Connecticut 2021 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06205 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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7		-	General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 6205
8		-	January Session, 2021
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	5	+	LCO No. 4907 1 of 3
	6	+
	7	+	General Assembly Committee Bill No. 6205
	8	+	January Session, 2021
	9	+	LCO No. 4907
	10	+
	11	+
	12	+	Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
	13	+	AND ELECTIONS
	14	+
	15	+
	16	+	Introduced by:
	17	+	(GAE)
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13	19
14	20		AN ACT REVISING CERTAIN ABSENTEE VOTING STATUTES.
15	21		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
16	22		Assembly convened:
17	23
18	24		Section 1. Section 9-135 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
19	25		following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2021): 2
20	26		(a) Any elector eligible to vote at a primary or an election and any 3
21	27		person eligible to vote at a referendum may vote by absentee ballot if 4
22	28		such elector or person is unable to appear at such elector's or person's 5
23	29		polling place [during the hours of voting] on the day of such primary, 6
24	30		election or referendum for any of the following reasons: (1) Such 7
25	31		elector's or person's active service with the armed forces of the United 8
26	32		States; (2) such elector's or person's absence from the town of [such 9
27	33		elector's or person's voting residence during all of the hours of voting] 10
28	34		which such elector or person is an inhabitant; (3) [such elector's or 11
29	35		person's illness] sickness; (4) [such elector's or person's] physical 12
30	36		disability; (5) the tenets of such elector's or person's religion forbid 13
31	37		secular activity; [on the day of the primary, election or referendum;] or 14
32	38		(6) the required performance of such elector's or person's duties as a 15
33	39		primary, election or referendum official, including as a town clerk or 16
34	40		registrar of voters or as staff of the clerk or registrar, at a polling place 17
	41	+	LCO No. 4907 2 of 3
	42	+
35	43		other than such elector's or person's own during all of the hours of 18
36		-	voting at such primary, election or referendum. [; or (7) for the state 19 Substitute Bill No. 6205
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	44	+	voting at such primary, election or referendum. [; or (7) for the state 19
43	45		election in 2020, the sickness of COVID-19. As used in this section, 20
44	46		"COVID-19" means the respiratory disease designated by the World 21
45	47		Health Organization on February 11, 2020, as coronavirus 2019, and any 22
46	48		related mutation thereof recognized by said organization as a 23
47	49		communicable respiratory disease.] 24
48	50		(b) No person shall misrepresent the eligibility requirements for 25
49	51		voting by absentee ballot prescribed in subsection (a) of this section, to 26
50	52		any elector or prospective absentee ballot applicant. 27
51	53		Sec. 2. Section 9-137 of the general statutes is repealed and the 28
52	54		following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2021): 29
53	55		[(a)] Each absentee ballot shall be returned to the municipal clerk, 30
54	56		inserted in an inner envelope which shall be capable of being sealed and 31
55	57		which shall have printed on its face a form containing the following 32
56	58		statements: 33
57	59		"I hereby state under the penalties of false statement in absentee 34
58	60		balloting that I am eligible to vote at the primary, election or referendum 35
59	61		in the municipality in which this absentee ballot is to be cast and that I 36
60	62		expect to be unable to appear at my polling place [during the hours of 37
61	63		voting at] on the day of such primary, election or referendum for one or 38
62	64		more of the following reasons: (1) My active service in the armed forces; 39
63	65		(2) my absence from the town in which I am eligible to vote; [during all 40
64		-	of the hours of voting; (3) my illness] (3) sickness or physical ~~disability;~~ 41
65		-	(4) the tenets of my religion which forbid secular activity; [on ~~the day of~~ 42
66		-	the primary, election or referendum;] or (5) my duties as a ~~primary,~~ 43
67		-	election or referendum official. 44
	66	+	of the hours of voting; (3) my illness] (3) someone's sickness or physical 41
	67	+	disability; (4) the tenets of my religion which forbid secular activity; [on 42
	68	+	the day of the primary, election or referendum;] or (5) my duties as a 43
	69	+	primary, election or referendum official. 44
68	70		Date .... 45
69	71		.... (Signature)" 46
70	72		[(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, 47
71	73		for the state election in 2020, each inner envelope in which an absentee 48
72		-	~~ballot is returned to the municipal clerk shall have printed on its face a 49 Substitute Bill~~ No. ~~6205~~
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	76	+	ballot is returned to the municipal clerk shall have printed on its face a 49
79	77		form containing the following statements: 50
80	78		"I hereby state under the penalties of false statement in absentee 51
81	79		balloting that I am eligible to vote at the primary, election or referendum 52
82	80		in the municipality in which this absentee ballot is to be cast and that I 53
83	81		expect to be unable to appear at my polling place during the hours of 54
84	82		voting at such primary, election or referendum for one or more of the 55
85	83		following reasons: (1) My active service in the armed forces; (2) my 56
86	84		absence from the town in which I am eligible to vote during all of the 57
87	85		hours of voting; (3) my illness or physical disability; (4) the tenets of my 58
88	86		religion which forbid secular activity on the day of the primary, election 59
89	87		or referendum; (5) my duties as a primary, election or referendum 60
90	88		official; or (6) the sickness of COVID-19. 61
91	89		Date .... 62
92	90		.... (Signature)"] 63
93	91		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
94	92		sections:
95	93
96	94		Section 1 October 1, 2021 9-135
97	95		Sec. 2 October 1, 2021 9-137
98	96
99		-	GAE Joint Favorable Subst.
	97	+	Statement of Purpose:
	98	+	To revise certain absentee voting statutes to more closely align the
	99	+	language thereof with that of related state constitutional provisions.
	100	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	101	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	102	+	underlined.]
	103	+
	104	+	Co-Sponsors: REP. BLUMENTHAL, 147th Dist.; REP. CONLEY, 40th Dist.
	105	+	REP. WINKLER, 56th Dist.; REP. FELIPE, 130th Dist.
	106	+	REP. MICHEL, 146th Dist.
	107	+
	108	+	H.B. 6205
	109	+
100	110