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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | LCO No. 409 1 of 2 |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | General Assembly Proposed Bill No. 180 |
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| 6 | 6 | | January Session, 2021 |
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| 7 | 7 | | LCO No. 409 |
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| 8 | 8 | | |
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| 9 | 9 | | |
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| 10 | 10 | | Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION |
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| 11 | 11 | | AND ELECTIONS |
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| 12 | 12 | | |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | Introduced by: |
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| 15 | 15 | | SEN. HASKELL, 26th Dist. |
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| 16 | 16 | | |
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| 17 | 17 | | |
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| 18 | 18 | | |
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| 19 | 19 | | AN ACT CONCERNING UNIVERSAL CIVIC DUTY VOTING. |
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| 20 | 20 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General |
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| 21 | 21 | | Assembly convened: |
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| 22 | 22 | | |
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| 23 | 23 | | That title 9 of the general statutes be amended to provide that (1) at 1 |
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| 24 | 24 | | the 2024 state election and each state election thereafter, all qualified 2 |
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| 25 | 25 | | electors shall either cast a ballot or provide a valid reason for not casting 3 |
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| 26 | 26 | | a ballot, (2) following the 2024 state election and each state election 4 |
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| 27 | 27 | | thereafter, (A) the Secretary of the State shall mail to all qualified electors 5 |
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| 28 | 28 | | who did not cast a ballot at the most recent state election a form 6 |
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| 29 | 29 | | inquiring as to why such elector did not cast a ballot, which form shall 7 |
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| 30 | 30 | | advise that valid reasons for not casting a ballot include travel, illness, 8 |
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| 31 | 31 | | conscientious objection or such other reason as the Secretary may 9 |
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| 32 | 32 | | prescribe, and (B) failure to respond to such form with a valid reason 10 |
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| 33 | 33 | | shall result in a fine of twenty dollars paid to the Office of the Secretary 11 |
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| 34 | 34 | | of the State, which fine shall (i) not be increased through penalty fees or 12 |
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| 35 | 35 | | accrued interest, (ii) not be the basis for criminal enforcement or denial 13 |
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| 36 | 36 | | of government services or benefits, and (iii) be directed to the State 14 |
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| 37 | 37 | | Elections Enforcement Commission for deposit in the Citizens' Election 15 Proposed Bill No. 180 |
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| 38 | 38 | | |
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| 39 | 39 | | |
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| 40 | 40 | | LCO No. 409 2 of 2 |
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| 41 | 41 | | |
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| 42 | 42 | | Fund, except that an elector may perform two hours of community 16 |
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| 43 | 43 | | service for a Connecticut-based nonprofit organization if such elector is 17 |
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| 44 | 44 | | unable to pay such fine, (3) one month prior to the 2024 state election, 18 |
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| 45 | 45 | | the Secretary of the State shall mail to all qualified electors a notice that 19 |
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| 46 | 46 | | (A) explains the changes that will take effect beginning at the 2024 state 20 |
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| 47 | 47 | | election, as described herein, and (B) includes a statement that each 21 |
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| 48 | 48 | | qualified elector will be required to either cast a ballot, with the option 22 |
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| 49 | 49 | | to leave such ballot blank, or provide a valid reason for not casting a 23 |
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| 50 | 50 | | ballot, (4) at the 2022 state election and each state election thereafter, 24 |
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| 51 | 51 | | each ballot shall include in sufficiently large type a statement advising 25 |
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| 52 | 52 | | electors that they may leave any portion or the entirety of such ballot 26 |
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| 53 | 53 | | blank, and (5) not later than January 1, 2025, the Secretary of the State 27 |
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| 54 | 54 | | shall report on the implementation of such changes, as described herein, 28 |
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| 55 | 55 | | at the 2024 state election to the joint standing committee of the General 29 |
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| 56 | 56 | | Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to elections. 30 |
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| 57 | 57 | | Statement of Purpose: |
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| 58 | 58 | | To make several changes designed to institute universal civic duty |
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| 59 | 59 | | voting. |
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