O F F I C E O F L E G I S L A T I V E R E S E A R C H
P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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PA 24-34—HB 5308
Government Administration and Elections Committee
AN ACT CONCERNING AB SENTEE VOTING FOR CE RTAIN PATIENTS
OF NURSING HOMES
SUMMARY: This act allows nursing home patients to apply for an absentee ballot
within the six-day period before the polls close at an election, primary, or
referendum and to appoint someone who will bring them their ballot and deliver it
to the town clerk. State law already allows this for hospital patients.
Under the act, the absentee ballot application must include the (1) name and
address of the nursing home where the applicant is a patient; (2) name, address, and
category of the designated person (“designee,” see below); and (3) designee’s
authorization to deliver the completed ballot.
As under existing law, the designated person must (1) sign a statement on the
application consenting to be the designee and agreeing not to tamper with the ballot
and (2) personally submit the application to the town clerk. If the application is
delivered within the appropriate timeframe, the clerk must give the designee an
absentee ballot to be given to the patient.
Under the act, the designee must be (1) a person caring for the applicant because
of the applicant’s illness or physical disability (e.g., a licensed physician or a
registered or practical nurse); (2) the applicant’s family member; or (3) a police
officer, registrar of voters, or deputy or assistant registrar of voters in the
municipality where the patient resides (CGS § 9-140b).
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage