Connecticut 2019 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00156 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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7	6		General Assembly Committee Bill No. 156
8	7		January Session, 2019
9	8		LCO No. 3887
10	9
11	10
12	11		Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
13	12		AND ELECTIONS
14	13
15	14
16	15		Introduced by:
17	16		(GAE)
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18	18
19	19
20	20		AN ACT CONCERNING TH E SECRETARY OF THE STA TE AND
21	21		ABSENTEE VOTING.
22	22		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
23	23		Assembly convened:
24	24
25	25		Section 1. Subsections (a) and (b) of section 9-140 of the general 1
26	26		statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 2
27	27		(Effective July 1, 2019): 3
28	28		(a) (1) [Application] Except as provided in subsection (b) of this 4
29	29		section, application for an absentee ballot shall be made to the clerk of 5
30	30		the municipality in which the applicant is eligible to vote or has 6
31	31		applied for such eligibility. Any person who assists another person in 7
32	32		the completion of an application shall, in the space provided, sign the 8
33	33		application and print or type his name, residence address and 9
34	34		telephone number. Such signature shall be made under the penalties of 10
35	35		false statement in absentee balloting. The municipal clerk shall not 11
36	36		invalidate the application solely because it does not contain the name 12
37	37		of a person who assisted the applicant in the completion of the 13
38	38		application. The municipal clerk shall not distribute with an absentee 14
39	39		ballot application any material which promotes the success or defeat of 15
40		-	~~any candidate or referendum question. The municipal clerk shall 16~~ Committee Bill No. 156
	40	+	Committee Bill No. 156
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	45	+	any candidate or referendum question. The municipal clerk shall 16
47	46		maintain a log of all absentee ballot applications provided under this 17
48	47		subsection, including the name and address of each person to whom 18
49	48		applications are provided and the number of applications provided to 19
50	49		each such person. Each absentee ballot application provided by the 20
51	50		municipal clerk shall be consecutively numbered and be stamped or 21
52	51		marked with the name of the municipality issuing the application. The 22
53	52		application shall be signed by the applicant under the penalties of false 23
54	53		statement in absentee balloting on [(1)] (A) the form prescribed by the 24
55	54		Secretary of the State pursuant to section 9-139a, [(2)] (B) a form 25
56	55		provided by any federal department or agency if applicable pursuant 26
57	56		to section 9-153a, or [(3)] (C) any of the special forms of application 27
58	57		prescribed pursuant to section 9-150c, 9-153a, 9-153b, 9-153d, 9-153e, 9-28
59	58		153f or 9-158d, if applicable. Any such absentee ballot applicant who is 29
60	59		unable to write may cause the application to be completed by an 30
61	60		authorized agent who shall, in the spaces provided for the date and 31
62	61		signature, write the date and name of the absentee ballot applicant 32
63	62		followed by the word "by" and his own signature. If the ballot is to be 33
64	63		mailed to the applicant, the applicant shall list the bona fide personal 34
65	64		mailing address of the applicant in the appropriate space on the 35
66	65		application. 36
67	66		[(b)] (2) A municipal clerk may transmit an application to a person 37
68	67		under this subsection by facsimile machine or other electronic means, 38
69	68		if so requested by the applicant. If a municipal clerk has a facsimile 39
70	69		machine or other electronic means, an applicant may return a 40
71	70		completed application to the clerk by such a machine or device, 41
72	71		provided the applicant shall also mail the original of the completed 42
73	72		application to the clerk, either separately or with the absentee ballot 43
74	73		that is issued to the applicant. If the clerk does not receive such 44
75	74		original application by the close of the polls on the day of the election, 45
76	75		primary or referendum, the absentee ballot shall not be counted. 46
77	76		(b) On and after July 1, 2019: 47
78		-	(1) Application for an absentee ballot may be made to the Secretary 48
79		-	of the State through an online system established and maintained by 49 Committee Bill No. 156
	77	+	Committee Bill No. 156
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	82	+	(1) Application for an absentee ballot may be made to the Secretary 48
	83	+	of the State through an online system established and maintained by 49
86	84		the Secretary for such purpose, provided an applicant's signature is in 50
87	85		a database described in subsection (b) of section 9-19k and such 51
88	86		signature may be imported into such online system. 52
89	87		(2) In order for an application for an absentee ballot to be submitted 53
90	88		through the online system described in subdivision (1) of this 54
91	89		subsection, the applicant's signature shall be obtained from a database 55
92	90		described in subsection (b) of section 9-19k and the applicant shall, on 56
93	91		an online form prescribed by the Secretary, (A) type his or her name, 57
94	92		(B) indicate the municipality in which such applicant is eligible to vote 58
95	93		or has applied for such eligibility, and (C) mark a box associated with 59
96	94		the following statement: 60
97	95		"By clicking on the box below, I swear or affirm all of the following 61
98	96		under penalty of false statement in absentee balloting: 62
99	97		1. I am the person whose name is provided on this form, and I 63
100	98		desire to apply for an absentee ballot. 64
101	99		2. I am eligible to vote in the municipality provided on this form or 65
102	100		have applied for such eligibility. 66
103	101		3. I authorize the Department of Motor Vehicles or other 67
104	102		Connecticut state agency to transmit to the Connecticut Secretary of 68
105	103		the State my signature that is on file with such agency and understand 69
106	104		that such signature will be used by the Secretary on this online 70
107	105		application for an absentee ballot as if I had signed this form 71
108	106		personally." 72
109	107		(3) Upon receipt of any submitted application for an absentee ballot 73
110	108		through the online system described in subdivision (1) of this 74
111	109		subsection, the Secretary shall transmit such application to the clerk of 75
112	110		the municipality indicated therein. 76
113		-	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
114		-	sections:
115	111		Committee Bill No. 156
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	116	+	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
	117	+	sections:
121	118
122	119		Section 1 July 1, 2019 9-140(a) and (b)
123	120
124		-	GAE Joint Favorable
	121	+	Statement of Purpose:
	122	+	To allow any eligible elector to electronically request an absentee ballot
	123	+	through the Secretary of the State's Internet web site.
	124	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline,
	125	+	except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is
	126	+	not underlined.]
	127	+
	128	+	Co-Sponsors: SEN. HASKELL, 26th Dist.
	129	+
	130	+	S.B. 156
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125	132