House Joint Resolution No. 59
Resolution Act No. 21-1
RESOLUTION APPROVING AN AMENDMENT TO THE STATE
CONSTITUTION TO ALLOW FOR EARLY VOTING.
Resolved by this Assembly:
Section 1. WHEREAS, at the 2019 regular session of the General
Assembly of the state of Connecticut, said General Assembly did
approve, by at least a majority, but by less than three-fourths, of the total
membership of each house, a resolution proposing an amendment to the
Constitution of the State which amendment, in accordance with article
sixth of the amendments to the Constitution, was published in the
manner prescribed therein and continued to the present regular session
of the General Assembly, and which resolution is as follows:
"Resolved by this Assembly:
Section 1. That the following be proposed as an amendment to the
Constitution of the State, which, when approved and adopted in the
manner provided by the Constitution, shall, to all intents and purposes,
become a part thereof:
Section 7 of article sixth of the Constitution is amended to read as
follows:
Sec. 7. The general assembly may provide by law for voting in the
choice of any officer to be elected or upon any question to be voted on House Joint Resolution No. 59
Resolution Act No. 21-1 2 of 4
at an election by qualified voters of the state who are unable to appear
at the polling place on the day of election because of absence from the
city or town of which they are inhabitants or because of sickness or
physical disability or because the tenets of their religion forbid secular
activity. The general assembly may further provide by law for voting in
person prior to the day of election in the choice of any officer to be
elected or upon any question to be voted on at an election by qualified
voters of the state.
Section 9 of article third of the Constitution is amended to read as
follows:
Sec. 9. At all elections for members of the general assembly the
presiding officers in the several towns shall [receive the votes of the
electors, and] count and declare [them] the votes of the electors in open
meeting. The presiding officers shall make and certify duplicate lists of
the persons voted for, and of the number of votes for each. One list shall
be delivered within three days to the town clerk, and within ten days
after such meeting, the other shall be delivered [under seal] to the
secretary of the state.
Section 4 of article fourth of the Constitution is amended to read as
follows:
Sec. 4. [At the meetings of the electors in the respective towns held
quadrennially as herein provided for the election of state officers, the
presiding officers shall receive the votes and shall count and declare the
same in the presence of the electors] The votes at the election of state
officers shall be counted and declared in open meeting by the presiding
officers in the several towns. The presiding officers shall make and
certify duplicate lists of the persons voted for, and of the number of
votes for each. One list shall be delivered within three days to the town
clerk, and within ten days after such meeting, the other shall be
delivered [under seal] to the secretary of the state. The votes so delivered House Joint Resolution No. 59
Resolution Act No. 21-1 3 of 4
shall be counted, canvassed and declared by the treasurer, secretary,
and comptroller, within the month of November. The vote for treasurer
shall be counted, canvassed and declared by the secretary and
comptroller only; the vote for secretary shall be counted, canvassed and
declared by the treasurer and comptroller only; and the vote for
comptroller shall be counted, canvassed and declared by the treasurer
and secretary only. A fair list of the persons and number of votes given
for each, together with the returns of the presiding officers, shall be, by
the treasurer, secretary and comptroller, made and laid before the
general assembly, then next to be held, on the first day of the session
thereof. In the election of governor, lieutenant-governor, secretary,
treasurer, comptroller and attorney general, the person found upon the
count by the treasurer, secretary and comptroller in the manner herein
provided, to be made and announced before December fifteenth of the
year of the election, to have received the greatest number of votes for
each of such offices, respectively, shall be elected thereto; provided, if
the election of any of them shall be contested as provided by statute, and
if such a contest shall proceed to final judgment, the person found by
the court to have received the greatest number of votes shall be elected.
If two or more persons shall be found upon the count of the treasurer,
secretary and comptroller to have received an equal and the greatest
number of votes for any of said offices, and the election is not contested,
the general assembly on the second day of its session shall hold a joint
convention of both houses, at which, without debate, a ballot shall be
taken to choose such officer from those persons who received such a
vote; and the balloting shall continue on that or subsequent days until
one of such persons is chosen by a majority vote of those present and
voting. The general assembly shall have power to enact laws regulating
and prescribing the order and manner of voting for such officers. The
general assembly shall by law prescribe the manner in which all
questions concerning the election of a governor or lieutenant-governor
shall be determined. House Joint Resolution No. 59
Resolution Act No. 21-1 4 of 4
RESOLVED: That the foregoing proposed amendment to the
Constitution be continued to the next session of the General Assembly
elected at the general election to be held on November 3, 2020, and
published with the laws passed at the present session, or be presented
to the electors at the general election to be held on November 3, 2020,
whichever the case may be, according to article sixth of the amendments
to the Constitution. The designation of said proposed amendment to be
used on the ballots at such election shall be "Shall the Constitution of the
State be amended to permit the General Assembly to provide for early
voting?""
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THIS ASSEMBLY: That
the said amendment so proposed is approved and that it be presented
to the electors at the general election to be held on November 8, 2022.