privileges of an elector shall 54
attach immediately. 55
(2) If the registrars of voters determine that such applicant is an 56
elector in another municipality and such applicant states that he or she 57
wants to change the municipality in which the applicant is an elector, 58
notwithstanding the provisions of section 9-21, the registrars of voters 59
of the municipality in which such elector now seeks to register shall 60
immediately notify the registrars of voters in such other municipality 61
that such elector is changing the municipality in which the applicant is 62
an elector. The registrars of voters in such other municipality shall 63
notify the election officials in such municipality to remove such elector 64
from the official voter list of such municipality. Such election officials 65
shall cross through the elector's name on such official voter list and 66
mark "off" next to such elector's name on such official voter list. 67
(A) If it is reported that such applicant already voted in such other 68
municipality, the registrars of voters of such other municipality shall 69
immediately notify the registrars of voters of the municipality in which 70
such elector now seeks to register. In such event, such elector shall not 71
receive an election day registration ballot from the registrars of voters 72
of the municipality in which such elector now seeks to register. For any 73
such elector, the election day registration process shall cease in the 74
municipality in which such elector now seeks to register and such 75
matter shall be reviewed by the registrars of voters in the municipality 76
in which such elector now seeks to register. After completion of such 77
review, if a resolution of the matter [can not] cannot be made, such 78
matter shall be reported to the State Elections Enforcement 79
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Commission which shall conduct an investigation of the matter. 80
[(B) If there is no such report that such applicant already voted in 81
the other municipality, the registrars of voters of the municipality in 82
which the applicant seeks to register shall admit the applicant as an 83
elector and the privileges of an elector shall attach immediately] (B) If 84
it is reported that such applicant did not already vote in such other 85
municipality, the registrars of voters of the municipality in which the 86
applicant seeks to register shall admit the applicant as an elector and 87
proceed in accordance with subdivision (1) of subsection (f) of this 88
section, and the privileges of an elector shall attach immediately. 89
(C) If, at the time the applicant is appearing in person at the location 90
designated for election day registration, there is no report under 91
subparagraph (A) or (B) of this subdivision, the registrars of voters of 92
the municipality in which such applicant seeks to register shall note 93
the absence of any such report and proceed in accordance with 94
subdivision (2) of subsection (f) of this section without admitting such 95
applicant at such time. 96
(f) [If the applicant is admitted] (1) Upon admission of the applicant 97
as an elector pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (e) of this 98
section or subparagraph (B) of subdivision (2) of said subsection, the 99
registrars of voters shall provide the elector with an election day 100
registration ballot and election day registration envelope and [shall] 101
make a record of such issuance. 102
(2) For any applicant described in subparagraph (C) of subdivision 103
(2) of subsection (e) of this section, the registrar of voters shall provide 104
such applicant with an election day registration ballot and election day 105
registration envelope and make a record of such issuance, provided, if 106
before the time at which counting of election day registration ballots 107
begins, there is (A) a report under subparagraph (B) of said 108
subdivision for such applicant, the registrars of voters shall admit the 109
applicant as an elector, the privileges of an elector shall attach 110
immediately and such elector's election day registration ballot shall be 111
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counted, and (B) no report under subparagraph (B) of said subdivision 112
for such applicant, such applicant shall not be admitted as an elector 113
and such applicant's election day registration ballot shall not be 114
counted. 115
(3) The elector or applicant, as applicable, shall complete an 116
affirmation imprinted upon the back of the envelope for an election 117
day registration ballot and shall declare under oath that [the applicant] 118
he or she has not previously voted in the election. The affirmation shall 119
be in the form substantially as follows and signed by the voter: 120
AFFIRMATION: I, the undersigned, do hereby state, under penalty 121
of false statement, (perjury) that: 122
1. I am the person admitted here as an elector in the town indicated. 123
2. I am eligible to vote in the election indicated for today in the town 124
indicated. 125
3. The information on my voter registration card is correct and 126
complete. 127
4. I reside at the address that I have given to the registrars of voters. 128
5. If previously registered at another location, I have provided such 129
address to the registrars of voters and hereby request cancellation of 130
such prior registration. 131
6. I have not voted in person or by absentee ballot and I will not 132
vote otherwise than by this ballot at this election. 133
7. I completed an application for an election day registration ballot 134
and received an election day registration ballot. 135
.... (Signature of voter) 136
(g) The elector or applicant, as applicable, shall forthwith mark the 137
election day registration ballot in the presence of the registrars of 138
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voters in such a manner that the registrars of voters shall not know 139
how the election day registration ballot is marked. The elector or 140
applicant shall place the election day registration ballot in the election 141
day registration ballot envelope provided, and deposit such envelope 142
in a secured election day registration ballot depository receptacle. At 143
the time designated by the registrars of voters and noticed to election 144
officials, the registrars of voters shall transport such receptacle 145
containing the election day registration ballots to the central location or 146
polling place, pursuant to subsection (b) of section 9-147a, where 147
absentee ballots are counted and, except as provided in subparagraph 148
(B) of subdivision (2) of subsection (f) of this section, such election day 149
registration ballots shall be counted by the election officials present at 150
such central location or polling place. A section of the head 151
moderator's return shall show the number of election day registration 152
ballots received from electors. The registrars of voters shall seal a copy 153
of the vote tally for election day registration ballots in a depository 154
envelope with the election day registration ballots and store such 155
election day registration depository envelope with the other election 156
results materials. The election day registration depository envelope 157
shall be preserved by the registrars of voters for the period of time 158
required to preserve counted ballots for elections. 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 ballots under 163
subsections (a) to (i), inclusive, of this section. 164
(i) (1) After the acceptance of an election day registration, the 165
registrars of voters shall forthwith send a registration confirmation 166
notice to the residential address of each applicant who is admitted as 167
an elector on election day under subsections (a) to (i), inclusive, of this 168
section. Such confirmation shall be sent by first class mail with 169
instructions on the envelope that it be returned if not deliverable at the 170
address shown on the envelope. If a confirmation notice is returned 171
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undelivered, the registrars shall forthwith take the necessary action in 172
accordance with section 9-35 or 9-43, as applicable, notwithstanding 173
the May first deadline in section 9-35. 174
(2) (A) Not later than ninety days after election day, the registrars of 175
voters of each town shall (i) compile a report of (I) the number of 176
persons applying for election day registration as described in 177
subsection (d) of this section, (II) the number of such persons not 178
permitted to register in accordance with subparagraph (A) of 179
subdivision (2) of subsection (e) of this section, (III) the number of 180
registration confirmation notices sent to admitted applicants, pursuant 181
to subdivision (1) of this subsection, that were returned undelivered, 182
and (IV) the number of such admitted applicants that were 183
subsequently placed on the inactive registry list as a result of such 184
notices being returned undelivered, in accordance with subdivision (1) 185
of this subsection and section 9-35, and (ii) submit such report to the 186
Secretary of the State. 187
(B) Not later than one hundred twenty days after election day, the 188
Secretary of the State shall (i) aggregate all reports submitted to the 189
Secretary under subparagraph (A) of this subdivision into one single 190
report, and (ii) submit such single report to the joint standing 191
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 192
relating to elections, in accordance with section 11-4a, and to the State 193
Elections Enforcement Commission. 194
(3) Not later than five days after a determination of the registrars of 195
voters of any town that the residency of an admitted applicant cannot 196
be verified because a registration confirmation notice for such 197
applicant was returned undelivered to such registrars, as provided in 198
subdivision (1) of this subsection, such registrars shall report all 199
information resulting in such determination to the State Elections 200
Enforcement Commission which shall conduct an investigation of the 201
matter. 202
(j) No person shall solicit in behalf of or in opposition to the 203
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candidacy of another or himself or herself or in behalf of or in 204
opposition to any question being submitted at the election, or loiter or 205
peddle or offer any advertising matter, ballot or circular to another 206
person within a radius of seventy-five feet of any outside entrance in 207
use as an entry to the registrars' of voters designated location for 208
election day registration balloting or in any corridor, passageway or 209
other approach leading from any such outside entrance to such 210
registrars' of voters designated location or in any room opening upon 211
any such corridor, passageway or approach. 212
(k) The Secretary of the State shall develop a process by which 213
registrars of voters and other elections officials serving at designated 214
election day registration locations shall confirm that persons applying 215
to register on election day under this section, which persons are 216
registered to vote in any other state, have not already voted in such 217
other state on such election day. For any such person, such registrars 218
or election officials shall provide to such person a provisional ballot 219
until such process has been developed. 220
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2019 9-19j
Statement of Purpose:
To implement several reforms concerning the integrity of election day
registration procedures.
[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. KLARIDES, 114th Dist.; REP. CANDELORA, 86th Dist.
REP. O'DEA, 125th Dist.; REP. O'NEILL, 69th Dist.
REP. KOKORUDA, 101st Dist.; REP. ZUPKUS, 89th Dist.
H.B. 6048