Connecticut 2021 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB05883 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
	3	+	LCO No. 1845 1 of 1
3	4
4		-
5		-
6		-	LCO No. 4894 1 of 8
7		-
8		-	General Assembly Committee Bill No. 5883
	5	+	General Assembly Proposed Bill No. 5883
9	6		January Session, 2021
10		-	LCO No. ~~4894~~
	7	+	LCO No. 1845
11	8
12	9
13	10		Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
14	11		AND ELECTIONS
15	12
16	13
17	14		Introduced by:
18		-	(GAE)
	15	+	REP. ELLIOTT, 88th Dist.
	16	+	REP. JOHNSON, 49th Dist.
	17	+	REP. SIMMONS, 144th Dist.
	18	+	SEN. HASKELL, 26th Dist.
	19	+	REP. ZIOGAS, 79th Dist.
	20	+	REP. PHIPPS, 100th Dist.
	21	+	SEN. LOPES, 6th Dist.
19	22
20	23
21	24
22	25		AN ACT CONCERNING VOTING FOR MUNICIPAL OFFICERS AND ON
23	26		LOCAL QUESTIONS.
24	27		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
25	28		Assembly convened:
26	29
27		-	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) Any municipality may, by 1
28		-	ordinance, permit bona fide residents of such municipality who have 2
29		-	attained the age of sixteen years, but who have not attained the age of 3
30		-	eighteen years, to vote (1) at any regular or special municipal election 4
31		-	for only the officers of such municipality or at any primary for only the 5
32		-	nomination of candidates for such officers, and (2) at any referendum 6
33		-	for any question or proposal of only such municipality. 7
34		-	(b) In the case of any election or primary described in subdivision (1) 8
35		-	of subsection (a) of this section and any referendum described in 9
36		-	subdivision (2) of said subsection, the provisions of title 9 of the general 10
37		-	statutes relating to the conduct of and voting at any such election, 11
38		-	primary or referendum by electors, including, but not limited to, 12
39		-	admission to voting privileges and inclusion on registry and enrollment 13
40		-	lists, voting by absentee ballot and signature of petitions, shall apply 14
41		-	equally to the conduct of and voting at any such election, primary or 15
42		-	LCO No. 4894 2 of 8
43		-
44		-	referendum by minor municipal voters, as described in said subsection 16
45		-	and defined in section 9-1 of the general statutes, as amended by this 17
46		-	act. 18
47		-	(c) The registrars of voters of any municipality described in 19
48		-	subsection (a) of this section shall ensure that, in the case of any election 20
49		-	or primary described in subdivision (1) of said subsection and any 21
50		-	referendum described in subdivision (2) of said subsection, the ballot 22
51		-	used by minor municipal voters at any such election, primary or 23
52		-	referendum only permits voting in accordance with said subsection. 24
53		-	Sec. 2. Section 9-1 of the general statutes is repealed and the following 25
54		-	is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 26
55		-	Except as otherwise provided, the following terms, as used in this 27
56		-	title and sections 3-124, 7-5, 7-6, 7-7, 7-17, 7-20, 7-39, 7-157, 7-214, 7-275, 28
57		-	7-295, 7-343, 7-407, 8-1, 8-5, 8-19, 10-219, 11-36, 13a-11, 30-10, 30-11, 45a-29
58		-	18, 45a-19 and 51-95 have the following meanings: 30
59		-	(a) "Ballot" means paper or other material containing the names of the 31
60		-	candidates or a statement of a proposed constitutional amendment or 32
61		-	other question or proposition to be voted on; 33
62		-	(b) "Board for admission of electors" means the board as composed 34
63		-	under subsection (a) of section 9-15a; 35
64		-	(c) "Clerical error" means any error in the registry list or enrollment 36
65		-	list due to a mistake or an omission on the part of the printer or a mistake 37
66		-	or omission made by the registrars or their assistants; 38
67		-	(d) "Election" means any [electors'] meeting at which the electors and, 39
68		-	when permitted by ordinance adopted pursuant to section 1 of this act, 40
69		-	minor municipal voters choose public officials by use of voting 41
70		-	tabulators or by paper ballots as provided in section 9-272; 42
71		-	(e) "Elector" means any person possessing the qualifications 43
72		-	prescribed by the Constitution and duly admitted to, and entitled to 44
73		-	exercise, the privileges of an elector in a town; 45
74		-	LCO No. 4894 3 of 8
75		-
76		-	(f) Repealed by P.A. 77-298, S. 14; 46
77		-	(g) "Municipal clerk" means the clerk of a municipality; 47
78		-	(h) "Municipal election" means the regularly recurring election held 48
79		-	in a municipality at which the electors and, when permitted by 49
80		-	ordinance adopted pursuant to section 1 of this act, minor municipal 50
81		-	voters of the municipality choose public officials of such municipality; 51
82		-	(i) "Municipality" means any city, borough or town within the state; 52
83		-	(j) "Official ballot" means the official ballot to be used at an election, 53
84		-	or the official ballot to be used thereat in accordance with the provisions 54
85		-	of section 9-272; 55
86		-	(k) "Population" means the population according to the last-56
87		-	completed United States census; 57
88		-	(l) "Presidential electors" means persons elected to cast their ballots 58
89		-	for President and Vice President of the United States; 59
90		-	(m) "Print" means methods of duplication of words by mechanical 60
91		-	process, but shall not include typewriting; 61
92		-	(n) "Referendum" means (1) a question or proposal which is 62
93		-	submitted to a vote of the electors, [or] voters or, when permitted by 63
94		-	ordinance adopted pursuant to section 1 of this act, minor municipal 64
95		-	voters of a municipality at any regular or special state or municipal 65
96		-	election, as defined in this section, (2) a question or proposal which is 66
97		-	submitted to a vote of the electors, [or] voters or, when permitted by 67
98		-	ordinance adopted pursuant to section 1 of this act, minor municipal 68
99		-	voters, as the case may be, of a municipality at a meeting of such 69
100		-	electors, [or] voters or minor municipal voters, which meeting is not an 70
101		-	election, as defined in subsection (d) of this section, and is not a town 71
102		-	meeting, or (3) a question or proposal which is submitted to a vote of 72
103		-	the electors, [or] voters or, when permitted by ordinance adopted 73
104		-	pursuant to section 1 of this act, minor municipal voters, as the case may 74
105		-	be, of a municipality at a meeting of such electors, [or] voters or minor 75
106		-	LCO No. 4894 4 of 8
107		-
108		-	municipal voters pursuant to section 7-7 or pursuant to charter or 76
109		-	special act; 77
110		-	(o) "Regular election" means any state or municipal election; 78
111		-	(p) "Registrars" means the registrars of voters of the municipality; 79
112		-	(q) "Registry list" means the list of electors of any municipality 80
113		-	certified by the registrars; 81
114		-	(r) "Special election" means any election not a regular election; 82
115		-	(s) "State election" means the election held in the state on the first 83
116		-	Tuesday after the first Monday in November in the even-numbered 84
117		-	years in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of 85
118		-	Connecticut; 86
119		-	(t) "State officers" means the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, 87
120		-	Secretary of the State, Treasurer, Comptroller and Attorney General; 88
121		-	(u) "Voter" means a person qualified to vote at town and district 89
122		-	meetings under the provisions of section 7-6 and includes, when 90
123		-	permitted by ordinance adopted pursuant to section 1 of this act, a 91
124		-	minor municipal voter; 92
125		-	(v) "Voting district" means any municipality, or any political 93
126		-	subdivision thereof, having not more than one polling place in a regular 94
127		-	election; 95
128		-	(w) "Voting tabulator" means a machine, including, but not limited 96
129		-	to, a device which operates by electronic means, for the registering and 97
130		-	recording of votes cast at elections, primaries and referenda; 98
131		-	(x) "Write-in ballot" means a vote cast for any person whose name 99
132		-	does not appear on the official ballot as a candidate for the office for 100
133		-	which the person's name is written in; 101
134		-	(y) "The last session for admission of electors prior to an election" 102
135		-	means the day which is the seventh day prior to an election; and 103
136		-	LCO No. 4894 5 of 8
137		-
138		-	(z) "Minor municipal voter" means any person qualified, under the 104
139		-	provisions of section 1 of this act, to vote (1) at any regular or special 105
140		-	municipal election for only the officers of such municipality or at any 106
141		-	primary for only the nomination of candidates for such officers, and (2) 107
142		-	at any referendum for any question or proposal of only such 108
143		-	municipality. 109
144		-	Sec. 3. Section 9-372 of the general statutes is repealed and the 110
145		-	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 111
146		-	The following terms, as used in this chapter, chapter 157 and sections 112
147		-	9-51 to 9-67, inclusive, 9-169e, 9-217, 9-236 and 9-361, shall have the 113
148		-	following meanings: 114
149		-	(1) "Caucus" means any meeting, at a designated hour and place, or 115
150		-	at designated hours and places, of the enrolled members of a political 116
151		-	party within a municipality or political subdivision thereof for the 117
152		-	purpose of selecting party-endorsed candidates for a primary to be held 118
153		-	by such party or for the purpose of transacting other business of such 119
154		-	party; 120
155		-	(2) "Convention" means a meeting of delegates of a political party 121
156		-	held for the purpose of designating the candidate or candidates to be 122
157		-	endorsed by such party in a primary of such party for state or district 123
158		-	office or for the purpose of transacting other business of such party; 124
159		-	(3) "District" means any geographic portion of the state which crosses 125
160		-	the boundary or boundaries between two or more towns; 126
161		-	(4) "District office" means an elective office for which only the electors 127
162		-	in a district, as defined in subdivision (3) of this section, may vote; 128
163		-	(5) "Major party" means (A) a political party or organization whose 129
164		-	candidate for Governor at the last-preceding election for Governor 130
165		-	received, under the designation of that political party or organization, 131
166		-	at least twenty per cent of the whole number of votes cast for all 132
167		-	candidates for Governor, or (B) a political party having, at the last-133
168		-	preceding election for Governor, a number of enrolled members on the 134
169		-	LCO No. 4894 6 of 8
170		-
171		-	active registry list equal to at least twenty per cent of the total number 135
172		-	of enrolled members of all political parties on the active registry list in 136
173		-	the state; 137
174		-	(6) "Minor party" means a political party or organization which is not 138
175		-	a major party and whose candidate for the office in question received at 139
176		-	the last-preceding regular election for such office, under the designation 140
177		-	of that political party or organization, at least one per cent of the whole 141
178		-	number of votes cast for all candidates for such office at such election; 142
179		-	(7) "Municipal office" means an elective office for which only the 143
180		-	electors and, when permitted by ordinance adopted pursuant to section 144
181		-	1 of this act, minor municipal voters, as defined in section 9-1, as 145
182		-	amended by this act, of a single town, city, borough, or political 146
183		-	subdivision, as defined in subdivision (10) of this section, may vote, 147
184		-	including the office of justice of the peace; 148
185		-	(8) "Party designation committee" means an organization, composed 149
186		-	of at least twenty-five members who are electors, which has, on or after 150
187		-	November 4, 1981, reserved a party designation with the Secretary of 151
188		-	the State pursuant to the provisions of this chapter; 152
189		-	(9) "Party-endorsed candidate" means (A) in the case of a candidate 153
190		-	for state or district office, a person endorsed by the convention of a 154
191		-	political party as a candidate in a primary to be held by such party, and 155
192		-	(B) in the case of a candidate for municipal office or for member of a 156
193		-	town committee, a person endorsed by the town committee, caucus or 157
194		-	convention, as the case may be, of a political party as a candidate in a 158
195		-	primary to be held by such party; 159
196		-	(10) "Political subdivision" means any voting district or combination 160
197		-	of voting districts constituting a part of a municipality; 161
198		-	(11) "Primary" means a meeting of (A) the enrolled members of a 162
199		-	political party and, when applicable under section 9-431, unaffiliated 163
200		-	electors, held during consecutive hours at which such members or 164
201		-	electors may, without assembling at the same hour, vote by secret ballot 165
202		-	LCO No. 4894 7 of 8
203		-
204		-	for candidates for nomination to office or for town committee members, 166
205		-	and (B) when permitted by ordinance adopted pursuant to section 1 of 167
206		-	this act, minor municipal voters held during consecutive hours at which 168
207		-	such minor municipal voters may, without assembling at the same hour, 169
208		-	vote by secret ballot for candidates for nomination to municipal office 170
209		-	or for town committee members; 171
210		-	(12) "Registrar" means the registrar of voters in a municipality who is 172
211		-	enrolled with the political party holding a primary and, in each 173
212		-	municipality where there are different registrars for different voting 174
213		-	districts, means the registrar so enrolled in the voting district in which, 175
214		-	at the last-preceding regular election, the presiding officer for the 176
215		-	purpose of declaring the result of the vote of the whole municipality was 177
216		-	moderator; 178
217		-	(13) "Slate" means a group of candidates for nomination by a political 179
218		-	party to the office of justice of the peace of a town, which group numbers 180
219		-	at least a bare majority of the number of justices of the peace to be 181
220		-	nominated by such party for such town; 182
221		-	(14) "State office" means any office for which all the electors of the 183
222		-	state may vote and includes the office of Governor, Lieutenant 184
223		-	Governor, Secretary, Treasurer, Comptroller, Attorney General and 185
224		-	senator in Congress, but does not include the office of elector of 186
225		-	President and Vice-President of the United States; 187
226		-	(15) "Votes cast for the same office at the last-preceding election" or 188
227		-	"votes cast for all candidates for such office at the last-preceding 189
228		-	election" means, in the case of multiple openings for the same office, the 190
229		-	total number of electors and, when permitted by ordinance adopted 191
230		-	pursuant to section 1 of this act, minor municipal voters checked as 192
231		-	having voted at the last-preceding election at which such office 193
232		-	appeared on the ballot. 194
233		-	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
234		-	sections:
235		-
236		-	LCO No. 4894 8 of 8
237		-
238		-	Section 1 from passage New section
239		-	Sec. 2 from passage 9-1
240		-	Sec. 3 from passage 9-372
241		-
	30	+	That title 9 of the general statutes be amended to provide that any 1
	31	+	individual who has attained the age of sixteen years may vote for the 2
	32	+	municipal officers, and on local questions, in the municipality of which 3
	33	+	such individual is a bona fide resident. 4
242	34		Statement of Purpose:
243		-	To permit individuals who have attained the age of sixteen years, but
244		-	who have not attained the age of eighteen years, to vote at elections and
245		-	primaries of municipal officers and on local questions.
246		-	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
247		-	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
248		-	underlined.]
249		-
250		-	Co-Sponsors: REP. ELLIOTT, 88th Dist.; REP. JOHNSON, 49th Dist.
251		-	REP. SIMMONS, 144th Dist.; SEN. HASKELL, 26th Dist.
252		-	REP. ZIOGAS, 79th Dist.; REP. PHIPPS, 100th Dist.
253		-	SEN. LOPES, 6th Dist.; REP. DILLON, 92nd Dist.
254		-	REP. SIMMS, 140th Dist.
255		-
256		-	H.B. 5883
	35	+	To permit sixteen year olds to vote at elections and primaries of
	36	+	municipal officers and on local questions.