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OLR Bill Analysis
HB 6650
AN ACT CONCERNING ELECTIONS OF TOWN COMMITTEE
MEMBERS.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes circumstances under which town committee
members who are chosen in a direct primary in certain municipalities
are deemed elected to the committee without a primary (see
BACKGROUND).
Specifically, in municipalities with a population of 100,000 or more
(the bill does not specify a population measure), the bill provides that
no direct primary is held if, by 4:00 p.m. on the 41
st
day before the
primary (i.e., seven days before the deadline for filing candidacy
petitions), the number of people who have requested petition forms
and filed a statement consenting to be a candidate (1) does not exceed
the number of town committee members being elected but (2) is at
least 25% of that number.
The bill instead exempts these candidates from the law's primary
petition deadline and signature requirements and deems them elected
to the town committee without a direct primary. (Generally, the law
requires that these petitions be (1) filed with the registrar of voters by
4:00 p.m. on the 34
th
day before the primary; (2) signed by at least 5%
of the enrolled party members in the town, or a lesser number if
provided in the party rules; and (3) certified by the registrar of voters
(CGS §§ 9-405 to -406 and -412).)
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
BACKGROUND
Town Committees
Under existing law, major political parties must select a town 2021HB-06650-R000581-BA.DOCX
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committee in each town. They must choose party-endorsed candidates
at a caucus unless the party rules provide for a direct primary (CGS §§
9-390(c) and -392).
By law, a party's endorsed candidates for town committee are
deemed elected to the committee unless candidates numbering at least
25% of the seats to be filled on the committee successfully petition for a
primary (CGS §§ 9-415(d) & -417). If the party rules provide for a direct
primary, then the party does not make any endorsements. Rather, all
committee members are elected in the primary (CGS § 9-390(g)). Town
committee primaries are held on the first Tuesday in March in even-
numbered years (CGS § 9-425).
By law, a "major party" is one whose (1) candidate for governor
received, under the party's designation, at least 20% of the votes cast
for governor in the preceding gubernatorial election or (2) enrolled
membership comprises at least 20% of the total number of enrolled
members of all political parties in the state (as of the most recent
gubernatorial election) (CGS § 9-372(5)).
COMMITTEE ACTION
Government Administration and Elections Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 11 Nay 7 (04/05/2021)