Connecticut 2020 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00239 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	LCO No. 1770 1 of 5
4	4
5	5	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 239
6	6	February Session, 2020
7	7	LCO No. 1770
8	8
9	9
10	10	Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
11	11	AND ELECTIONS
12	12
13	13
14	14	Introduced by:
15	15	(GAE)
16	16
17	17
18	18
19	19
20	20	AN ACT CONCERNING AU DITING OF SIGNED STATEMENTS OF
21	21	ELECTORS PRIOR TO VO TING.
22	22	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
23	23	Assembly convened:
24	24
25	25	Section 1. Section 9-261 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
26	26	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2020): 2
27	27	(a) In each primary, election or referendum, when an elector has 3
28	28	entered the polling place, the elector shall announce the elector's street 4
29	29	address, if any, and the elector's name to the official checker or checkers 5
30	30	in a tone sufficiently loud and clear as to enable all the election officials 6
31	31	present to hear the same. Each elector who registered to vote by mail for 7
32	32	the first time on or after January 1, 2003, and has a "mark" next to the 8
33	33	elector's name on the official registry list, as required by section 9-23r, 9
34	34	as amended by this act, shall present to the official checker or checkers, 10
35	35	before the elector votes, either a current and valid photo identification 11
36	36	that shows the elector's name and address or a copy of a current utility 12
37	37	bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government 13
38	38	document that shows the name and address of the elector. Each other 14 Raised Bill No. 239
39	39
40	40
41	41
42	42	LCO No. 1770 2 of 5
43	43
44	44	elector shall (1) present to the official checker or checkers the elector's 15
45	45	Social Security card or any other preprinted form of identification which 16
46	46	shows the elector's name and either the elector's address, signature or 17
47	47	photograph, or (2) on a form prescribed by the Secretary of the State, 18
48	48	write the elector's residential address and date of birth, print the 19
49	49	elector's name and sign a statement under penalty of false statement that 20
50	50	the elector is the elector whose name appears on the official checklist. 21
51	51	Such form shall clearly state the penalty of false statement. A separate 22
52	52	form shall be used for each elector. If the elector presents a preprinted 23
53	53	form of identification under subdivision (1) of this subsection, the 24
54	54	official checker or checkers shall check the name of such elector on the 25
55	55	official checklist, manually on paper or electronically. If the elector 26
56	56	completes the form under subdivision (2) of this subsection, the registrar 27
57	57	of voters or the assistant registrar of voters, as the case may be, shall 28
58	58	examine the information on such form and either instruct the official 29
59	59	checker or checkers to check the name of such elector on the official 30
60	60	checklist, manually on paper or electronically, or notify the elector that 31
61	61	the form is incomplete or inaccurate. Such registrar or assistant registrar 32
62	62	shall maintain a log of (A) each elector who completes the form under 33
63	63	subdivision (2) of this subsection, and (B) each such elector for whom 34
64	64	such form is incomplete or inaccurate. 35
65	65	(b) In the event that an elector is present at the polling place but is 36
66	66	unable to gain access to the polling place due to a temporary incapacity, 37
67	67	the elector may request that the ballot be brought to him or her. The 38
68	68	registrars of voters or the assistant registrars of voters, as the case may 39
69	69	be, shall take such ballot, along with a privacy sleeve to such elector. 40
70	70	The elector shall show identification, in accordance with the provisions 41
71	71	of this section. The elector shall forthwith mark the ballot in the presence 42
72	72	of the election officials in such manner that the election officials shall not 43
73	73	know how the ballot is marked. The elector shall place the ballot in the 44
74	74	privacy sleeve. The election officials shall mark the elector's name on the 45
75	75	official voter list, manually on paper or electronically, as having voted 46
76	76	in person and deliver such ballot and privacy sleeve to the voting 47
77	77	tabulator where such ballot shall be placed into the tabulator, by the 48 Raised Bill No. 239
78	78
79	79
80	80
81	81	LCO No. 1770 3 of 5
82	82
83	83	election official, for counting. The moderator shall record such activity 49
84	84	in the moderator's diary. 50
85	85	(c) In each polling place in which two or more parties are holding 51
86	86	primaries in which unaffiliated electors are authorized to vote, pursuant 52
87	87	to section 9-431, an unaffiliated elector shall also announce to the 53
88	88	separate table of the official checker or checkers for unaffiliated electors 54
89	89	the party in whose primary the elector chooses to vote and the official 55
90	90	checker or checkers shall note such party when checking such elector's 56
91	91	name on the checklist of unaffiliated electors, manually on paper or 57
92	92	electronically, provided such choice shall not alter the elector's 58
93	93	unaffiliated status. 59
94	94	(d) In each polling place in which two or more parties are holding 60
95	95	primaries in which unaffiliated electors are authorized to vote or in 61
96	96	which one party is holding a primary in which unaffiliated electors are 62
97	97	authorized to vote for some but not all offices to be contested at the 63
98	98	primary, the official checker or checkers shall give to each elector 64
99	99	checked manually on paper or electronically, a receipt provided by the 65
100	100	registrars of voters, in a form prescribed by the Secretary of the State, 66
101	101	specifying either (1) the party with which the elector is enrolled, if any, 67
102	102	or (2) in the case of an unaffiliated elector, the party in whose primary 68
103	103	the elector has so chosen to vote, and whether the elector is authorized 69
104	104	to vote for only a partial ballot. 70
105	105	(e) If not challenged by anyone lawfully present in the polling place, 71
106	106	the elector shall be permitted to pass to the separated area to receive the 72
107	107	ballot. The elector shall give any receipt the elector has received to a 73
108	108	ballot clerk who shall give the elector a ballot to vote only in the primary 74
109	109	of the party specified by the receipt. The elector shall be permitted into 75
110	110	the voting booth area, and shall then register his or her vote in secret. 76
111	111	Having voted, the elector shall immediately exit the voting booth area 77
112	112	and deposit the ballot in the voting tabulator and leave the room. No 78
113	113	elector shall remain within the voting booth longer than the time 79
114	114	necessary to complete the ballot, and, if the elector refuses to leave such 80
115	115	booth after completing the ballot, the elector shall at once be removed 81 Raised Bill No. 239
116	116
117	117
118	118
119	119	LCO No. 1770 4 of 5
120	120
121	121	by the election officials upon order of the moderator. Not more than one 82
122	122	elector at a time shall be permitted to be within the enclosed space which 83
123	123	the elector occupies while the elector completes his or her ballot, 84
124	124	provided an elector may be accompanied within such enclosed space by 85
125	125	one or more children who are fifteen years of age or younger and 86
126	126	supervised by the elector, if the elector is the parent or legal guardian of 87
127	127	such children. If any elector, after entering the voting booth area, asks 88
128	128	for further instruction concerning the manner of voting, the election 89
129	129	officials shall give such instructions or directions to the elector; but no 90
130	130	election official instructing or assisting an elector, except as provided in 91
131	131	section 9-264, shall look at the ballot in such a way as to see the elector's 92
132	132	markings or in any manner seek to influence any such elector in the 93
133	133	casting of the elector's vote. 94
134	134	(f) Not later than ninety days after each primary, election or 95
135	135	referendum, the registrars of voters of each town shall (1) compile a 96
136	136	report of (A) the number of electors who completed the form under 97
137	137	subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section, and (B) the number of 98
138	138	such electors for whom such form was incomplete or inaccurate, and (2) 99
139	139	submit such report to the Secretary of the State. 100
140	140	Sec. 2. Subdivision (4) of subsection (d) of section 9-23g of the general 101
141	141	statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 102
142	142	(Effective October 1, 2020): 103
143	143	(4) If on the day of an election or primary, the name of an applicant 104
144	144	does not appear on the official check list, such applicant may present to 105
145	145	the moderator at the polls either a notice of acceptance received through 106
146	146	the mail or an application receipt that was previously provided to the 107
147	147	applicant pursuant to section 9-19e, subsection (b) of section 9-19h, 108
148	148	subsection (b) of this section or section 9-23n. If an applicant presents 109
149	149	said notice or receipt, and either the registrars of voters find the original 110
150	150	application or the applicant submits a new application at the polls, the 111
151	151	registrar, or assistant registrar upon notice to and approval by the 112
152	152	registrar, shall add such person's name and address to the official check 113
153	153	list on such day and the person shall be allowed to vote if otherwise 114 Raised Bill No. 239
154	154
155	155
156	156
157	157	LCO No. 1770 5 of 5
158	158
159	159	eligible to vote and the person presents to the checkers at the polling 115
160	160	place a preprinted form of identification pursuant to [subparagraph (A) 116
161	161	of subdivision (2)] subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 9-261, as 117
162	162	amended by this act. 118
163	163	Sec. 3. Subsection (b) of section 9-23r of the general statutes is 119
164	164	repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 120
165	165	1, 2020): 121
166	166	(b) If an individual submits such information pursuant to this section 122
167	167	as part of the individual's voter registration application and, with 123
168	168	respect to subdivision (3) or (4) of subsection (a) of this section, the 124
169	169	registrars of voters are able to match the information submitted with an 125
170	170	existing Connecticut identification record bearing the same number, 126
171	171	name and date of birth as provided, such individual shall not be 127
172	172	required to produce identification when voting in person or by absentee 128
173	173	ballot and may sign a statement as described in [subparagraph (B) of] 129
174	174	subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 9-261, as amended by this act, 130
175	175	in lieu of presenting identification when voting in person. 131
176	176	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
177	177	sections:
178	178
179	179	Section 1 October 1, 2020 9-261
180	180	Sec. 2 October 1, 2020 9-23g(d)(4)
181	181	Sec. 3 October 1, 2020 9-23r(b)
182	182
183	183	Statement of Purpose:
184	184	To require certain election officials to (1) maintain information about
185	185	electors who sign statements in lieu of presenting certain identification
186	186	at the polls when voting in person, and (2) compile a report of such
187	187	information for submission to the Secretary of the State.
188	188	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
189	189	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
190	190	underlined.]
191	191