Substitute House Bill No. 5262
Public Act No. 22-2
AN ACT REVISING CERTAIN ABSENTEE VOTING ELIGIBILITY
STATUTES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 9-135 of the 2022 supplement to the general statutes
is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from
passage):
(a) Any elector eligible to vote at a primary or an election and any
person eligible to vote at a referendum may vote by absentee ballot if
such elector or person is unable to appear at such elector's or person's
polling place [during the hours of voting] on the day of such primary,
election or referendum for any of the following reasons: (1) Such
elector's or person's active service with the armed forces of the United
States; (2) such elector's or person's absence from the town of such
elector's or person's voting residence; [during all of the hours of voting;
(3) such elector's or person's illness; (4) such elector's or person's] (3)
sickness; (4) physical disability; (5) the tenets of such elector's or person's
religion forbid secular activity on the day of [the] such primary, election
or referendum; or (6) the required performance of such elector's or
person's duties as a primary, election or referendum official, including
as a town clerk or registrar of voters or as staff of the clerk or registrar,
at a polling place other than such elector's or person's own during all of Substitute House Bill No. 5262
Public Act No. 22-2 2 of 3
the hours of voting at such primary, election or referendum. [; or (7) for
the state election in 2020, and any election, primary or referendum held
on or after June 23, 2021, but prior to November 3, 2021, the sickness of
COVID-19. As used in this section, "COVID-19" means the respiratory
disease designated by the World Health Organization on February 11,
2020, as coronavirus 2019, and any related mutation thereof recognized
by said organization as a communicable respiratory disease.]
(b) No person shall misrepresent the eligibility requirements for
voting by absentee ballot prescribed in subsection (a) of this section, to
any elector or prospective absentee ballot applicant.
Sec. 2. Section 9-137 of the 2022 supplement to the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from
passage):
[(a)] Each absentee ballot shall be returned to the municipal clerk,
inserted in an inner envelope which shall be capable of being sealed and
which shall have printed on its face a form containing the following
statements:
"I hereby state under the penalties of false statement in absentee
balloting that I am eligible to vote at the primary, election or referendum
in the municipality in which this absentee ballot is to be cast and that I
expect to be unable to appear at my polling place [during the hours of
voting at] on the day of such primary, election or referendum for one or
more of the following reasons: (1) My active service in the armed forces;
(2) my absence from the town in which I am eligible to vote; [during all
of the hours of voting; (3) my illness or physical disability; (4)] (3)
sickness; (4) physical disability; (5) the tenets of my religion which
forbid secular activity on the day of [the] such primary, election or
referendum; or [(5)] (6) my duties as a primary, election or referendum
official. Substitute House Bill No. 5262
Public Act No. 22-2 3 of 3
Date ....
.... (Signature)"
[(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section,
for the state election in 2020, and any election, primary or referendum
held on or after June 23, 2021, but prior to November 3, 2021, each inner
envelope in which an absentee ballot is returned to the municipal clerk
shall have printed on its face a form containing the following statements:
"I hereby state under the penalties of false statement in absentee
balloting that I am eligible to vote at the primary, election or referendum
in the municipality in which this absentee ballot is to be cast and that I
expect to be unable to appear at my polling place during the hours of
voting at such primary, election or referendum for one or more of the
following reasons: (1) My active service in the armed forces; (2) my
absence from the town in which I am eligible to vote during all of the
hours of voting; (3) my illness or physical disability; (4) the tenets of my
religion which forbid secular activity on the day of the primary, election
or referendum; (5) my duties as a primary, election or referendum
official; or (6) the sickness of COVID-19.
Date ....
.... (Signature)"]