| Old | New | Differences | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | + | ||
| 2 | + | ||
| 3 | + | LCO 1 of 32 | |
| 4 | + | ||
| 5 | + | General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 6 | + | February Session, 2024 | |
| 1 | 7 | ||
| 2 | 8 | ||
| 3 | 9 | ||
| 4 | - | Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 5 | - | ||
| 6 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 | |
| 7 | 10 | ||
| 8 | 11 | ||
| 9 | - | AN ACT CONCERNING ELECTION SECURITY AND | |
| 10 | - | TRANSPARENCY, THE COUNTING OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS, | |
| 11 | - | ABSENTEE VOTING FOR CERTAIN PATIENTS OF NURSING | |
| 12 | - | HOMES, SECURITY OF CERTAIN ELECTION WORKERS, STATE | |
| 13 | - | ELECTIONS ENFORCEMENT COMMISSION COMPLAINTS, | |
| 14 | - | BALLOTS MADE AVAILABLE IN LANGUAGES OTHER THAN | |
| 15 | - | ENGLISH AND VARIOUS OTHER REVISIONS RELATED TO | |
| 16 | - | ELECTION ADMINISTRATION. | |
| 12 | + | AN ACT CONCERNING ELECTION SECURITY AND TRANSPARENCY, | |
| 13 | + | VARIOUS OTHER REVISIONS RELATED TO ELECTION | |
| 14 | + | ADMINISTRATION AND STATE ELECTIONS ENFORCEMENT | |
| 15 | + | COMMISSION COMPLAINTS. | |
| 17 | 16 | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General | |
| 18 | 17 | Assembly convened: | |
| 19 | 18 | ||
| 20 | - | Section 1. Subsection (c) of section 9-140b of the 2024 supplement to | |
| 21 | - | the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu | |
| 22 | - | thereof (Effective from passage): | |
| 23 | - | (c) (1) For purposes of this section, "mailed" means (A) sent by the | |
| 24 | - | United States Postal Service or any commercial carrier, courier or | |
| 25 | - | messenger service recognized and approved by the Secretary of the | |
| 26 | - | State, or (B) deposited in a secure drop box designated by the municipal | |
| 27 | - | clerk for such purpose, in accordance with instructions prescribed by | |
| 28 | - | the Secretary. | |
| 29 | - | (2) (A) In the case of absentee ballots mailed under subparagraph (B) | |
| 30 | - | of subdivision (1) of this subsection, beginning on the first day of | |
| 31 | - | issuance of absentee voting sets, as provided in subsection (f) of section | |
| 32 | - | 9-140, and on each weekday thereafter until the close of the polls at the Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 19 | + | Section 1. Subsection (c) of section 9-140b of the 2024 supplement to 1 | |
| 20 | + | the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 2 | |
| 21 | + | thereof (Effective from passage): 3 | |
| 22 | + | (c) (1) For purposes of this section, "mailed" means (A) sent by the 4 | |
| 23 | + | United States Postal Service or any commercial carrier, courier or 5 | |
| 24 | + | messenger service recognized and approved by the Secretary of the 6 | |
| 25 | + | State, or (B) deposited in a secure drop box designated by the municipal 7 | |
| 26 | + | clerk for such purpose, in accordance with instructions prescribed by 8 | |
| 27 | + | the Secretary. 9 | |
| 28 | + | (2) (A) In the case of absentee ballots mailed under subparagraph (B) 10 | |
| 29 | + | of subdivision (1) of this subsection, beginning on the first day of 11 | |
| 30 | + | issuance of absentee voting sets, as provided in subsection (f) of section 12 | |
| 31 | + | 9-140, and on each weekday thereafter until the close of the polls at the 13 | |
| 32 | + | election, primary or referendum, the municipal clerk shall retrieve from 14 | |
| 33 | + | the secure drop box described in said subparagraph each such ballot 15 | |
| 34 | + | deposited in such drop box. 16 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 33 | 35 | ||
| 34 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 2 of 35 | |
| 35 | 36 | ||
| 36 | - | election, primary or referendum, including at the close of the polls at | |
| 37 | - | such election, primary or referendum, the municipal clerk shall retrieve | |
| 38 | - | from the secure drop box described in said subparagraph each such | |
| 39 | - | ballot deposited in such drop box. | |
| 40 | - | (B) On and after July 1, 2025, each municipality shall provide a video | |
| 41 | - | recording device for each secure drop box described in subparagraph | |
| 42 | - | (B) of subdivision (1) of this subsection within such municipality, which | |
| 43 | - | device's recordings shall capture the location of such drop box and | |
| 44 | - | evidence the date and time of each such recording beginning on the first | |
| 45 | - | day of issuance of absentee voting sets, as provided in subsection (f) of | |
| 46 | - | section 9-140, and until the last retrieval of absentee ballots from such | |
| 47 | - | drop box at the close of the polls at the election or primary. Each such | |
| 48 | - | recording shall, as soon as practicable, be made publicly available from | |
| 49 | - | the date of recording, but in no case later than five days after such last | |
| 50 | - | retrieval. Each such recording shall be retained by the municipality for | |
| 51 | - | a period of twelve months and may be destroyed at the end of such | |
| 52 | - | period, except that the State Elections Enforcement Commission or a | |
| 53 | - | court of competent jurisdiction may order that such period be extended | |
| 54 | - | until the conclusion of any investigation related to such recording. | |
| 55 | - | (3) The Secretary of the State may adopt regulations, in accordance | |
| 56 | - | with the provisions of chapter 54, concerning the use of secure drop | |
| 57 | - | boxes for the deposit of absentee ballots, including, but not limited to, | |
| 58 | - | the placement and positioning of any such drop box and the video | |
| 59 | - | recording of any such drop box and retention of any such recording. | |
| 60 | - | Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 9-140c of the 2024 supplement to the | |
| 61 | - | general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu | |
| 62 | - | thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): | |
| 63 | - | (a) (1) The municipal clerk shall retain the envelopes containing | |
| 64 | - | absentee ballots received by him under section 9-140b, as amended by | |
| 65 | - | this act, and shall not open such envelopes. The municipal clerk shall Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 37 | + | LCO 2 of 32 | |
| 66 | 38 | ||
| 67 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 3 of 35 | |
| 39 | + | (B) On and after July 1, 2025, each municipality shall provide a video 17 | |
| 40 | + | recording device for each secure drop box described in subparagraph 18 | |
| 41 | + | (B) of subdivision (1) of this subsection within such municipality, which 19 | |
| 42 | + | device's recordings shall capture the location of such drop box and 20 | |
| 43 | + | evidence the date and time of each such recording beginning on the first 21 | |
| 44 | + | day of issuance of absentee voting sets, as provided in subsection (f) of 22 | |
| 45 | + | section 9-140, and until the last retrieval of absentee ballots from such 23 | |
| 46 | + | drop box at the close of the polls at the election or primary. Each such 24 | |
| 47 | + | recording shall immediately be made publicly available from the date 25 | |
| 48 | + | of recording, but in no case later than five days after such last retrieval. 26 | |
| 49 | + | Each such recording shall be retained by the municipality for a period 27 | |
| 50 | + | of twelve months and may be destroyed at the end of such period, 28 | |
| 51 | + | except that the State Elections Enforcement Commission or a court of 29 | |
| 52 | + | competent jurisdiction may order that such period be extended until the 30 | |
| 53 | + | conclusion of any investigation related to such recording. 31 | |
| 54 | + | (3) The Secretary of the State may adopt regulations, in accordance 32 | |
| 55 | + | with the provisions of chapter 54, concerning the use of secure drop 33 | |
| 56 | + | boxes for the deposit of absentee ballots, including, but not limited to, 34 | |
| 57 | + | the placement and positioning of any such drop box and the video 35 | |
| 58 | + | recording of any such drop box and retention of any such recording. 36 | |
| 59 | + | Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 9-140c of the 2024 supplement to the 37 | |
| 60 | + | general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 38 | |
| 61 | + | thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 39 | |
| 62 | + | (a) (1) The municipal clerk shall retain the envelopes containing 40 | |
| 63 | + | absentee ballots received by him under section 9-140b, as amended by 41 | |
| 64 | + | this act, and shall not open such envelopes. The municipal clerk shall 42 | |
| 65 | + | endorse over his signature, upon each outer envelope as he receives it, 43 | |
| 66 | + | (A) the date and precise time of its receipt, and (B) the method of its 44 | |
| 67 | + | receipt, in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (2) of this 45 | |
| 68 | + | subsection. The clerk shall make an affidavit attesting to the accuracy of 46 | |
| 69 | + | all such endorsements, and at the close of the polls shall deliver such 47 | |
| 70 | + | affidavit to the head moderator, who shall endorse the time of its receipt 48 | |
| 71 | + | and return it to the clerk after all counting is complete. The clerk shall 49 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 68 | 72 | ||
| 69 | - | endorse over his signature, upon each outer envelope as he receives it, | |
| 70 | - | (A) the date and precise time of its receipt, and (B) the method of its | |
| 71 | - | receipt, in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (2) of this | |
| 72 | - | subsection. The clerk shall make an affidavit attesting to the accuracy of | |
| 73 | - | all such endorsements, and at the close of the polls shall deliver such | |
| 74 | - | affidavit to the head moderator, who shall endorse the time of its receipt | |
| 75 | - | and return it to the clerk after all counting is complete. The clerk shall | |
| 76 | - | preserve the affidavit for one hundred eighty days in accordance with | |
| 77 | - | the requirements of section 9-150b. The clerk shall keep a list of the | |
| 78 | - | names of the applicants who return absentee ballots to the clerk under | |
| 79 | - | section 9-140b, as amended by this act. The list shall be preserved as a | |
| 80 | - | public record as required by section 9-150b. | |
| 81 | - | (2) The municipal clerk shall record on the outer envelope of each | |
| 82 | - | absentee ballot returned under section 9-140b, as amended by this act, | |
| 83 | - | whether such ballot was (A) sent by the United States Postal Service or | |
| 84 | - | any commercial carrier, courier or messenger service, (B) deposited in a | |
| 85 | - | secure drop box, in which case the location of such drop box shall also | |
| 86 | - | be so recorded, (C) returned in person by an elector, or (D) returned in | |
| 87 | - | person by the designee or immediate family member of an elector. As | |
| 88 | - | soon as reasonably practicable after the close of the polls at an election | |
| 89 | - | or primary, the municipal clerk shall submit to the Secretary of the State | |
| 90 | - | a report detailing the total count of all absentee ballots returned for such | |
| 91 | - | election or primary, broken down by each method described in | |
| 92 | - | subparagraphs (A) to (D), inclusive, of this subdivision. | |
| 93 | - | Sec. 3. Section 9-153b of the general statutes is repealed and the | |
| 94 | - | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): | |
| 95 | - | (a) If any absentee ballot applicant applies for an additional absentee | |
| 96 | - | ballot, [he] such applicant shall note on [his] the application the reason | |
| 97 | - | for [his] applying for an additional absentee ballot and [he] shall return | |
| 98 | - | the absentee voting set formerly issued to [him] such applicant before | |
| 99 | - | another set is issued, [to him, provided, if he] provided, if such applicant Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 100 | 73 | ||
| 101 | - | ||
| 74 | + | LCO 3 of 32 | |
| 102 | 75 | ||
| 103 | - | is unable to return [the set formerly issued to him, his] such formerly | |
| 104 | - | issued set, such application for an additional ballot shall be | |
| 105 | - | accompanied by a statement signed under the penalties of false | |
| 106 | - | statement in absentee balloting in which [he] such applicant shall [set | |
| 107 | - | forth] note the reason for [his] such applicant's inability to return [the | |
| 108 | - | set] such formerly issued [to him. If he] set. If such applicant fails to file | |
| 109 | - | such a statement, no additional set shall be issued to [him] such | |
| 110 | - | applicant. An application for an additional absentee ballot shall only be | |
| 111 | - | made by an absentee ballot applicant. Any additional absentee voting | |
| 112 | - | set issued under this subsection shall only be either provided in person | |
| 113 | - | to the applicant or mailed directly to the applicant at the bona fide | |
| 114 | - | mailing address designated by such applicant. | |
| 115 | - | (b) [Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section for members | |
| 116 | - | of the armed forces] For all absentee voting sets or portions thereof | |
| 117 | - | returned under subsection (a) of this section, the municipal clerk shall | |
| 118 | - | mark the serially-numbered outer envelope "rejected" and note the | |
| 119 | - | reasons [therefor] for rejection on all absentee ballots and envelopes so | |
| 120 | - | returned [to him] and shall seal all such [unopened ballots] absentee | |
| 121 | - | voting sets or portions thereof in a package and retain them in a safe | |
| 122 | - | place until delivered in accordance with section 9-140c, as amended by | |
| 123 | - | this act. The municipal clerk shall keep a list of the names of each | |
| 124 | - | absentee ballot applicant who has applied for more than one absentee | |
| 125 | - | ballot, as provided in section 9-140, as amended by this act, together | |
| 126 | - | with the serial number appearing on the outer envelope of each absentee | |
| 127 | - | voting set issued to each such applicant. [including the latest one issued. | |
| 128 | - | (c) When an absentee ballot applicant has applied for more than one | |
| 129 | - | absentee ballot, only the latest absentee ballot issued to him by the | |
| 130 | - | municipal clerk as determined by the serial number appearing on the | |
| 131 | - | outer envelope may be counted and all absentee ballots and envelopes | |
| 132 | - | formerly issued to that applicant shall be marked rejected as provided | |
| 133 | - | in subsection (b) of this section and not counted. Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 76 | + | preserve the affidavit for one hundred eighty days in accordance with 50 | |
| 77 | + | the requirements of section 9-150b. The clerk shall keep a list of the 51 | |
| 78 | + | names of the applicants who return absentee ballots to the clerk under 52 | |
| 79 | + | section 9-140b, as amended by this act. The list shall be preserved as a 53 | |
| 80 | + | public record as required by section 9-150b. 54 | |
| 81 | + | (2) The municipal clerk shall record on the outer envelope of each 55 | |
| 82 | + | absentee ballot returned under section 9-140b, as amended by this act, 56 | |
| 83 | + | whether such ballot was (A) sent by the United States Postal Service or 57 | |
| 84 | + | any commercial carrier, courier or messenger service, (B) deposited in a 58 | |
| 85 | + | secure drop box, in which case the location of such drop box shall also 59 | |
| 86 | + | be so recorded, (C) returned in person by an elector, or (D) returned in 60 | |
| 87 | + | person by the designee or immediate family member of an elector. 61 | |
| 88 | + | Immediately at the close of the polls at an election or primary, the 62 | |
| 89 | + | municipal clerk shall submit to the Secretary of the State a report 63 | |
| 90 | + | detailing the total count of all absentee ballots returned for such election 64 | |
| 91 | + | or primary, broken down by each method described in subparagraphs 65 | |
| 92 | + | (A) to (D), inclusive, of this subdivision. 66 | |
| 93 | + | Sec. 3. Section 9-153b of the general statutes is repealed and the 67 | |
| 94 | + | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 68 | |
| 95 | + | (a) If any absentee ballot applicant applies for an additional absentee 69 | |
| 96 | + | ballot, [he] such applicant shall note on [his] the application the reason 70 | |
| 97 | + | for [his] applying for an additional absentee ballot and [he] shall return 71 | |
| 98 | + | the absentee voting set formerly issued to [him] such applicant before 72 | |
| 99 | + | another set is issued, [to him, provided, if he] provided, if such applicant 73 | |
| 100 | + | is unable to return [the set formerly issued to him, his] such formerly 74 | |
| 101 | + | issued set, such application for an additional ballot shall be 75 | |
| 102 | + | accompanied by a statement signed under the penalties of false 76 | |
| 103 | + | statement in absentee balloting in which [he] such applicant shall [set 77 | |
| 104 | + | forth] note the reason for [his] such applicant's inability to return [the 78 | |
| 105 | + | set] such formerly issued [to him. If he] set. If such applicant fails to file 79 | |
| 106 | + | such a statement, no additional set shall be issued to [him] such 80 | |
| 107 | + | applicant. An application for an additional absentee ballot shall only be 81 | |
| 108 | + | made by an absentee ballot applicant. Any additional absentee voting 82 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 134 | 109 | ||
| 135 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 5 of 35 | |
| 136 | 110 | ||
| 137 | - | (d) Subsections (a), (b) and (c) of this section shall not apply to | |
| 138 | - | members of the armed forces, and if] (c) If more than one absentee ballot | |
| 139 | - | is received from any elector, [who is a member of the armed forces,] the | |
| 140 | - | ballot of such elector [bearing the latest postmark] last received by the | |
| 141 | - | municipal clerk shall be counted if no absentee ballot of such elector has | |
| 142 | - | already been counted. [, provided that] For all absentee ballots of such | |
| 143 | - | elector that are not counted, the municipal clerk shall mark [all] the | |
| 144 | - | serially-numbered outer envelopes [bearing earlier postmarks] | |
| 145 | - | "rejected" and note the reasons for rejection and shall deliver such | |
| 146 | - | ballots in accordance with section 9-140c, as amended by this act. | |
| 147 | - | Sec. 4. Section 9-153c of the general statutes is repealed and the | |
| 148 | - | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): | |
| 149 | - | (a) If a municipal clerk has omitted the name of a candidate, party or | |
| 150 | - | office designation, inserted an incorrect or misspelled name of a | |
| 151 | - | candidate, party or office designation, provided an absentee ballot | |
| 152 | - | applicant with a ballot which is not the correct ballot for his voting | |
| 153 | - | district, or incorrectly imprinted or failed to imprint the designation of | |
| 154 | - | a state or local question on an absentee ballot in the appropriate space, | |
| 155 | - | and if any such omission or error is likely to mislead any voter, he shall, | |
| 156 | - | as soon as he becomes aware of such omission or error, promptly mail | |
| 157 | - | to each applicant to whom such an absentee ballot has been issued, a | |
| 158 | - | correct absentee ballot, envelopes for its return and instructions, a | |
| 159 | - | statement explaining the error or omission including the correct name | |
| 160 | - | or question and a copy of this section. The municipal clerk shall inform | |
| 161 | - | the Secretary of the State when he proceeds under this subsection. | |
| 162 | - | (b) Any additional absentee voting sets issued to applicants under | |
| 163 | - | this section shall be issued in consecutive ascending numerical order | |
| 164 | - | based upon the serial number appearing on the outer envelope for | |
| 165 | - | return of ballots to the municipal clerk, and the clerk shall keep a record | |
| 166 | - | of such numbers by making a notation on, or attaching a memorandum | |
| 167 | - | to, the applicant's original application for an absentee ballot. Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 111 | + | LCO 4 of 32 | |
| 168 | 112 | ||
| 169 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 6 of 35 | |
| 113 | + | set issued under this subsection shall only be either provided in person 83 | |
| 114 | + | to the applicant or mailed directly to the applicant at the bona fide 84 | |
| 115 | + | mailing address designated by such applicant. 85 | |
| 116 | + | (b) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section for members 86 | |
| 117 | + | of the armed forces, the municipal clerk shall mark the serially-87 | |
| 118 | + | numbered outer envelope "rejected" and note the reasons therefor on all 88 | |
| 119 | + | absentee ballots and envelopes so returned [to him] and shall seal such 89 | |
| 120 | + | unopened ballots in a package and retain them in a safe place until 90 | |
| 121 | + | delivered in accordance with section 9-140c, as amended by this act. The 91 | |
| 122 | + | municipal clerk shall keep a list of the names of each absentee ballot 92 | |
| 123 | + | applicant who has applied for more than one absentee ballot, as 93 | |
| 124 | + | provided in section 9-140, as amended by this act, together with the 94 | |
| 125 | + | serial number appearing on the outer envelope of each absentee voting 95 | |
| 126 | + | set issued to each such applicant including the latest one issued. 96 | |
| 127 | + | (c) When an absentee ballot applicant has applied for more than one 97 | |
| 128 | + | absentee ballot, only the latest absentee ballot issued to [him] such 98 | |
| 129 | + | applicant by the municipal clerk as determined by the serial number 99 | |
| 130 | + | appearing on the outer envelope may be counted and all absentee 100 | |
| 131 | + | ballots and envelopes formerly issued to that applicant shall be marked 101 | |
| 132 | + | rejected as provided in subsection (b) of this section and not counted. 102 | |
| 133 | + | (d) Subsections (a), (b) and (c) of this section shall not apply to 103 | |
| 134 | + | members of the armed forces, and if more than one absentee ballot is 104 | |
| 135 | + | received from any elector who is a member of the armed forces, the 105 | |
| 136 | + | ballot of such elector bearing the latest postmark shall be counted if no 106 | |
| 137 | + | absentee ballot of such elector has already been counted, provided that 107 | |
| 138 | + | the municipal clerk shall mark all serially-numbered outer envelopes 108 | |
| 139 | + | bearing earlier postmarks "rejected" and note the reasons for rejection 109 | |
| 140 | + | and shall deliver such ballots in accordance with section 9-140c, as 110 | |
| 141 | + | amended by this act. 111 | |
| 142 | + | Sec. 4. Section 9-364 of the general statutes is repealed and the 112 | |
| 143 | + | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 113 | |
| 144 | + | Any person who, with intent to disenfranchise any elector, influences 114 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 170 | 145 | ||
| 171 | - | (c) The municipal clerk shall keep a list containing the name, address | |
| 172 | - | and voting district of each absentee ballot applicant who has been issued | |
| 173 | - | more than one absentee ballot under this section and the serial number | |
| 174 | - | appearing on the outer envelope of each absentee voting set so issued. | |
| 175 | - | The list shall be kept with the list required under section 9-140, as | |
| 176 | - | amended by this act. | |
| 177 | - | (d) If more than one ballot is received from an applicant who has been | |
| 178 | - | sent a correct ballot under subsection (a) of this section, the ballot | |
| 179 | - | [bearing the latest serial number] last received by the municipal clerk | |
| 180 | - | shall be counted [,] if no ballot of such applicant has already been | |
| 181 | - | counted. [The] For all ballots of such applicant that are not counted, the | |
| 182 | - | municipal clerk shall inscribe the word "rejected" and note the reasons | |
| 183 | - | for rejection on the outer envelope [of each of such applicant's other | |
| 184 | - | ballots not so counted] and shall seal them, unopened, in a package and | |
| 185 | - | retain them in a safe place until delivered in accordance with section 9- | |
| 186 | - | 140c, as amended by this act. | |
| 187 | - | Sec. 5. Section 9-150c of the general statutes is repealed and the | |
| 188 | - | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): | |
| 189 | - | An applicant who applies for an absentee ballot because of | |
| 190 | - | unforeseen illness or physical disability occurring within six days | |
| 191 | - | immediately preceding the close of the polls at an election, primary or | |
| 192 | - | referendum or because the applicant is a patient in a hospital or nursing | |
| 193 | - | home, as such terms are defined in section 19a-490, within such six-day | |
| 194 | - | period, may appoint a designee, as defined in subsection (b) of section | |
| 195 | - | 9-140b, to deliver the ballot to [him] the applicant, by stating on the | |
| 196 | - | application, in a space provided for that purpose, (1) the date of | |
| 197 | - | occurrence of the illness or disability or the name and address of the | |
| 198 | - | hospital or nursing home in which the applicant is a patient within such | |
| 199 | - | six-day period, (2) the name, address and category under [said] | |
| 200 | - | subsection [,] (b) of section 9-140b of the person so designated, and (3) | |
| 201 | - | the delivery which the person is designated to perform, provided the Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 202 | 146 | ||
| 203 | - | ||
| 147 | + | LCO 5 of 32 | |
| 204 | 148 | ||
| 205 | - | person so designated shall also sign a statement on the application to | |
| 206 | - | the effect that [he] such person consents to the designation and will | |
| 207 | - | perform the delivery without tampering with the ballot in any way. If | |
| 208 | - | the application designates a person to deliver the ballot to the applicant, | |
| 209 | - | [that] such person shall personally submit the application to the | |
| 210 | - | municipal clerk. If such application is personally submitted to the clerk, | |
| 211 | - | [in person,] within six days immediately preceding the close of the polls | |
| 212 | - | at an election, [or] primary or referendum, by a person designated on | |
| 213 | - | the application to deliver the absentee ballot to the applicant as | |
| 214 | - | provided in this section and in subsection (b) of [said] section 9-140b, as | |
| 215 | - | amended by this act, and if [the] such application is dated within such | |
| 216 | - | [time] six-day period, the clerk shall give [that] such person the absentee | |
| 217 | - | voting set. | |
| 218 | - | Sec. 6. Section 9-364 of the general statutes is repealed and the | |
| 219 | - | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): | |
| 220 | - | Any person who, with intent to disenfranchise any elector, influences | |
| 221 | - | or attempts to influence by force or threat, bribery or corrupt, fraudulent | |
| 222 | - | or deliberately deceitful means any elector to stay away from any | |
| 223 | - | election or otherwise refrain from voting, whether such voting is by | |
| 224 | - | mail, by deposit in a secure drop box or in person at a polling place or | |
| 225 | - | designated early voting or same-day election registration location, shall | |
| 226 | - | be guilty of a class D felony. | |
| 227 | - | Sec. 7. Section 9-364a of the general statutes is repealed and the | |
| 228 | - | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): | |
| 229 | - | (a) As used in this section, "election worker" means any municipal | |
| 230 | - | clerk, registrar of voters, deputy registrar of voters, election official | |
| 231 | - | described in section 9-258, primary official described in section 9-436 or | |
| 232 | - | recanvass official described in section 9-311, and "personal identifying | |
| 233 | - | information" has the same meaning as provided in section 53a-129a. Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 149 | + | or attempts to influence by force or threat, bribery or corrupt, fraudulent 115 | |
| 150 | + | or deliberately deceitful means any elector to stay away from any 116 | |
| 151 | + | election or otherwise refrain from voting, whether such voting is by 117 | |
| 152 | + | mail, by deposit in a secure drop box or in person at a polling place or 118 | |
| 153 | + | designated early voting or same-day election registration location, shall 119 | |
| 154 | + | be guilty of a class D felony. 120 | |
| 155 | + | Sec. 5. Section 9-364a of the general statutes is repealed and the 121 | |
| 156 | + | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 122 | |
| 157 | + | Any person who influences or attempts to influence by force or threat 123 | |
| 158 | + | the vote, or by force, threat, bribery or corrupt means, the speech, of any 124 | |
| 159 | + | person in a primary, caucus, referendum convention or election; [or] any 125 | |
| 160 | + | person who wilfully and fraudulently suppresses or destroys any vote 126 | |
| 161 | + | or ballot properly given or cast, whether so given or cast by mail, by 127 | |
| 162 | + | deposit in a secure drop box or in person at a polling place or designated 128 | |
| 163 | + | early voting or same-day election registration location, or, in counting 129 | |
| 164 | + | such votes or ballots, wilfully miscounts or misrepresents the number 130 | |
| 165 | + | thereof; and any presiding or other officer of a primary, caucus or 131 | |
| 166 | + | convention who wilfully announces the result of a ballot or vote of such 132 | |
| 167 | + | primary, caucus or convention, untruly and wrongfully, shall be guilty 133 | |
| 168 | + | of a class C felony. 134 | |
| 169 | + | Sec. 6. Subsections (a) and (b) of section 9-139a of the general statutes 135 | |
| 170 | + | are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective 136 | |
| 171 | + | January 1, 2025): 137 | |
| 172 | + | (a) The Secretary of the State shall prescribe and furnish the following 138 | |
| 173 | + | materials to municipal clerks: The absentee ballot facsimile, the 139 | |
| 174 | + | application for absentee ballot authorized for use at each election or 140 | |
| 175 | + | primary, the inner envelope, the outer envelope provided for the return 141 | |
| 176 | + | of the ballot to the municipal clerk, the instructions for the use of the 142 | |
| 177 | + | absentee ballot and the envelope for mailing of such forms by the clerk 143 | |
| 178 | + | to the absentee ballot applicant. 144 | |
| 179 | + | (b) The application for absentee ballot shall be in the form of a 145 | |
| 180 | + | statement signed under the penalties of false statement in absentee 146 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 234 | 181 | ||
| 235 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 8 of 35 | |
| 236 | 182 | ||
| 237 | - | (b) Any person who influences or attempts to influence by force or | |
| 238 | - | threat the vote, or by force, threat, bribery or corrupt means, the speech, | |
| 239 | - | of any other person [in] at a primary, caucus, referendum, convention | |
| 240 | - | or election; [or] any person who influences or attempts to influence by | |
| 241 | - | force, threat or harassment any election worker in the performance of | |
| 242 | - | any duty under the provisions of this title related to election | |
| 243 | - | administration at a primary, referendum, election or recanvass; any | |
| 244 | - | person who wilfully and fraudulently suppresses or destroys any vote | |
| 245 | - | or ballot properly given or cast, whether so given or cast by mail, by | |
| 246 | - | deposit in a secure drop box or in person at a polling place or designated | |
| 247 | - | early voting or same-day election registration location, or, in counting | |
| 248 | - | such votes or ballots, wilfully miscounts or misrepresents the number | |
| 249 | - | thereof; and any presiding or other officer of a primary, caucus or | |
| 250 | - | convention who wilfully announces the result of a ballot or vote of such | |
| 251 | - | primary, caucus or convention, untruly and wrongfully, shall be guilty | |
| 252 | - | of a class C felony. | |
| 253 | - | (c) Any person who, with intent to harass, terrorize or alarm any | |
| 254 | - | election worker, or to improperly influence any election worker in the | |
| 255 | - | performance of any duty under this title related to election | |
| 256 | - | administration at a primary, referendum, election or recanvass, publicly | |
| 257 | - | discloses the personal identifying information of such election worker | |
| 258 | - | shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor. | |
| 259 | - | (d) Any election worker described in subsection (b) or (c) of this | |
| 260 | - | section, as applicable, shall have a civil cause of action against the | |
| 261 | - | person who, with respect to such election worker, violated said | |
| 262 | - | subsection. | |
| 263 | - | Sec. 8. Subsections (a) and (b) of section 9-139a of the general statutes | |
| 264 | - | are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective | |
| 265 | - | January 1, 2025): | |
| 266 | - | (a) The Secretary of the State shall prescribe and furnish the following Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 183 | + | LCO 6 of 32 | |
| 267 | 184 | ||
| 268 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 9 of 35 | |
| 185 | + | balloting. Each application shall contain (1) spaces for the signature 147 | |
| 186 | + | under the penalties of false statement in absentee balloting of any person 148 | |
| 187 | + | who assists the applicant in the completion of an application together 149 | |
| 188 | + | with the information required in section 9-140, as amended by this act, 150 | |
| 189 | + | [and] (2) spaces for the signature and the printed or typed name of the 151 | |
| 190 | + | applicant, and (3) a clear and conspicuous notation of the year for which 152 | |
| 191 | + | such application's use is authorized. 153 | |
| 192 | + | Sec. 7. Subsection (a) of section 9-140 of the 2024 supplement to the 154 | |
| 193 | + | general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 155 | |
| 194 | + | thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 156 | |
| 195 | + | (a) (1) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, application 157 | |
| 196 | + | for an absentee ballot shall be made to the clerk of the municipality in 158 | |
| 197 | + | which the applicant is eligible to vote or has applied for such eligibility. 159 | |
| 198 | + | Any person who assists another person in the completion of an 160 | |
| 199 | + | application shall, in the space provided, sign the application and print 161 | |
| 200 | + | or type his name, residence address and telephone number. Such 162 | |
| 201 | + | signature shall be made under the penalties of false statement in 163 | |
| 202 | + | absentee balloting. The municipal clerk shall not invalidate the 164 | |
| 203 | + | application solely because it does not contain the name of a person who 165 | |
| 204 | + | assisted the applicant in the completion of the application. The 166 | |
| 205 | + | municipal clerk shall not distribute with an absentee ballot application 167 | |
| 206 | + | any material which promotes the success or defeat of any candidate or 168 | |
| 207 | + | referendum question. The municipal clerk shall maintain a log of all 169 | |
| 208 | + | absentee ballot applications provided under this subsection, including 170 | |
| 209 | + | the name and address of each person to whom applications are 171 | |
| 210 | + | provided and the number of applications provided to each such person. 172 | |
| 211 | + | Each absentee ballot application provided by the municipal clerk shall 173 | |
| 212 | + | be consecutively numbered and be stamped or marked with the name 174 | |
| 213 | + | of the municipality issuing the application. The application shall be 175 | |
| 214 | + | signed by the applicant under the penalties of false statement in 176 | |
| 215 | + | absentee balloting on (A) the form prescribed by the Secretary of the 177 | |
| 216 | + | State pursuant to section 9-139a, as amended by this act, (B) a form 178 | |
| 217 | + | provided by any federal department or agency if applicable pursuant to 179 | |
| 218 | + | section 9-153a, or (C) any of the special forms of application prescribed 180 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 269 | 219 | ||
| 270 | - | materials to municipal clerks: The absentee ballot facsimile, the | |
| 271 | - | application for absentee ballot authorized for use at each election or | |
| 272 | - | primary, the inner envelope, the outer envelope provided for the return | |
| 273 | - | of the ballot to the municipal clerk, the instructions for the use of the | |
| 274 | - | absentee ballot and the envelope for mailing of such forms by the clerk | |
| 275 | - | to the absentee ballot applicant. | |
| 276 | - | (b) The application for absentee ballot shall be in the form of a | |
| 277 | - | statement signed under the penalties of false statement in absentee | |
| 278 | - | balloting. Each application shall contain (1) spaces for the signature | |
| 279 | - | under the penalties of false statement in absentee balloting of any person | |
| 280 | - | who assists the applicant in the completion of an application together | |
| 281 | - | with the information required in section 9-140, as amended by this act, | |
| 282 | - | [and] (2) spaces for the signature and the printed or typed name of the | |
| 283 | - | applicant, and (3) a clear and conspicuous notation of the year for which | |
| 284 | - | such application's use is authorized. | |
| 285 | - | Sec. 9. Subsection (a) of section 9-140 of the 2024 supplement to the | |
| 286 | - | general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu | |
| 287 | - | thereof (Effective January 1, 2025): | |
| 288 | - | (a) (1) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, application | |
| 289 | - | for an absentee ballot shall be made to the clerk of the municipality in | |
| 290 | - | which the applicant is eligible to vote or has applied for such eligibility. | |
| 291 | - | Any person who assists another person in the completion of an | |
| 292 | - | application shall, in the space provided, sign the application and print | |
| 293 | - | or type his name, residence address and telephone number. Such | |
| 294 | - | signature shall be made under the penalties of false statement in | |
| 295 | - | absentee balloting. The municipal clerk shall not invalidate the | |
| 296 | - | application solely because it does not contain the name of a person who | |
| 297 | - | assisted the applicant in the completion of the application. The | |
| 298 | - | municipal clerk shall not distribute with an absentee ballot application | |
| 299 | - | any material which promotes the success or defeat of any candidate or | |
| 300 | - | referendum question. The municipal clerk shall maintain a log of all Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 301 | 220 | ||
| 302 | - | ||
| 221 | + | LCO 7 of 32 | |
| 303 | 222 | ||
| 304 | - | absentee ballot applications provided under this subsection, including | |
| 305 | - | the name and address of each person to whom applications are | |
| 306 | - | provided and the number of applications provided to each such person. | |
| 307 | - | Each absentee ballot application provided by the municipal clerk shall | |
| 308 | - | be consecutively numbered and be stamped or marked with the name | |
| 309 | - | of the municipality issuing the application. The application shall be | |
| 310 | - | signed by the applicant under the penalties of false statement in | |
| 311 | - | absentee balloting on (A) the form prescribed by the Secretary of the | |
| 312 | - | State pursuant to section 9-139a, as amended by this act, (B) a form | |
| 313 | - | provided by any federal department or agency if applicable pursuant to | |
| 314 | - | section 9-153a, or (C) any of the special forms of application prescribed | |
| 315 | - | pursuant to section 9-150c, as amended by this act, 9-153a, 9-153b, as | |
| 316 | - | amended by this act, 9-153d, 9-153e, 9-153f or 9-158d, if applicable. Any | |
| 317 | - | such absentee ballot applicant who is unable to write may cause the | |
| 318 | - | application to be completed by an authorized agent who shall, in the | |
| 319 | - | spaces provided for the date and signature, write the date and name of | |
| 320 | - | the absentee ballot applicant followed by the word "by" and his own | |
| 321 | - | signature. If the ballot is to be mailed to the applicant, the applicant shall | |
| 322 | - | list the bona fide personal mailing address of the applicant in the | |
| 323 | - | appropriate space on the application. | |
| 324 | - | (2) A municipal clerk may transmit an application to a person under | |
| 325 | - | this subsection by facsimile machine or other electronic means, if so | |
| 326 | - | requested by the applicant. If a municipal clerk has a facsimile machine | |
| 327 | - | or other electronic means, an applicant may return a completed | |
| 328 | - | application to the clerk by such a machine or device, provided the | |
| 329 | - | applicant shall also mail the original of the completed application to the | |
| 330 | - | clerk, either separately or with the absentee ballot that is issued to the | |
| 331 | - | applicant. If the clerk does not receive such original application by the | |
| 332 | - | close of the polls on the day of the election, primary or referendum, the | |
| 333 | - | absentee ballot shall not be counted. | |
| 334 | - | (3) No municipal clerk shall provide, for an election, primary or Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 223 | + | pursuant to section 9-150c, 9-153a, 9-153b, as amended by this act, 9-181 | |
| 224 | + | 153d, 9-153e, 9-153f or 9-158d, if applicable. Any such absentee ballot 182 | |
| 225 | + | applicant who is unable to write may cause the application to be 183 | |
| 226 | + | completed by an authorized agent who shall, in the spaces provided for 184 | |
| 227 | + | the date and signature, write the date and name of the absentee ballot 185 | |
| 228 | + | applicant followed by the word "by" and his own signature. If the ballot 186 | |
| 229 | + | is to be mailed to the applicant, the applicant shall list the bona fide 187 | |
| 230 | + | personal mailing address of the applicant in the appropriate space on 188 | |
| 231 | + | the application. 189 | |
| 232 | + | (2) A municipal clerk may transmit an application to a person under 190 | |
| 233 | + | this subsection by facsimile machine or other electronic means, if so 191 | |
| 234 | + | requested by the applicant. If a municipal clerk has a facsimile machine 192 | |
| 235 | + | or other electronic means, an applicant may return a completed 193 | |
| 236 | + | application to the clerk by such a machine or device, provided the 194 | |
| 237 | + | applicant shall also mail the original of the completed application to the 195 | |
| 238 | + | clerk, either separately or with the absentee ballot that is issued to the 196 | |
| 239 | + | applicant. If the clerk does not receive such original application by the 197 | |
| 240 | + | close of the polls on the day of the election, primary or referendum, the 198 | |
| 241 | + | absentee ballot shall not be counted. 199 | |
| 242 | + | (3) No municipal clerk shall provide, for an election, primary or 200 | |
| 243 | + | referendum, five or more absentee ballot applications at a time to any 201 | |
| 244 | + | person earlier than ninety days prior to the first day of issuance of 202 | |
| 245 | + | absentee voting sets, as provided in subsection (f) of section 9-140, for 203 | |
| 246 | + | such election, primary or referendum. 204 | |
| 247 | + | (4) No municipal clerk shall provide or accept for return, and no 205 | |
| 248 | + | person shall distribute or otherwise use, any absentee ballot application 206 | |
| 249 | + | in a given year unless such application contains the notation described 207 | |
| 250 | + | in subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of section 9-139a, as amended by this 208 | |
| 251 | + | act, authorizing such application's use in such year. 209 | |
| 252 | + | Sec. 8. Section 9-50c of the general statutes is repealed and the 210 | |
| 253 | + | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 211 | |
| 254 | + | (a) The Secretary of the State may enter into an agreement to share 212 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 335 | 255 | ||
| 336 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 11 of 35 | |
| 337 | 256 | ||
| 338 | - | referendum, five or more absentee ballot applications to any person | |
| 339 | - | earlier than ninety days prior to the first day of issuance of absentee | |
| 340 | - | voting sets, as provided in subsection (f) of section 9-140, for such | |
| 341 | - | election, primary or referendum. | |
| 342 | - | (4) No municipal clerk shall provide or accept for return, and no | |
| 343 | - | person shall distribute or otherwise use, any absentee ballot application | |
| 344 | - | in a given year unless such application contains the notation described | |
| 345 | - | in subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of section 9-139a, as amended by this | |
| 346 | - | act, authorizing such application's use in such year. | |
| 347 | - | Sec. 10. Section 9-50c of the general statutes is repealed and the | |
| 348 | - | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): | |
| 349 | - | (a) The Secretary of the State may enter into an agreement to share | |
| 350 | - | information or data with any other state in order to maintain the state- | |
| 351 | - | wide centralized voter registration system established pursuant to | |
| 352 | - | section 9-50b, as amended by this act. If an agency of this state, another | |
| 353 | - | state or the federal government provides the Secretary with information | |
| 354 | - | or data to be used to maintain such system, the Secretary shall not use | |
| 355 | - | such information or data for any purpose except to maintain such | |
| 356 | - | system and shall ensure that such information or data is held | |
| 357 | - | confidential, [if such information or data, while in the possession of such | |
| 358 | - | other agency or state or federal government, as applicable, was required | |
| 359 | - | to be held confidential,] except as provided for in subsection (b) of this | |
| 360 | - | section. | |
| 361 | - | (b) The Secretary of the State may provide such information or data | |
| 362 | - | to a nonpartisan third-party vendor for the purpose of maintaining the | |
| 363 | - | state-wide centralized voter registration system established pursuant to | |
| 364 | - | section 9-50b, as amended by this act, provided such vendor's activities | |
| 365 | - | are performed under the supervision of the Secretary and such vendor | |
| 366 | - | has entered into an agreement to protect the confidentiality of such | |
| 367 | - | information or data. Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 257 | + | LCO 8 of 32 | |
| 368 | 258 | ||
| 369 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 12 of 35 | |
| 259 | + | information or data with any other state in order to maintain the state-213 | |
| 260 | + | wide centralized voter registration system established pursuant to 214 | |
| 261 | + | section 9-50b, as amended by this act. If an agency of this state, another 215 | |
| 262 | + | state or the federal government provides the Secretary with information 216 | |
| 263 | + | or data to be used to maintain such system, the Secretary shall not use 217 | |
| 264 | + | such information or data for any purpose except to maintain such 218 | |
| 265 | + | system and shall ensure that such information or data is held 219 | |
| 266 | + | confidential, [if such information or data, while in the possession of such 220 | |
| 267 | + | other agency or state or federal government, as applicable, was required 221 | |
| 268 | + | to be held confidential,] except as provided for in subsection (b) of this 222 | |
| 269 | + | section. 223 | |
| 270 | + | (b) The Secretary of the State may provide such information or data 224 | |
| 271 | + | to a nonpartisan third-party vendor for the purpose of maintaining the 225 | |
| 272 | + | state-wide centralized voter registration system established pursuant to 226 | |
| 273 | + | section 9-50b, as amended by this act, provided such vendor's activities 227 | |
| 274 | + | are performed under the supervision of the Secretary and such vendor 228 | |
| 275 | + | has entered into an agreement to protect the confidentiality of such 229 | |
| 276 | + | information or data. 230 | |
| 277 | + | Sec. 9. Section 9-50b of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes is 231 | |
| 278 | + | repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 232 | |
| 279 | + | 2024): 233 | |
| 280 | + | (a) As used in this section, "state-wide centralized voter registration 234 | |
| 281 | + | system" means a computerized system designed and maintained by the 235 | |
| 282 | + | Secretary of the State which includes: (1) Voter registration information 236 | |
| 283 | + | prescribed by the Secretary, (2) information contained in applications 237 | |
| 284 | + | for admission as electors described in section 9-20, (3) information 238 | |
| 285 | + | needed to compile registry lists and enrollment lists under sections 9-35 239 | |
| 286 | + | and 9-54, (4) information required by section 9-50a, and (5) other 240 | |
| 287 | + | information for use in complying with the provisions of this title. 241 | |
| 288 | + | (b) Not later than July 1, 2003, each registrar of voters shall transmit 242 | |
| 289 | + | to the office of the Secretary of the State all elector information required 243 | |
| 290 | + | by the office to complete the state-wide centralized voter registration 244 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 370 | 291 | ||
| 371 | - | Sec. 11. Section 9-50b of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes | |
| 372 | - | is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July | |
| 373 | - | 1, 2024): | |
| 374 | - | (a) As used in this section, "state-wide centralized voter registration | |
| 375 | - | system" means a computerized system designed and maintained by the | |
| 376 | - | Secretary of the State which includes: (1) Voter registration information | |
| 377 | - | prescribed by the Secretary, (2) information contained in applications | |
| 378 | - | for admission as electors described in section 9-20, (3) information | |
| 379 | - | needed to compile registry lists and enrollment lists under sections 9-35 | |
| 380 | - | and 9-54, (4) information required by section 9-50a, and (5) other | |
| 381 | - | information for use in complying with the provisions of this title. | |
| 382 | - | (b) Not later than July 1, 2003, each registrar of voters shall transmit | |
| 383 | - | to the office of the Secretary of the State all elector information required | |
| 384 | - | by the office to complete the state-wide centralized voter registration | |
| 385 | - | system. Each registrar shall transmit such information in a format | |
| 386 | - | prescribed by the Secretary. Not later than September 1, 2003, each | |
| 387 | - | registrar of voters shall participate in the state-wide centralized voter | |
| 388 | - | registration system in the manner prescribed by the Secretary. On and | |
| 389 | - | after July 1, 2024, each town clerk shall utilize the state-wide centralized | |
| 390 | - | voter registration system whenever carrying out any provision of this | |
| 391 | - | title. | |
| 392 | - | (c) Not later than sixty days after each election or primary, the | |
| 393 | - | registrars of voters shall update the state-wide centralized voter | |
| 394 | - | registration system and indicate whether the eligible voters on the | |
| 395 | - | official registry list for such election or primary voted and, if so, if they | |
| 396 | - | voted in person on the day of such election or primary, in person during | |
| 397 | - | the period of early voting at such election or primary or by absentee | |
| 398 | - | ballot. | |
| 399 | - | Sec. 12. Subsection (h) of section 9-163aa of the 2024 supplement to | |
| 400 | - | the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 401 | 292 | ||
| 402 | - | ||
| 293 | + | LCO 9 of 32 | |
| 403 | 294 | ||
| 404 | - | thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): | |
| 405 | - | (h) (1) No person shall solicit on behalf of or in opposition to any | |
| 406 | - | candidate or on behalf of or in opposition to any question being | |
| 407 | - | submitted at the election or primary, or loiter or peddle or offer any | |
| 408 | - | advertising matter, ballot or circular to another person within a radius | |
| 409 | - | of seventy-five feet of any outside entrance in use as an entry to any | |
| 410 | - | building that contains any location designated by the registrars of voters | |
| 411 | - | for early voting or in any corridor, passageway or other approach | |
| 412 | - | leading from any such outside entrance to any such location or in any | |
| 413 | - | room opening upon any such corridor, passageway or approach. | |
| 414 | - | (2) Except as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection, no person | |
| 415 | - | shall be allowed within any location designated by the registrars of | |
| 416 | - | voters for early voting for any purpose other than casting such person's | |
| 417 | - | vote, except (A) primary officials under section 9-436, (B) election | |
| 418 | - | officials under section 9-258, including (i) a municipal clerk or registrar | |
| 419 | - | of voters, who is a candidate for the same office, and (ii) a deputy | |
| 420 | - | registrar of voters, who is a candidate for the office of registrar of voters, | |
| 421 | - | performing such official's duties, and (C) unofficial checkers under | |
| 422 | - | section 9-235. | |
| 423 | - | [(2)] (3) A person, including any candidate or any campaign or party | |
| 424 | - | employee or volunteer, may be within [such] the seventy-five-foot | |
| 425 | - | radius [of seventy-five feet] described in subdivision (1) of this | |
| 426 | - | subsection (A) only for purposes related to the performance of such | |
| 427 | - | person's official duties or to the conduct of government business within | |
| 428 | - | such radius, (B) only for as long as necessary to perform such duties or | |
| 429 | - | conduct such business, and (C) provided such person is not engaged in | |
| 430 | - | any conduct described in subdivision (1) of this subsection. | |
| 431 | - | Sec. 13. Subsection (j) of section 9-19j of the 2024 supplement to the | |
| 432 | - | general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu | |
| 433 | - | thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 295 | + | system. Each registrar shall transmit such information in a format 245 | |
| 296 | + | prescribed by the Secretary. Not later than September 1, 2003, each 246 | |
| 297 | + | registrar of voters shall participate in the state-wide centralized voter 247 | |
| 298 | + | registration system in the manner prescribed by the Secretary. On and 248 | |
| 299 | + | after July 1, 2024, each town clerk shall utilize the state-wide centralized 249 | |
| 300 | + | voter registration system whenever carrying out any provision of this 250 | |
| 301 | + | title involving the checking of absentee ballot applications or returned 251 | |
| 302 | + | absentee ballots against any active or inactive registry list or enrollment 252 | |
| 303 | + | list. 253 | |
| 304 | + | (c) Not later than sixty days after each election or primary, the 254 | |
| 305 | + | registrars of voters shall update the state-wide centralized voter 255 | |
| 306 | + | registration system and indicate whether the eligible voters on the 256 | |
| 307 | + | official registry list for such election or primary voted and, if so, if they 257 | |
| 308 | + | voted in person on the day of such election or primary, in person during 258 | |
| 309 | + | the period of early voting at such election or primary or by absentee 259 | |
| 310 | + | ballot. 260 | |
| 311 | + | Sec. 10. Section 9-50d of the general statutes is repealed and the 261 | |
| 312 | + | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2024): 262 | |
| 313 | + | (a) (1) Whenever voter registration information maintained under 263 | |
| 314 | + | this title by the Secretary of the State or any registrar of voters is 264 | |
| 315 | + | provided pursuant to any provision of the general statutes, disclosure 265 | |
| 316 | + | of a voter's date of birth shall be limited to only the month and year of 266 | |
| 317 | + | birth, unless such voter registration information is requested and used 267 | |
| 318 | + | for a governmental purpose, as determined by the Secretary, in which 268 | |
| 319 | + | case the voter's complete date of birth shall be provided. As used in this 269 | |
| 320 | + | section, a governmental purpose shall include, but not be limited to, jury 270 | |
| 321 | + | administration. 271 | |
| 322 | + | (2) Voter registration information described in subdivision (1) of this 272 | |
| 323 | + | subsection (A) may only be used for election-related, scholarly, 273 | |
| 324 | + | journalistic, political or governmental purposes, as determined by the 274 | |
| 325 | + | Secretary of the State, and (B) shall not be used for any personal, private 275 | |
| 326 | + | or commercial purpose, including, but not limited to, (i) harassment of 276 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 434 | 327 | ||
| 435 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 14 of 35 | |
| 436 | 328 | ||
| 437 | - | (j) (1) No person shall solicit on behalf of or in opposition to any | |
| 438 | - | candidate or on behalf of or in opposition to any question being | |
| 439 | - | submitted at the election, or loiter or peddle or offer any advertising | |
| 440 | - | matter, ballot or circular to another person within a radius of seventy- | |
| 441 | - | five feet of any outside entrance in use as an entry to any building that | |
| 442 | - | contains any location designated by the registrars of voters for same- | |
| 443 | - | day election registration balloting or in any corridor, passageway or | |
| 444 | - | other approach leading from any such outside entrance to any such | |
| 445 | - | location or in any room opening upon any such corridor, passageway | |
| 446 | - | or approach. | |
| 447 | - | (2) Except as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection, no person | |
| 448 | - | shall be allowed within any location designated by the registrars of | |
| 449 | - | voters for same-day election registration balloting for any purpose other | |
| 450 | - | than casting such person's vote, except (A) primary officials under | |
| 451 | - | section 9-436, (B) election officials under section 9-258, including (i) a | |
| 452 | - | municipal clerk or registrar of voters, who is a candidate for the same | |
| 453 | - | office, and (ii) a deputy registrar of voters, who is a candidate for the | |
| 454 | - | office of registrar of voters, performing such official's duties, and (C) | |
| 455 | - | unofficial checkers under section 9-235. | |
| 456 | - | [(2)] (3) A person, including any candidate or any campaign or party | |
| 457 | - | employee or volunteer, may be within [such] the seventy-five-foot | |
| 458 | - | radius [of seventy-five feet] described in subdivision (1) of this | |
| 459 | - | subsection (A) only for purposes related to the performance of such | |
| 460 | - | person's official duties or to the conduct of government business within | |
| 461 | - | such radius, (B) only for as long as necessary to perform such duties or | |
| 462 | - | conduct such business, and (C) provided such person is not engaged in | |
| 463 | - | any conduct described in subdivision (1) of this subsection. | |
| 464 | - | Sec. 14. Subsection (c) of section 9-236 of the general statutes is | |
| 465 | - | repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, | |
| 466 | - | 2024): Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 329 | + | LCO 10 of 32 | |
| 467 | 330 | ||
| 468 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 15 of 35 | |
| 331 | + | any voter or voter's household, (ii) advertising, solicitation, sale or 277 | |
| 332 | + | marketing of products or services to any voter or voter's household, and 278 | |
| 333 | + | (iii) reproduction of such information in print, broadcast visual or audio 279 | |
| 334 | + | or display on the Internet or any computer terminal. 280 | |
| 335 | + | (b) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, any motor 281 | |
| 336 | + | vehicle operator's license number, identity card number or Social 282 | |
| 337 | + | Security number on a voter registration record shall be confidential and 283 | |
| 338 | + | shall not be disclosed to any person. 284 | |
| 339 | + | (c) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, if a voter 285 | |
| 340 | + | submits to the Secretary of the State a signed statement that 286 | |
| 341 | + | nondisclosure of such voter's name from the official registry list is 287 | |
| 342 | + | necessary for the safety of such voter or the voter's family, the name and 288 | |
| 343 | + | address of such voter on his or her voter registration record shall be 289 | |
| 344 | + | confidential and shall not be disclosed, except that an election, primary 290 | |
| 345 | + | or referendum official may view such information on the official registry 291 | |
| 346 | + | list when such list is used by any such official at a polling place on the 292 | |
| 347 | + | day of an election, primary or referendum. Such signed statement shall 293 | |
| 348 | + | be sworn under penalty of false statement, as provided in section 53a-294 | |
| 349 | + | 157b. 295 | |
| 350 | + | Sec. 11. Subsection (h) of section 9-163aa of the 2024 supplement to 296 | |
| 351 | + | the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 297 | |
| 352 | + | thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 298 | |
| 353 | + | (h) (1) No person shall solicit on behalf of or in opposition to any 299 | |
| 354 | + | candidate or on behalf of or in opposition to any question being 300 | |
| 355 | + | submitted at the election or primary, or loiter or peddle or offer any 301 | |
| 356 | + | advertising matter, ballot or circular to another person within a radius 302 | |
| 357 | + | of seventy-five feet of any outside entrance in use as an entry to any 303 | |
| 358 | + | location designated by the registrars of voters for early voting or in any 304 | |
| 359 | + | corridor, passageway or other approach leading from any such outside 305 | |
| 360 | + | entrance to any such location or in any room opening upon any such 306 | |
| 361 | + | corridor, passageway or approach. 307 | |
| 362 | + | (2) Except as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection, no person 308 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 469 | 363 | ||
| 470 | - | (c) No person shall be allowed within any polling place for any | |
| 471 | - | purpose other than casting his or her vote, except (1) those permitted or | |
| 472 | - | exempt under this section or section 9-236a, (2) primary officials under | |
| 473 | - | section 9-436, (3) election officials under section 9-258, including (A) a | |
| 474 | - | municipal clerk or registrar of voters, who is a candidate for the same | |
| 475 | - | office, performing his or her official duties, and (B) a deputy registrar of | |
| 476 | - | voters, who is a candidate for the office of registrar of voters, performing | |
| 477 | - | his or her official duties, or (4) [party] unofficial checkers under section | |
| 478 | - | 9-235. Representatives of the news media shall be allowed to enter, | |
| 479 | - | remain within and leave any polling place or restricted area | |
| 480 | - | surrounding any polling place to observe the election, provided any | |
| 481 | - | such representative who in any way interferes with the orderly process | |
| 482 | - | of voting shall be evicted by the moderator. A number of students in | |
| 483 | - | grades four to twelve, inclusive, not to exceed four at any one time in | |
| 484 | - | any one polling place, may enter any polling place between twelve | |
| 485 | - | o'clock noon and three o'clock p.m. for the purpose of observing the | |
| 486 | - | activities taking place in the polling place, provided there is proper | |
| 487 | - | parental or teacher supervision present, and provided further, any such | |
| 488 | - | student who in any way interferes with the orderly process of voting | |
| 489 | - | shall be evicted by the moderator. An elector may be accompanied into | |
| 490 | - | any polling place by one or more children who are fifteen years of age | |
| 491 | - | or younger and supervised by the elector if the elector is the parent or | |
| 492 | - | legal guardian of such children. | |
| 493 | - | Sec. 15. Section 9-147a of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes | |
| 494 | - | is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July | |
| 495 | - | 1, 2024): | |
| 496 | - | (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, at any election, | |
| 497 | - | primary or referendum, all absentee ballots shall, within existing | |
| 498 | - | resources, be counted in the manner provided in section 9-150a at a | |
| 499 | - | central location designated by the registrars of voters in writing to the | |
| 500 | - | municipal clerk at least twenty days before the election, primary or Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 501 | 364 | ||
| 502 | - | ||
| 365 | + | LCO 11 of 32 | |
| 503 | 366 | ||
| 504 | - | referendum, which location shall be published in the warning for the | |
| 505 | - | election, primary or referendum. Except as provided in subsection (b) of | |
| 506 | - | this section, if unaffiliated electors are authorized under section 9-431 to | |
| 507 | - | vote in the primary of either of two parties, all absentee ballots shall be | |
| 508 | - | separated, counted, tallied and placed in depository envelopes by | |
| 509 | - | voting district. Any member of the public may observe the counting of | |
| 510 | - | absentee ballots at such central location, provided no candidate for | |
| 511 | - | election or nomination shall be allowed to participate in such counting, | |
| 512 | - | except (1) a municipal clerk or registrar of voters, who is a candidate for | |
| 513 | - | the same office, and (2) a deputy registrar of voters, who is a candidate | |
| 514 | - | for the office of registrar of voters, performing such official's duties. | |
| 515 | - | (b) At any election, primary or referendum, all absentee ballots may | |
| 516 | - | be counted in the manner provided in section 9-150a in the respective | |
| 517 | - | polling places if the registrars of voters agree that such absentee ballots | |
| 518 | - | should be so counted. If unaffiliated electors are authorized under | |
| 519 | - | section 9-431 to vote in the primary of either of two parties, absentee | |
| 520 | - | ballots may be counted in the respective polling places if the parties | |
| 521 | - | agree that such absentee ballots should be so counted. Any election | |
| 522 | - | official serving in a polling place may observe the counting of absentee | |
| 523 | - | ballots at such polling place, provided no candidate for election or | |
| 524 | - | nomination shall be allowed within such polling place during the hours | |
| 525 | - | of voting for any purpose other than casting such candidate's vote and | |
| 526 | - | no such candidate shall be allowed to participate in such counting, | |
| 527 | - | except (1) a municipal clerk or registrar of voters, who is a candidate for | |
| 528 | - | the same office, and (2) a deputy registrar of voters, who is a candidate | |
| 529 | - | for the office of registrar of voters, performing such official's duties. | |
| 530 | - | Sec. 16. Section 9-140e of the general statutes is repealed and the | |
| 531 | - | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): | |
| 532 | - | (a) Any elector who is permanently physically disabled or suffering | |
| 533 | - | from a long-term illness and who files an application for an absentee | |
| 534 | - | ballot with a certification from a primary care provider, indicating that Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 367 | + | shall be allowed within any location designated by the registrars of 309 | |
| 368 | + | voters for early voting for any purpose other than casting such person's 310 | |
| 369 | + | vote, except (A) primary officials under section 9-436, (B) election 311 | |
| 370 | + | officials under section 9-258, including (i) a municipal clerk or registrar 312 | |
| 371 | + | of voters, who is a candidate for the same office, and (ii) a deputy 313 | |
| 372 | + | registrar of voters, who is a candidate for the office of registrar of voters, 314 | |
| 373 | + | performing such official's duties, and (C) unofficial checkers under 315 | |
| 374 | + | section 9-235. 316 | |
| 375 | + | [(2)] (3) A person, including any candidate or any campaign or party 317 | |
| 376 | + | employee or volunteer, may be within [such] the seventy-five-foot 318 | |
| 377 | + | radius [of seventy-five feet] described in subdivision (1) of this 319 | |
| 378 | + | subsection (A) only for purposes related to the performance of such 320 | |
| 379 | + | person's official duties or to the conduct of government business within 321 | |
| 380 | + | such radius, (B) only for as long as necessary to perform such duties or 322 | |
| 381 | + | conduct such business, and (C) provided such person is not engaged in 323 | |
| 382 | + | any conduct described in subdivision (1) of this subsection. 324 | |
| 383 | + | Sec. 12. Subsection (j) of section 9-19j of the 2024 supplement to the 325 | |
| 384 | + | general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 326 | |
| 385 | + | thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 327 | |
| 386 | + | (j) (1) No person shall solicit on behalf of or in opposition to any 328 | |
| 387 | + | candidate or on behalf of or in opposition to any question being 329 | |
| 388 | + | submitted at the election, or loiter or peddle or offer any advertising 330 | |
| 389 | + | matter, ballot or circular to another person within a radius of seventy-331 | |
| 390 | + | five feet of any outside entrance in use as an entry to any location 332 | |
| 391 | + | designated by the registrars of voters for same-day election registration 333 | |
| 392 | + | balloting or in any corridor, passageway or other approach leading from 334 | |
| 393 | + | any such outside entrance to any such location or in any room opening 335 | |
| 394 | + | upon any such corridor, passageway or approach. 336 | |
| 395 | + | (2) Except as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection, no person 337 | |
| 396 | + | shall be allowed within any location designated by the registrars of 338 | |
| 397 | + | voters for same-day election registration balloting for any purpose other 339 | |
| 398 | + | than casting such person's vote, except (A) primary officials under 340 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 535 | 399 | ||
| 536 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 17 of 35 | |
| 537 | 400 | ||
| 538 | - | such elector is permanently physically disabled or suffering from a long- | |
| 539 | - | term illness and unable to appear in person at such elector's designated | |
| 540 | - | polling location, shall be eligible for permanent absentee ballot status | |
| 541 | - | and shall receive an absentee ballot for each election, primary or | |
| 542 | - | referendum conducted in such elector's municipality for which such | |
| 543 | - | elector is eligible to vote. Such elector's permanent absentee ballot status | |
| 544 | - | shall remain in effect until such elector: (1) Is removed from the official | |
| 545 | - | registry list of the municipality, (2) is removed from permanent absentee | |
| 546 | - | ballot status pursuant to the provisions of this section, or (3) requests | |
| 547 | - | that he or she no longer receive such permanent absentee ballot status. | |
| 548 | - | (b) The registrars of voters shall send written notice to each such | |
| 549 | - | elector with permanent absentee ballot status in January of each year, | |
| 550 | - | on a form prescribed by the Secretary of the State, for the purpose of | |
| 551 | - | determining if such elector continues to reside at the address indicated | |
| 552 | - | on the elector's permanent absentee ballot application. If [(1)] such | |
| 553 | - | written notice is returned as undeliverable, [or (2) not later than sixty | |
| 554 | - | days after such notice is sent to the elector, the elector fails to return such | |
| 555 | - | notice to the registrars of voters, as directed on the form,] the elector in | |
| 556 | - | question shall be removed from permanent absentee ballot status. If | |
| 557 | - | such elector indicates on such notice that the elector no longer resides at | |
| 558 | - | such address and the elector's new address is within the same | |
| 559 | - | municipality, the registrars of voters shall change the elector's address | |
| 560 | - | pursuant to section 9-35 and such elector shall retain permanent | |
| 561 | - | absentee ballot status. If the elector indicates on such notice that the | |
| 562 | - | elector no longer resides in the municipality, the registrars of voters | |
| 563 | - | shall remove such individual from the registry list of the municipality | |
| 564 | - | and send such individual an application for voter registration. Failure | |
| 565 | - | to return such written notice shall not result in the removal of an elector | |
| 566 | - | from the official registry list of the municipality or from permanent | |
| 567 | - | absentee ballot status. | |
| 568 | - | Sec. 17. Subsection (a) of section 9-320f of the 2024 supplement to the Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 401 | + | LCO 12 of 32 | |
| 569 | 402 | ||
| 570 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 18 of 35 | |
| 403 | + | section 9-436, (B) election officials under section 9-258, including (i) a 341 | |
| 404 | + | municipal clerk or registrar of voters, who is a candidate for the same 342 | |
| 405 | + | office, and (ii) a deputy registrar of voters, who is a candidate for the 343 | |
| 406 | + | office of registrar of voters, performing such official's duties, and (C) 344 | |
| 407 | + | unofficial checkers under section 9-235. 345 | |
| 408 | + | [(2)] (3) A person, including any candidate or any campaign or party 346 | |
| 409 | + | employee or volunteer, may be within [such] the seventy-five-foot 347 | |
| 410 | + | radius [of seventy-five feet] described in subdivision (1) of this 348 | |
| 411 | + | subsection (A) only for purposes related to the performance of such 349 | |
| 412 | + | person's official duties or to the conduct of government business within 350 | |
| 413 | + | such radius, (B) only for as long as necessary to perform such duties or 351 | |
| 414 | + | conduct such business, and (C) provided such person is not engaged in 352 | |
| 415 | + | any conduct described in subdivision (1) of this subsection. 353 | |
| 416 | + | Sec. 13. Subsection (c) of section 9-236 of the general statutes is 354 | |
| 417 | + | repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 355 | |
| 418 | + | 2024): 356 | |
| 419 | + | (c) No person shall be allowed within any polling place for any 357 | |
| 420 | + | purpose other than casting his or her vote, except (1) those permitted or 358 | |
| 421 | + | exempt under this section or section 9-236a, (2) primary officials under 359 | |
| 422 | + | section 9-436, (3) election officials under section 9-258, including (A) a 360 | |
| 423 | + | municipal clerk or registrar of voters, who is a candidate for the same 361 | |
| 424 | + | office, performing his or her official duties, and (B) a deputy registrar of 362 | |
| 425 | + | voters, who is a candidate for the office of registrar of voters, performing 363 | |
| 426 | + | his or her official duties, or (4) [party] unofficial checkers under section 364 | |
| 427 | + | 9-235. Representatives of the news media shall be allowed to enter, 365 | |
| 428 | + | remain within and leave any polling place or restricted area 366 | |
| 429 | + | surrounding any polling place to observe the election, provided any 367 | |
| 430 | + | such representative who in any way interferes with the orderly process 368 | |
| 431 | + | of voting shall be evicted by the moderator. A number of students in 369 | |
| 432 | + | grades four to twelve, inclusive, not to exceed four at any one time in 370 | |
| 433 | + | any one polling place, may enter any polling place between twelve 371 | |
| 434 | + | o'clock noon and three o'clock p.m. for the purpose of observing the 372 | |
| 435 | + | activities taking place in the polling place, provided there is proper 373 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 571 | 436 | ||
| 572 | - | general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu | |
| 573 | - | thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): | |
| 574 | - | (a) (1) Not earlier than the fifteenth day after any federal or state | |
| 575 | - | election or primary and not later than two business days before the | |
| 576 | - | canvass of votes by the Secretary of the State, Treasurer and | |
| 577 | - | Comptroller, [for any federal or state election or primary, or] and (2) not | |
| 578 | - | earlier than the fifth day after any municipal election or primary and not | |
| 579 | - | later than two business days before the canvass of votes by the town | |
| 580 | - | clerk, [for any municipal election or primary,] the registrars of voters | |
| 581 | - | shall conduct a manual audit, or [, for an election or primary held on or | |
| 582 | - | after January 1, 2016,] an electronic audit authorized under section 9- | |
| 583 | - | 320g, of the votes recorded in not less than five per cent of the voting | |
| 584 | - | districts in the state, district or municipality, whichever is applicable. | |
| 585 | - | For the purposes of this section, any central location used in a | |
| 586 | - | municipality for the counting of absentee ballots, early voting ballots or | |
| 587 | - | same-day election registration ballots shall be deemed a voting district. | |
| 588 | - | Such manual or electronic audit shall be noticed in advance and be open | |
| 589 | - | to public observation. Any election official who participates in the | |
| 590 | - | administration and conduct of an audit pursuant to this section shall be | |
| 591 | - | compensated by the municipality at the standard rate of pay established | |
| 592 | - | by such municipality for elections or primaries, as the case may be. | |
| 593 | - | Sec. 18. Section 9-460 of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes | |
| 594 | - | is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July | |
| 595 | - | 1, 2024): | |
| 596 | - | If any party has nominated a candidate for office, or, on and after | |
| 597 | - | November 4, 1981, if a candidate has qualified to appear on any ballot | |
| 598 | - | by nominating petition under a reserved party designation, in | |
| 599 | - | accordance with the provisions of this chapter, and such nominee | |
| 600 | - | thereafter, but prior to forty-six days before the opening of the polls on | |
| 601 | - | the day of the election for which such nomination has been made, dies, | |
| 602 | - | withdraws such nominee's name or for any reason becomes disqualified Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 603 | 437 | ||
| 604 | - | ||
| 438 | + | LCO 13 of 32 | |
| 605 | 439 | ||
| 606 | - | ||
| 607 | - | ||
| 608 | - | ||
| 609 | - | ||
| 610 | - | ||
| 611 | - | ||
| 612 | - | ||
| 613 | - | ||
| 614 | - | ||
| 615 | - | a | |
| 616 | - | ||
| 617 | - | ||
| 618 | - | the | |
| 619 | - | ||
| 620 | - | ||
| 621 | - | ||
| 622 | - | ||
| 623 | - | ||
| 624 | - | ||
| 625 | - | ||
| 626 | - | ||
| 627 | - | ||
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| 630 | - | ||
| 631 | - | ||
| 632 | - | ||
| 633 | - | ||
| 634 | - | ||
| 635 | - | ||
| 636 | - | the | |
| 637 | - | ||
| 638 | - | ||
| 440 | + | parental or teacher supervision present, and provided further, any such 374 | |
| 441 | + | student who in any way interferes with the orderly process of voting 375 | |
| 442 | + | shall be evicted by the moderator. An elector may be accompanied into 376 | |
| 443 | + | any polling place by one or more children who are fifteen years of age 377 | |
| 444 | + | or younger and supervised by the elector if the elector is the parent or 378 | |
| 445 | + | legal guardian of such children. 379 | |
| 446 | + | Sec. 14. Section 9-147a of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes 380 | |
| 447 | + | is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 381 | |
| 448 | + | 1, 2024): 382 | |
| 449 | + | (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, at any election, 383 | |
| 450 | + | primary or referendum, all absentee ballots shall, within existing 384 | |
| 451 | + | resources, be counted in the manner provided in section 9-150a at a 385 | |
| 452 | + | central location designated by the registrars of voters in writing to the 386 | |
| 453 | + | municipal clerk at least twenty days before the election, primary or 387 | |
| 454 | + | referendum, which location shall be published in the warning for the 388 | |
| 455 | + | election, primary or referendum. Except as provided in subsection (b) of 389 | |
| 456 | + | this section, if unaffiliated electors are authorized under section 9-431 to 390 | |
| 457 | + | vote in the primary of either of two parties, all absentee ballots shall be 391 | |
| 458 | + | separated, counted, tallied and placed in depository envelopes by 392 | |
| 459 | + | voting district. Any member of the public may observe the counting of 393 | |
| 460 | + | absentee ballots at such central location, provided no candidate for 394 | |
| 461 | + | election or nomination shall be allowed within such central location 395 | |
| 462 | + | during such counting, except (1) a municipal clerk or registrar of voters, 396 | |
| 463 | + | who is a candidate for the same office, and (2) a deputy registrar of 397 | |
| 464 | + | voters, who is a candidate for the office of registrar of voters, performing 398 | |
| 465 | + | such official's duties. 399 | |
| 466 | + | (b) At any election, primary or referendum, all absentee ballots may 400 | |
| 467 | + | be counted in the manner provided in section 9-150a in the respective 401 | |
| 468 | + | polling places if the registrars of voters agree that such absentee ballots 402 | |
| 469 | + | should be so counted. If unaffiliated electors are authorized under 403 | |
| 470 | + | section 9-431 to vote in the primary of either of two parties, absentee 404 | |
| 471 | + | ballots may be counted in the respective polling places if the parties 405 | |
| 472 | + | agree that such absentee ballots should be so counted. Any election 406 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 639 | 473 | ||
| 640 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 20 of 35 | |
| 641 | 474 | ||
| 642 | - | nominee receives a plurality of the votes cast, a vacancy shall exist in the | |
| 643 | - | office for which the nomination was made. The vacancy shall then be | |
| 644 | - | filled in a manner prescribed by law. A copy of such certification to the | |
| 645 | - | municipal clerk shall also be filed with the Secretary of the State. Such | |
| 646 | - | nomination to fill a vacancy due to death or disqualification shall | |
| 647 | - | include a statement setting forth the reason for such vacancy. If at the | |
| 648 | - | time such nomination is certified to the Secretary of the State or to the | |
| 649 | - | municipal clerk, as the case may be, the ballots have already been | |
| 650 | - | printed, the Secretary of the State shall direct the municipal clerk in each | |
| 651 | - | municipality affected to (A) have the ballots reprinted with the | |
| 652 | - | nomination thus made included thereon, (B) cause printed stickers to be | |
| 653 | - | affixed to the ballots so that the name of any candidate who has died [, | |
| 654 | - | withdrawn or been disqualified] is deleted and the name of any | |
| 655 | - | candidate chosen to fill such vacancy appears in the same position as | |
| 656 | - | that in which the vacated candidacy appeared, or (C) [cause blank | |
| 657 | - | stickers to be so affixed] if the vacancy is not filled, cause the name of | |
| 658 | - | the candidate whose candidacy has been vacated to be obscured in such | |
| 659 | - | manner that such name is no longer visible. | |
| 660 | - | Sec. 19. Subsection (a) of section 9-437 of the general statutes is | |
| 661 | - | repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, | |
| 662 | - | 2024): | |
| 663 | - | (a) At the top of each ballot shall be printed the name of the party | |
| 664 | - | holding the primary, and each ballot shall contain the names of all | |
| 665 | - | candidates to be voted upon at such primary, except the names of | |
| 666 | - | justices of the peace. The vertical columns shall be headed by the | |
| 667 | - | designation of the office or position and instructions as to the number | |
| 668 | - | for which an elector may vote for such office or position, in the same | |
| 669 | - | manner as a ballot used in a regular election. The name of each | |
| 670 | - | candidate for town committee or municipal office, except for the | |
| 671 | - | municipal offices of state senator and state representative, shall appear | |
| 672 | - | on the ballot as authorized by each candidate. The name of each Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 475 | + | LCO 14 of 32 | |
| 673 | 476 | ||
| 674 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 21 of 35 | |
| 477 | + | official serving in a polling place may observe the counting of absentee 407 | |
| 478 | + | ballots at such polling place, provided no candidate for election or 408 | |
| 479 | + | nomination shall be allowed within such polling place during such 409 | |
| 480 | + | counting, except (1) a municipal clerk or registrar of voters, who is a 410 | |
| 481 | + | candidate for the same office, and (2) a deputy registrar of voters, who 411 | |
| 482 | + | is a candidate for the office of registrar of voters, performing such 412 | |
| 483 | + | official's duties. 413 | |
| 484 | + | Sec. 15. Section 9-453e of the general statutes is repealed and the 414 | |
| 485 | + | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 415 | |
| 486 | + | Each circulator of a nominating petition page shall be a United States 416 | |
| 487 | + | citizen [,] and at least eighteen years of age, [and a resident of a town in 417 | |
| 488 | + | this state] and shall not be on parole for conviction of a felony. Any 418 | |
| 489 | + | individual proposed as a candidate in any nominating petition may 419 | |
| 490 | + | serve as circulator of the pages of such nominating petition. 420 | |
| 491 | + | Sec. 16. Section 9-453j of the general statutes is repealed and the 421 | |
| 492 | + | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 422 | |
| 493 | + | Each page of a nominating petition submitted to the town clerk or 423 | |
| 494 | + | [the] Secretary of the State and filed with the Secretary of the State under 424 | |
| 495 | + | the provisions of sections 9-453a to 9-453s, inclusive, or section 9-216 425 | |
| 496 | + | shall contain a statement as to the residency [in this state] and eligibility 426 | |
| 497 | + | of the circulator and as to the authenticity of the signatures thereon, 427 | |
| 498 | + | signed under [penalties] penalty of false statement, by the person who 428 | |
| 499 | + | circulated the same. Such statement shall set forth (1) [such] the 429 | |
| 500 | + | circulator's residence address, including the town [in this state] in which 430 | |
| 501 | + | [such] the circulator is a resident, (2) if the circulator is not a resident in 431 | |
| 502 | + | this state, that the circulator agrees to submit to the jurisdiction of this 432 | |
| 503 | + | state in any case or controversy arising out of or related to the circulation 433 | |
| 504 | + | of a petition pursuant to this subpart, (3) the circulator's date of birth 434 | |
| 505 | + | and that the circulator is at least eighteen years of age, [(3)] (4) that the 435 | |
| 506 | + | circulator is a United States citizen and not on parole for conviction of a 436 | |
| 507 | + | felony, and [(4)] (5) that each person whose name appears on such page 437 | |
| 508 | + | signed the same in person in the presence of [such] the circulator and 438 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 675 | 509 | ||
| 676 | - | candidate for state or district office or for the municipal offices of state | |
| 677 | - | senator or state representative shall appear on the ballot as it appears on | |
| 678 | - | the certificate or statement of consent filed under section 9-388, 9-391, 9- | |
| 679 | - | 400 or 9-409. On the first horizontal line, below the designation of the | |
| 680 | - | office or position in each column, shall be placed the name of the party- | |
| 681 | - | endorsed candidate for such office or position, such name to be marked | |
| 682 | - | with an asterisk; provided, where more than one person may be voted | |
| 683 | - | for for any office or position, the names of the party-endorsed | |
| 684 | - | candidates shall be arranged in alphabetical order from left to right | |
| 685 | - | under the appropriate office or position designation and shall continue, | |
| 686 | - | if necessary, from left to right on the next lower line or lines. In the case | |
| 687 | - | of no party endorsement there shall be inserted the designation "no | |
| 688 | - | party endorsement" at the head of the vertical column, immediately | |
| 689 | - | beneath the designation of the office or position. On the horizontal lines | |
| 690 | - | below the line for party-endorsed candidates shall be placed, in the | |
| 691 | - | appropriate columns, the names of all other candidates as [hereinafter] | |
| 692 | - | provided in this section. | |
| 693 | - | Sec. 20. Subsection (g) of section 9-437 of the general statutes is | |
| 694 | - | repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, | |
| 695 | - | 2024): | |
| 696 | - | (g) The name of each candidate shall appear on the ballot in such | |
| 697 | - | position as is [hereinbefore] required in this section, and such position | |
| 698 | - | shall be determined as of the final time for filing candidacies specified | |
| 699 | - | in section 9-400 or 9-405. Vacancies in candidacies thereafter occurring | |
| 700 | - | shall not cause the position of any candidate's name on the ballot to be | |
| 701 | - | changed to another position. The name of any candidate whose | |
| 702 | - | candidacy has been vacated shall not appear on the ballot. If such a | |
| 703 | - | vacancy results in the cancellation of a primary for any office, the office | |
| 704 | - | column or columns where the names of the candidates and the title of | |
| 705 | - | the office would have appeared if the primary for that office had not | |
| 706 | - | been cancelled shall be left blank. If a vacancy occurs in a party- Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 707 | 510 | ||
| 708 | - | ||
| 511 | + | LCO 15 of 32 | |
| 709 | 512 | ||
| 710 | - | endorsed candidacy and a person is chosen in accordance with section | |
| 711 | - | 9-426 or 9-428, as amended by this act, to fill the resulting vacancy in | |
| 712 | - | candidacy, the name of the person so chosen shall appear in the same | |
| 713 | - | position as that in which the name of the vacating candidate appeared. | |
| 714 | - | The municipal clerk shall have the ballot prepared so that the name of | |
| 715 | - | any candidate who has vacated such candidate's candidacy is deleted | |
| 716 | - | and so that the name of any candidate chosen to fill a vacancy in | |
| 717 | - | candidacy appears in the same position as that in which the vacated | |
| 718 | - | candidacy appeared. The municipal clerk may use [blank or] printed | |
| 719 | - | stickers [, as the case may be,] in preparing the ballots if the ballots were | |
| 720 | - | printed before [the occurrence of the vacancy in candidacy or] the | |
| 721 | - | selection of a candidate to fill a vacancy in candidacy. If a vacancy in | |
| 722 | - | candidacy is not filled, the municipal clerk shall cause the name of the | |
| 723 | - | candidate whose candidacy has been vacated to be obscured in such | |
| 724 | - | manner that such name is no longer visible. The order of the offices and | |
| 725 | - | positions shall be as prescribed by the Secretary of the State. | |
| 726 | - | Sec. 21. Section 9-428 of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes | |
| 727 | - | is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July | |
| 728 | - | 1, 2024): | |
| 729 | - | (a) If a party-endorsed candidate for election to the position of town | |
| 730 | - | committee member, prior to twenty-four hours before the opening of | |
| 731 | - | the polls at the primary, dies or, prior to ten days before the day of such | |
| 732 | - | primary, withdraws his name from nomination or for any reason | |
| 733 | - | becomes disqualified to hold the position for which he is a candidate, | |
| 734 | - | the state central committee, the town committee or other authority of | |
| 735 | - | the party which endorsed such candidate may make an endorsement to | |
| 736 | - | fill such vacancy or provide for the making of such endorsement, in such | |
| 737 | - | manner as is prescribed in the rules of such party, and certify to the | |
| 738 | - | registrar and municipal clerk or to the Secretary of the State, as the case | |
| 739 | - | may be, the name of the person so endorsed. If such certification is made | |
| 740 | - | at least twenty-four hours prior to the opening of the polls at the Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 513 | + | that either the circulator knows each such signer or that the signer 439 | |
| 514 | + | satisfactorily identified [himself] such signer to the circulator. Any false 440 | |
| 515 | + | statement committed with respect to such statement shall be deemed to 441 | |
| 516 | + | have been committed in the town in which the petition was circulated. 442 | |
| 517 | + | Sec. 17. Subsections (a) and (b) of section 9-453k of the general statutes 443 | |
| 518 | + | are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 444 | |
| 519 | + | 1, 2024): 445 | |
| 520 | + | (a) The town clerk or Secretary of the State shall not accept any page 446 | |
| 521 | + | of a nominating petition unless the circulator thereof has signed before 447 | |
| 522 | + | [him] the clerk or Secretary, or an appropriate person as provided in 448 | |
| 523 | + | section 1-29, the statement as to the residency [in this state] and 449 | |
| 524 | + | eligibility of the circulator and as to the authenticity of the signatures 450 | |
| 525 | + | thereon required by section 9-453j, as amended by this act. 451 | |
| 526 | + | (b) The town clerk or Secretary of the State, or an appropriate person 452 | |
| 527 | + | as provided in section 1-29, shall certify on each such page that the 453 | |
| 528 | + | circulator thereof signed such statement in [his] the presence of the 454 | |
| 529 | + | clerk, Secretary or appropriate person, as applicable, and that either [he] 455 | |
| 530 | + | the clerk, Secretary or appropriate person, as applicable, knows the 456 | |
| 531 | + | circulator or that the circulator satisfactorily identified [himself] such 457 | |
| 532 | + | circulator to the individual so certifying. 458 | |
| 533 | + | Sec. 18. Section 9-453o of the general statutes is repealed and the 459 | |
| 534 | + | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 460 | |
| 535 | + | (a) The Secretary of the State may not count, for purposes of 461 | |
| 536 | + | determining compliance with the number of signatures required by 462 | |
| 537 | + | section 9-453d, the signatures certified by the town clerk on any petition 463 | |
| 538 | + | page filed under sections 9-453a to 9-453s, inclusive, or 9-216 if: (1) The 464 | |
| 539 | + | name of the candidate, [his] such candidate's address or the party 465 | |
| 540 | + | designation, if any, has been omitted from the face of the petition; (2) the 466 | |
| 541 | + | page does not contain a statement by the circulator as to the residency 467 | |
| 542 | + | [in this state] and eligibility of the circulator and as to the authenticity 468 | |
| 543 | + | of the signatures thereon as required by section 9-453j, as amended by 469 | |
| 544 | + | this act, or upon which such statement of the circulator is incomplete in 470 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 741 | 545 | ||
| 742 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 23 of 35 | |
| 743 | 546 | ||
| 744 | - | primary, in the case of such an endorsement to replace a candidate who | |
| 745 | - | has died, or at least seven days before the day of such primary, in the | |
| 746 | - | case of such an endorsement to replace a candidate who has withdrawn | |
| 747 | - | or become disqualified, such person so endorsed shall run in the | |
| 748 | - | primary as the party-endorsed candidate, except as provided in sections | |
| 749 | - | 9-416 and 9-417. If such certification of another party-endorsed | |
| 750 | - | candidate has been made within the time specified in this section, and if | |
| 751 | - | the ballots have already been printed and the names of the candidates | |
| 752 | - | for such position appear on the ballots, the Secretary of the State or the | |
| 753 | - | registrar, as the case may be, shall direct the clerk of each municipality | |
| 754 | - | holding such primary to have the ballots reprinted with the name of the | |
| 755 | - | person so certified included thereon; provided, in the case of such an | |
| 756 | - | endorsement to replace a candidate who has died, if such certification | |
| 757 | - | has been made less than ninety-six hours but at least twenty-four hours | |
| 758 | - | prior to the opening of the polls at the primary, such Secretary or | |
| 759 | - | registrar shall direct such clerk to have stickers printed and inserted | |
| 760 | - | upon the ballots, having the name of the person so certified appearing | |
| 761 | - | thereon, and the moderator in each polling place shall cause such | |
| 762 | - | stickers to be pasted on the ballots before the opening of the polls at such | |
| 763 | - | primary. If no such certification has been made, such clerk shall cause | |
| 764 | - | the name of the candidate whose candidacy has been vacated to be | |
| 765 | - | obscured in such manner that such name is no longer visible. | |
| 766 | - | (b) If a party-endorsed candidate for nomination to an office, prior to | |
| 767 | - | twenty-four hours before the commencement of the period of early | |
| 768 | - | voting at the primary, dies or, prior to ten days before the first day of | |
| 769 | - | such period of early voting, withdraws his name from nomination or for | |
| 770 | - | any reason becomes disqualified to hold the office for which he is a | |
| 771 | - | candidate, the state central committee, the town committee or other | |
| 772 | - | authority of the party which endorsed such candidate may make an | |
| 773 | - | endorsement to fill such vacancy or provide for the making of such | |
| 774 | - | endorsement, in such manner as is prescribed in the rules of such party, | |
| 775 | - | and certify to the registrar and municipal clerk or to the Secretary of the Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 547 | + | LCO 16 of 32 | |
| 776 | 548 | ||
| 777 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 24 of 35 | |
| 549 | + | any respect; or (3) the page does not contain the certifications required 471 | |
| 550 | + | by sections 9-453a to 9-453s, inclusive, by the town clerk of the town in 472 | |
| 551 | + | which the signers reside. The town clerk shall cure any omission on [his] 473 | |
| 552 | + | the clerk's part by signing any such page at the office of the Secretary of 474 | |
| 553 | + | the State and making the necessary amendment or by filing a separate 475 | |
| 554 | + | statement in this regard, which amendment shall be dated. 476 | |
| 555 | + | (b) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the Secretary of 477 | |
| 556 | + | the State shall approve [every] each nominating petition which contains 478 | |
| 557 | + | sufficient signatures counted and certified on approved pages by the 479 | |
| 558 | + | town clerks. In the case of a candidate who petitions under a reserved 480 | |
| 559 | + | party designation the Secretary shall approve the petition only if it 481 | |
| 560 | + | meets the signature requirement and if a statement endorsing such 482 | |
| 561 | + | candidate is filed with the Secretary by the party designation committee 483 | |
| 562 | + | not later than four o'clock p.m. on the sixty-second day before the 484 | |
| 563 | + | election. In the case of a candidate who petitions under a party 485 | |
| 564 | + | designation which is the same as the name of a minor party the Secretary 486 | |
| 565 | + | shall approve the petition only if it meets the signature requirement and 487 | |
| 566 | + | if a statement endorsing such candidate is filed in the office of the 488 | |
| 567 | + | Secretary by the chairman or secretary of such minor party not later than 489 | |
| 568 | + | four o'clock p.m. on the sixty-second day before the election. No 490 | |
| 569 | + | candidate shall be qualified to appear on any ballot by nominating 491 | |
| 570 | + | petition unless the candidate's petition is approved by the Secretary 492 | |
| 571 | + | pursuant to this subsection. 493 | |
| 572 | + | (c) The Secretary of the State may approve a nominating petition 494 | |
| 573 | + | received under section 9-453k, as amended by this act, at any time 495 | |
| 574 | + | except such approval shall be withdrawn if sufficient signatures are 496 | |
| 575 | + | withdrawn under section 9-453h. 497 | |
| 576 | + | Sec. 19. Subsections (c) and (d) of section 9-404b of the general statutes 498 | |
| 577 | + | are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 499 | |
| 578 | + | 1, 2024): 500 | |
| 579 | + | (c) The names of enrolled party members signing a primary petition 501 | |
| 580 | + | may be on several pages, provided no person shall sign more than one 502 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 778 | 581 | ||
| 779 | - | State, as the case may be, the name of the person so endorsed. If such | |
| 780 | - | certification is made at least twenty-four hours prior to the | |
| 781 | - | commencement of the period of early voting at the primary, in the case | |
| 782 | - | of such an endorsement to replace a candidate who has died, or at least | |
| 783 | - | seven days before the first day of such period of early voting, in the case | |
| 784 | - | of such an endorsement to replace a candidate who has withdrawn or | |
| 785 | - | become disqualified, such person so endorsed shall run in the primary | |
| 786 | - | as the party-endorsed candidate, except as provided in sections 9-416 | |
| 787 | - | and 9-417. If such certification of another party-endorsed candidate has | |
| 788 | - | been made within the time specified in this section, and if the ballots | |
| 789 | - | have already been printed and the names of the candidates for such | |
| 790 | - | office appear on the ballots, the Secretary of the State or the registrar, as | |
| 791 | - | the case may be, shall direct the clerk of each municipality holding such | |
| 792 | - | primary to have the ballots reprinted with the name of the person so | |
| 793 | - | certified included thereon; provided, in the case of such an endorsement | |
| 794 | - | to replace a candidate who has died, if such certification has been made | |
| 795 | - | less than ninety-six hours but at least twenty-four hours prior to the | |
| 796 | - | commencement of the period of early voting at the primary, such | |
| 797 | - | Secretary or registrar shall direct such clerk to have stickers printed and | |
| 798 | - | inserted upon the ballots, having the name of the person so certified | |
| 799 | - | appearing thereon, and the moderator in each polling place shall cause | |
| 800 | - | such stickers to be pasted on the ballots before the opening of the polls | |
| 801 | - | at such primary. If no such certification has been made, such clerk shall | |
| 802 | - | cause the name of the candidate whose candidacy has been vacated to | |
| 803 | - | be obscured in such manner that such name is no longer visible. | |
| 804 | - | Sec. 22. Subsection (d) of section 9-135b of the general statutes is | |
| 805 | - | repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, | |
| 806 | - | 2024): | |
| 807 | - | (d) If a vacancy in candidacy occurs after the ballots have been | |
| 808 | - | printed, the clerk may either reprint the ballots or cause [blank or] | |
| 809 | - | printed stickers [, as the case may be,] to be affixed to them so that the Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 810 | 582 | ||
| 811 | - | ||
| 583 | + | LCO 17 of 32 | |
| 812 | 584 | ||
| 813 | - | name of any candidate who has vacated his candidacy is deleted and | |
| 814 | - | the name of any candidate chosen to fill the vacancy as provided in | |
| 815 | - | section 9-428, as amended by this act, or section 9-460, as amended by | |
| 816 | - | this act, appears in the same position as that in which the vacated | |
| 817 | - | candidacy appeared except as provided in section 9-426 or 9-453s. If no | |
| 818 | - | candidate is chosen to fill such vacancy as so provided, the clerk shall | |
| 819 | - | cause the name of the candidate whose candidacy has been vacated to | |
| 820 | - | be obscured in such manner that such name is no longer visible. | |
| 821 | - | Sec. 23. Section 9-472 of the general statutes is repealed and the | |
| 822 | - | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): | |
| 823 | - | If, after determination of the order of candidates on the ballot, a | |
| 824 | - | candidate dies, his name shall not appear on such ballot; provided that | |
| 825 | - | the position of each remaining candidate on the ballot shall not be | |
| 826 | - | altered by the deletion of such name. The secretary may authorize [the | |
| 827 | - | use of] town clerks to use blank stickers on the ballot, [by town clerks] | |
| 828 | - | or otherwise cause the name of such deceased candidate to be obscured | |
| 829 | - | in such manner that such name is no longer visible, in order to comply | |
| 830 | - | with the provisions of this section. | |
| 831 | - | Sec. 24. Subdivision (1) of subsection (g) of section 9-7a of the general | |
| 832 | - | statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof | |
| 833 | - | (Effective July 1, 2024): | |
| 834 | - | (g) (1) In the case of a written complaint filed with the commission | |
| 835 | - | pursuant to section 9-7b, commission staff shall conduct and complete a | |
| 836 | - | preliminary examination of such complaint by the fourteenth day | |
| 837 | - | following its receipt, at which time such staff shall, at its discretion, (A) | |
| 838 | - | dismiss the complaint for failure to allege any substantial violation of | |
| 839 | - | state election law supported by evidence, (B) engage the respondent in | |
| 840 | - | discussions in an effort to speedily resolve any matter pertaining to a de | |
| 841 | - | minimis violation, or (C) investigate and docket the complaint for a | |
| 842 | - | determination by the commission that probable cause or no probable Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 585 | + | petition page for the same candidate or candidates. Any person who 503 | |
| 586 | + | signs a name other than the person's own to a primary petition filed 504 | |
| 587 | + | under the provisions of this section or who signs a name other than the 505 | |
| 588 | + | person's own as circulator of such petition shall be fined not more than 506 | |
| 589 | + | one hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. 507 | |
| 590 | + | Each such page shall indicate the candidate or candidates supported, 508 | |
| 591 | + | the offices sought and the political party for which nomination is being 509 | |
| 592 | + | sought. No page of such a petition shall contain the names of enrolled 510 | |
| 593 | + | party members residing in different municipalities and any petition 511 | |
| 594 | + | page that has been certified by the registrars of voters of two or more 512 | |
| 595 | + | municipalities shall be rejected by the Secretary. Withdrawal of petition 513 | |
| 596 | + | signatures shall not be permitted. 514 | |
| 597 | + | (d) [Each] Any person qualified to vote under the laws of any state or 515 | |
| 598 | + | territory of the United States may be a circulator of a primary petition 516 | |
| 599 | + | page [shall be] if such person (1) is an enrolled party member of a 517 | |
| 600 | + | municipality in this state, [. Each] or (2) agrees to submit to the 518 | |
| 601 | + | jurisdiction of this state in any case or controversy arising out of or 519 | |
| 602 | + | related to the circulation of a primary petition. For any circulator 520 | |
| 603 | + | described in subdivision (1) of this subsection, each petition page shall 521 | |
| 604 | + | contain a statement signed by the registrar of voters of the municipality 522 | |
| 605 | + | in which the circulator is an enrolled party member attesting that the 523 | |
| 606 | + | circulator is an enrolled party member in the municipality. For any 524 | |
| 607 | + | circulator described in subdivision (2) of this subsection, each petition 525 | |
| 608 | + | page shall contain a statement signed by the circulator that the circulator 526 | |
| 609 | + | agrees to submit to the jurisdiction of this state in any case or 527 | |
| 610 | + | controversy arising out of or related to the circulation of a primary 528 | |
| 611 | + | petition, which signed statement shall be attested to by the registrar of 529 | |
| 612 | + | voters of the municipality in which such page was circulated. Unless 530 | |
| 613 | + | such [a] an attested statement by the registrar of voters appears on each 531 | |
| 614 | + | page so submitted, the Secretary shall reject the page. Each separate 532 | |
| 615 | + | page of the petition shall contain a statement as to the authenticity of the 533 | |
| 616 | + | signatures on the page and the number of such signatures, and shall be 534 | |
| 617 | + | signed under the [penalties] penalty of false statement by the person 535 | |
| 618 | + | who circulated the page, setting forth the circulator's address and the 536 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 843 | 619 | ||
| 844 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 26 of 35 | |
| 845 | 620 | ||
| 846 | - | cause exists for any such violation. If commission staff dismisses a | |
| 847 | - | complaint pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this subdivision, such staff | |
| 848 | - | shall provide a brief written statement concisely setting forth the | |
| 849 | - | reasons for such dismissal. If commission staff engages a respondent | |
| 850 | - | pursuant to subparagraph (B) of this subdivision but is unable to | |
| 851 | - | speedily resolve any such matter described in said subparagraph by the | |
| 852 | - | forty-fifth day following receipt of the complaint, such staff shall docket | |
| 853 | - | such complaint for a determination by the commission that probable | |
| 854 | - | cause or no probable cause exists for any violation of state election law. | |
| 855 | - | If the commission does not, by the sixtieth day following receipt of the | |
| 856 | - | complaint, either issue a decision or render its determination that | |
| 857 | - | probable cause or no probable cause exists for any violation of state | |
| 858 | - | election laws, the complainant or respondent may apply to the superior | |
| 859 | - | court for the judicial district of Hartford for an order to show cause why | |
| 860 | - | the commission has not acted upon the complaint and to provide | |
| 861 | - | evidence that the commission has unreasonably delayed action. For any | |
| 862 | - | complaint received on or after January 1, 2018, if the commission does | |
| 863 | - | not, by one year following receipt of such complaint, issue a decision | |
| 864 | - | thereon, the commission shall dismiss such complaint, provided the | |
| 865 | - | length of time of any delay caused by (i) the commission or commission | |
| 866 | - | staff granting any extension or continuance to a respondent prior to the | |
| 867 | - | issuance of any such decision, (ii) any subpoena issued in connection | |
| 868 | - | with such complaint, (iii) any litigation in state or federal court related | |
| 869 | - | to such complaint, or (iv) any investigation by, or consultation of the | |
| 870 | - | commission or commission staff with, the Chief State's Attorney, the | |
| 871 | - | Attorney General, the United States Department of Justice or the United | |
| 872 | - | States Attorney for Connecticut related to such complaint, shall be | |
| 873 | - | added to such one year. For any complaint received on or after July 1, | |
| 874 | - | 2024, if the commission does not, by the ninetieth day following the | |
| 875 | - | commission's determination that probable cause exists for any violation | |
| 876 | - | of state election laws, issue a decision on such complaint, the | |
| 877 | - | commission shall refer such complaint to the Chief State's Attorney | |
| 878 | - | pursuant to subdivision (8) of subsection (a) of section 9-7b for further Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 621 | + | LCO 18 of 32 | |
| 879 | 622 | ||
| 880 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 27 of 35 | |
| 623 | + | town in which the circulator is an enrolled party member and attesting 537 | |
| 624 | + | that each person whose name appears on the page signed the petition in 538 | |
| 625 | + | person in the presence of the circulator, that the circulator either knows 539 | |
| 626 | + | each such signer or that the signer satisfactorily identified [himself or 540 | |
| 627 | + | herself] such signer to the circulator and that the spaces for candidates 541 | |
| 628 | + | supported, offices sought and the political party involved were filled in 542 | |
| 629 | + | prior to the obtaining of the signatures. Each separate page of the 543 | |
| 630 | + | petition shall also be acknowledged before an appropriate person as 544 | |
| 631 | + | provided in section 1-29. The Secretary shall reject any page of a petition 545 | |
| 632 | + | filed with the Secretary which does not contain such a statement by the 546 | |
| 633 | + | circulator as to the authenticity of the signatures on the page, or upon 547 | |
| 634 | + | which the statement of the circulator is incomplete in any respect, or 548 | |
| 635 | + | which does not contain the [certification] attested statement required 549 | |
| 636 | + | under this section by the registrar of voters of the town in which the 550 | |
| 637 | + | circulator is an enrolled party member or in which the page was 551 | |
| 638 | + | circulated. Any individual proposed as a candidate in any primary 552 | |
| 639 | + | petition may serve as a circulator of the pages of the petition, provided 553 | |
| 640 | + | the individual's service as circulator does not violate any provision of 554 | |
| 641 | + | this section. 555 | |
| 642 | + | Sec. 20. Section 9-410 of the general statutes is repealed and the 556 | |
| 643 | + | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 557 | |
| 644 | + | (a) The petition form for candidacies for nomination to municipal 558 | |
| 645 | + | office or for election as members of town committees shall be prescribed 559 | |
| 646 | + | by the Secretary of the State and provided by the registrar of voters of 560 | |
| 647 | + | the municipality in which the candidacy is to be filed or duplicate 561 | |
| 648 | + | petition pages shall be produced in accordance with section 9-409, and 562 | |
| 649 | + | signatures shall be obtained only on such forms or such duplicate 563 | |
| 650 | + | petition pages. Such form shall include, at the top of the form and in 564 | |
| 651 | + | bold print, the following: 565 | |
| 652 | + | WARNING 566 | |
| 653 | + | IT IS A CRIME TO SIGN THIS PETITION 567 | |
| 654 | + | IN THE NAME OF ANOTHER PERSON 568 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 881 | 655 | ||
| 882 | - | enforcement action. Not later than twelve months after the referral to | |
| 883 | - | the Chief State's Attorney of any complaint under this subdivision, or | |
| 884 | - | not later than the expiration of the period of time prescribed by section | |
| 885 | - | 54-193 for the violation of state election laws alleged in any such | |
| 886 | - | complaint, whichever occurs first, the Chief State's Attorney shall | |
| 887 | - | submit a report to the joint standing committees of the General | |
| 888 | - | Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to elections and the | |
| 889 | - | judiciary, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, detailing | |
| 890 | - | the status of any enforcement action related to such referred complaint. | |
| 891 | - | Sec. 25. Subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section 9-163aa of the 2024 | |
| 892 | - | supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is | |
| 893 | - | substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): | |
| 894 | - | (b) (1) The registrars of voters of each municipality shall designate a | |
| 895 | - | location for the conduct of early voting, which location shall be the same | |
| 896 | - | for the duration of the period of early voting except as otherwise | |
| 897 | - | specified in this subdivision, provided (A) the registrars of voters have | |
| 898 | - | access to the state-wide centralized voter registration system from such | |
| 899 | - | location, and (B) such location is certified in writing to the Secretary of | |
| 900 | - | the State not later than [one hundred twenty] sixty days prior to the day | |
| 901 | - | of [a regular election or a primary, other than a presidential preference | |
| 902 | - | primary, or not later than twenty days prior to the day of a special | |
| 903 | - | election or a presidential preference] an election or a primary. The | |
| 904 | - | written certification under subparagraph (B) of this subdivision shall | |
| 905 | - | provide (i) the name, street address and relevant contact information | |
| 906 | - | associated with such location, (ii) the number of election or primary | |
| 907 | - | officials to be appointed by the registrars of voters to serve at such | |
| 908 | - | location and the roles of such officials, and (iii) a description of the | |
| 909 | - | design of such location and a plan for effective conduct of such early | |
| 910 | - | voting. The Secretary shall approve or disapprove such written | |
| 911 | - | certification not later than [ninety] forty-five days prior to the day of [a | |
| 912 | - | regular election or a primary, other than a presidential preference Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 913 | 656 | ||
| 914 | - | ||
| 657 | + | LCO 19 of 32 | |
| 915 | 658 | ||
| 916 | - | primary, or not later than fifteen days prior to the day of a special | |
| 917 | - | election or a presidential preference] an election or a primary. If the | |
| 918 | - | Secretary disapproves such certification, the Secretary shall provide, in | |
| 919 | - | writing, the reasons for such disapproval and shall issue an order for | |
| 920 | - | such corrective action as the Secretary deems necessary, including, but | |
| 921 | - | not limited to, the appointment of additional election or primary | |
| 922 | - | officials or the alteration of such design or plan. After having received | |
| 923 | - | approval of such certification or having complied with any order for | |
| 924 | - | corrective action to the Secretary's satisfaction, as applicable, the | |
| 925 | - | registrars of voters shall determine the site of such location designated | |
| 926 | - | for the conduct of early voting at least thirty-one days prior to [a regular | |
| 927 | - | election or a primary, other than a presidential preference primary, or | |
| 928 | - | at least eleven days prior to a special election or a presidential | |
| 929 | - | preference] an election or a primary. Such location shall not be changed | |
| 930 | - | within such period, except, if the municipal clerk and registrars of voters | |
| 931 | - | unanimously find that such location has been rendered unusable within | |
| 932 | - | such period, such clerk and registrars shall forthwith designate another | |
| 933 | - | location for the conduct of early voting to be used in place of the location | |
| 934 | - | so rendered unusable and shall give adequate notice that such location | |
| 935 | - | has been so changed. The provisions of sections 9-168d and 9-168e shall | |
| 936 | - | apply to such location designated for the conduct of early voting. | |
| 937 | - | Sec. 26. Subdivision (4) of subsection (b) of section 9-163aa of the 2024 | |
| 938 | - | supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is | |
| 939 | - | substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): | |
| 940 | - | (4) (A) The registrars of voters shall appoint, for each day on which | |
| 941 | - | early voting is conducted, a moderator and such other election or | |
| 942 | - | primary officials to serve at each location designated for such conduct. | |
| 943 | - | The moderator so appointed shall perform any duty required, and may | |
| 944 | - | exercise any power authorized, under this title related to the conduct of | |
| 945 | - | early voting at such location. On any such day and solely for purposes | |
| 946 | - | related to the conduct of early voting, the registrars of voters of a Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 659 | + | WITHOUT LEGAL AUTHORITY TO DO SO 569 | |
| 660 | + | AND YOU MAY NOT SIGN THIS PETITION 570 | |
| 661 | + | IF YOU ARE NOT AN ELECTOR. 571 | |
| 662 | + | The form shall include thereon a statement of instructions to persons 572 | |
| 663 | + | using the form and shall indicate the date and time by which it shall be 573 | |
| 664 | + | filed and the person with whom it shall be filed. The form shall provide 574 | |
| 665 | + | spaces for the names and addresses of the candidates, the offices to 575 | |
| 666 | + | which nomination is sought or the positions to which election is sought 576 | |
| 667 | + | and the political party holding the primary, and shall provide lines for 577 | |
| 668 | + | the signatures, street addresses, dates of birth and the printing of the 578 | |
| 669 | + | names of enrolled party members supporting the person or persons on 579 | |
| 670 | + | behalf of whose candidacy the petition is used. Only as many candidates 580 | |
| 671 | + | may be proposed in any one primary petition for the same office or 581 | |
| 672 | + | position as are to be nominated or chosen by such party for such office 582 | |
| 673 | + | or position; but any one primary petition may propose as many 583 | |
| 674 | + | candidates for different offices or positions as there are nominations to 584 | |
| 675 | + | be made or positions to be filled. 585 | |
| 676 | + | (b) The names of enrolled party members signing a primary petition 586 | |
| 677 | + | need not all be on one sheet but may be on several sheets, but no person 587 | |
| 678 | + | shall sign more than one petition page for the same candidate or 588 | |
| 679 | + | candidates. Any person who signs a name other than the person's own 589 | |
| 680 | + | to a primary petition filed under the provisions of this section or who 590 | |
| 681 | + | signs a name other than the person's own as circulator of such a petition 591 | |
| 682 | + | shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars or imprisoned not 592 | |
| 683 | + | more than one year or both. Each such sheet shall indicate the candidate 593 | |
| 684 | + | or candidates supported, the offices or positions sought and the political 594 | |
| 685 | + | party the nomination of which is sought or which is holding the primary 595 | |
| 686 | + | for election of town committee members. No page of such a petition 596 | |
| 687 | + | shall contain the names of enrolled party members residing in different 597 | |
| 688 | + | municipalities and any page thereof which has been certified by the 598 | |
| 689 | + | registrars of voters of two or more municipalities shall be rejected by the 599 | |
| 690 | + | registrar of voters. Withdrawal of petition signatures shall not be 600 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 947 | 691 | ||
| 948 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 29 of 35 | |
| 949 | 692 | ||
| 950 | - | municipality may, upon agreement, appoint one of the registrars from | |
| 951 | - | such municipality as moderator in accordance with the provisions of | |
| 952 | - | subparagraph (B) of this subdivision. The registrars of voters may | |
| 953 | - | delegate to each other election or primary official so appointed any of | |
| 954 | - | the responsibilities assigned to the registrars of voters. The registrars of | |
| 955 | - | voters shall supervise each such official and train each such official to be | |
| 956 | - | an early voting election or primary official. | |
| 957 | - | (B) Whenever the registrars of voters of a municipality appoint, | |
| 958 | - | pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this subdivision, one of the registrars | |
| 959 | - | of such municipality as moderator to serve at a location designated for | |
| 960 | - | the conduct of early voting, such registrars of voters shall jointly submit | |
| 961 | - | to the Secretary of the State (i) a certification that the registrars of voters | |
| 962 | - | of such municipality are in agreement as to such appointment, and (ii) | |
| 963 | - | a written plan detailing alternative coverage of the duties normally | |
| 964 | - | carried out by the registrar so appointed to ensure that such registrar | |
| 965 | - | abstains, on each day in which such registrar serves as moderator, from | |
| 966 | - | any such duties that conflict with those of the moderator. | |
| 967 | - | Sec. 27. Subsection (a) of section 9-21a of the general statutes is | |
| 968 | - | repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January | |
| 969 | - | 1, 2025): | |
| 970 | - | (a) The Secretary of the State, at [such times as the Secretary | |
| 971 | - | determines, may] least annually, shall cause a search to be made of | |
| 972 | - | computerized voter registration records to identify electors who may be | |
| 973 | - | registered in more than one town or registered more than once in the | |
| 974 | - | same town. The Secretary [may] shall compile, from such search, a list | |
| 975 | - | of possible duplicate registrations in any town or towns and shall | |
| 976 | - | transmit such list to the registrars of voters of the appropriate town or | |
| 977 | - | towns. | |
| 978 | - | Sec. 28. Subsections (a) and (b) of section 9-19k of the 2024 | |
| 979 | - | supplement to the general statutes are repealed and the following is Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 693 | + | LCO 20 of 32 | |
| 980 | 694 | ||
| 981 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 30 of 35 | |
| 695 | + | permitted. 601 | |
| 696 | + | (c) [Each] Any person qualified to vote under the laws of any state or 602 | |
| 697 | + | territory of the United States may be a circulator of a primary petition 603 | |
| 698 | + | page [shall be] if such person (1) is an enrolled party member of a 604 | |
| 699 | + | municipality in this state, [who is entitled to vote. Each] or (2) agrees to 605 | |
| 700 | + | submit to the jurisdiction of this state in any case or controversy arising 606 | |
| 701 | + | out of or related to the circulation of a primary petition. For any 607 | |
| 702 | + | circulator described in subdivision (1) of this subsection, each petition 608 | |
| 703 | + | page shall contain a statement signed by the registrar of voters of the 609 | |
| 704 | + | municipality in which such circulator is an enrolled party member 610 | |
| 705 | + | attesting that the circulator is an enrolled party member in such 611 | |
| 706 | + | municipality. For any circulator described in subdivision (2) of this 612 | |
| 707 | + | subsection, each petition page shall contain a statement signed by the 613 | |
| 708 | + | circulator that the circulator agrees to submit to the jurisdiction of this 614 | |
| 709 | + | state in any case or controversy arising out of or related to the circulation 615 | |
| 710 | + | of a primary petition, which signed statement shall be attested to by the 616 | |
| 711 | + | registrar of voters of the municipality in which such page was 617 | |
| 712 | + | circulated. Unless such [a] an attested statement by the registrar of 618 | |
| 713 | + | voters appears on each page so submitted, the registrar of voters shall 619 | |
| 714 | + | reject such page. No candidate for the nomination of a party for a 620 | |
| 715 | + | municipal office or the position of town committee member shall 621 | |
| 716 | + | circulate any petition for another candidate or another group of 622 | |
| 717 | + | candidates contained in one primary petition for the nomination of such 623 | |
| 718 | + | party for the same office or position, and any petition page circulated in 624 | |
| 719 | + | violation of this provision shall be rejected by the registrar of voters. No 625 | |
| 720 | + | person shall circulate petitions for more than the maximum number of 626 | |
| 721 | + | candidates to be nominated by a party for the same office or position, 627 | |
| 722 | + | and any petition page circulated in violation of this provision shall be 628 | |
| 723 | + | rejected by the registrar of voters. Each separate sheet of such petition 629 | |
| 724 | + | shall contain a statement as to the authenticity of the signatures thereon 630 | |
| 725 | + | and the number of such signatures, and shall be signed under the 631 | |
| 726 | + | [penalties] penalty of false statement by the person who circulated the 632 | |
| 727 | + | same, setting forth such circulator's address and the town in which such 633 | |
| 728 | + | circulator is an enrolled party member and attesting that each person 634 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 982 | 729 | ||
| 983 | - | substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): | |
| 984 | - | (a) The Secretary of the State shall establish and maintain a system for | |
| 985 | - | online voter registration. Such system shall also permit a registered | |
| 986 | - | elector to apply for changes to such elector's registration. An applicant | |
| 987 | - | may register to vote through this system, provided the applicant's (1) | |
| 988 | - | registration information is verifiable in the manner described in | |
| 989 | - | subsection (b) of this section, and (2) signature is in a database described | |
| 990 | - | in said subsection (b) and such signature may be imported into such | |
| 991 | - | system for online voter registration. | |
| 992 | - | (b) A state agency, upon the request of the Secretary of the State, shall | |
| 993 | - | provide any information to the Secretary that the Secretary deems | |
| 994 | - | necessary to maintain the system for online voter registration. The | |
| 995 | - | Secretary may cross reference the information input into the system by | |
| 996 | - | applicants with data or information contained in any state agency's | |
| 997 | - | database or a database administered by the federal government, or any | |
| 998 | - | voter registration database of another state, in order to verify the | |
| 999 | - | information submitted by applicants, except that the Secretary shall, | |
| 1000 | - | notwithstanding the provisions of section 9-20a, cross reference such | |
| 1001 | - | input information with the list compiled by the Jury Administrator | |
| 1002 | - | pursuant to subsection (c) of section 51-222a and made available to the | |
| 1003 | - | Secretary pursuant to section 29 of this act in order to attempt to verify | |
| 1004 | - | such submitted information. The Secretary shall not use the information | |
| 1005 | - | obtained from any such database except to verify information submitted | |
| 1006 | - | by the applicant, provided the applicant's signature, if part of data | |
| 1007 | - | contained in the state agency's database, shall be included as part of the | |
| 1008 | - | applicant's information contained in the system for online voter | |
| 1009 | - | registration. | |
| 1010 | - | Sec. 29. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) Not later than thirty days after | |
| 1011 | - | the Jury Administrator compiles the list of all qualified jurors in the state | |
| 1012 | - | pursuant to subsection (c) of section 51-222a of the general statutes, the | |
| 1013 | - | Jury Administrator shall make such list available to the Secretary of the Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 1014 | 730 | ||
| 1015 | - | ||
| 731 | + | LCO 21 of 32 | |
| 1016 | 732 | ||
| 1017 | - | State for the purpose of verifying the information contained in the | |
| 1018 | - | system for online voter registration established and maintained | |
| 1019 | - | pursuant to section 9-19k of the general statutes, as amended by this act. | |
| 1020 | - | Sec. 30. (Effective July 1, 2024) The Secretary of the State shall review | |
| 1021 | - | the process by which languages other than English are translated for | |
| 1022 | - | purposes of appearing on the ballot in municipalities where federal or | |
| 1023 | - | state law requires such ballots to be made available in any such | |
| 1024 | - | language. Not later than January 15, 2025, the Secretary shall submit a | |
| 1025 | - | report on the Secretary's recommendations concerning such process, | |
| 1026 | - | including recommendations for preventing mistranslations on such | |
| 1027 | - | ballots, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having | |
| 1028 | - | cognizance of matters relating to elections, in accordance with the | |
| 1029 | - | provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes. | |
| 1030 | - | Sec. 31. Section 1-217 of the general statutes is repealed and the | |
| 1031 | - | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): | |
| 1032 | - | (a) No public agency may disclose, under the Freedom of Information | |
| 1033 | - | Act, from its personnel, medical or similar files, the residential address | |
| 1034 | - | of any of the following persons employed by such public agency: | |
| 1035 | - | (1) A federal court judge, federal court magistrate, judge of the | |
| 1036 | - | Superior Court, Appellate Court or Supreme Court of the state, or | |
| 1037 | - | family support magistrate; | |
| 1038 | - | (2) A sworn member of a municipal police department, a sworn | |
| 1039 | - | member of the Division of State Police within the Department of | |
| 1040 | - | Emergency Services and Public Protection or a sworn law enforcement | |
| 1041 | - | officer within the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection; | |
| 1042 | - | (3) An employee of the Department of Correction; | |
| 1043 | - | (4) An attorney-at-law who represents or has represented the state in | |
| 1044 | - | a criminal prosecution; Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 733 | + | whose name appears on such sheet signed the same in person in the 635 | |
| 734 | + | presence of such circulator, that the circulator either knows each such 636 | |
| 735 | + | signer or that the signer satisfactorily identified [the] such signer to the 637 | |
| 736 | + | circulator and that the spaces for candidates supported, offices or 638 | |
| 737 | + | positions sought and the political party involved were filled in prior to 639 | |
| 738 | + | the obtaining of the signatures. Each separate sheet of such petition shall 640 | |
| 739 | + | also be acknowledged before an appropriate person as provided in 641 | |
| 740 | + | section 1-29. Any sheet of a petition filed with the registrar of voters 642 | |
| 741 | + | which does not contain such a statement by the circulator as to the 643 | |
| 742 | + | authenticity of the signatures thereon, or upon which the statement of 644 | |
| 743 | + | the circulator is incomplete in any respect, or which does not contain the 645 | |
| 744 | + | [certification hereinbefore required] attested statement required under 646 | |
| 745 | + | this section by the registrar of voters of the town in which the circulator 647 | |
| 746 | + | is an enrolled party member or in which the page was circulated, shall 648 | |
| 747 | + | be rejected by the registrar of voters. Any individual proposed as a 649 | |
| 748 | + | candidate in any primary petition may serve as a circulator of the pages 650 | |
| 749 | + | of such petition, provided such individual's service as circulator does 651 | |
| 750 | + | not violate any provision of this section. 652 | |
| 751 | + | Sec. 21. Section 9-140e of the general statutes is repealed and the 653 | |
| 752 | + | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 654 | |
| 753 | + | (a) Any elector who is permanently physically disabled or suffering 655 | |
| 754 | + | from a long-term illness and who files an application for an absentee 656 | |
| 755 | + | ballot with a certification from a primary care provider, indicating that 657 | |
| 756 | + | such elector is permanently physically disabled or suffering from a long-658 | |
| 757 | + | term illness and unable to appear in person at such elector's designated 659 | |
| 758 | + | polling location, shall be eligible for permanent absentee ballot status 660 | |
| 759 | + | and shall receive an absentee ballot for each election, primary or 661 | |
| 760 | + | referendum conducted in such elector's municipality for which such 662 | |
| 761 | + | elector is eligible to vote. Such elector's permanent absentee ballot status 663 | |
| 762 | + | shall remain in effect until such elector: (1) Is removed from the official 664 | |
| 763 | + | registry list of the municipality, (2) is removed from permanent absentee 665 | |
| 764 | + | ballot status pursuant to the provisions of this section, or (3) requests 666 | |
| 765 | + | that he or she no longer receive such permanent absentee ballot status. 667 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 1045 | 766 | ||
| 1046 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 32 of 35 | |
| 1047 | 767 | ||
| 1048 | - | (5) An attorney-at-law who is or has been employed by the Division | |
| 1049 | - | of Public Defender Services or a social worker who is employed by the | |
| 1050 | - | Division of Public Defender Services; | |
| 1051 | - | (6) An inspector employed by the Division of Criminal Justice; | |
| 1052 | - | (7) A firefighter; | |
| 1053 | - | (8) An employee of the Department of Children and Families; | |
| 1054 | - | (9) A member or employee of the Board of Pardons and Paroles; | |
| 1055 | - | (10) An employee of the judicial branch; | |
| 1056 | - | (11) An employee of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction | |
| 1057 | - | Services who provides direct care to patients; | |
| 1058 | - | (12) A member or employee of the Commission on Human Rights | |
| 1059 | - | and Opportunities; or | |
| 1060 | - | (13) A state marshal appointed by the State Marshal Commission | |
| 1061 | - | pursuant to section 6-38b. | |
| 1062 | - | (b) The business address of any person described in this section, and | |
| 1063 | - | the address of each town hall, city hall or other municipal building in | |
| 1064 | - | which the office of the registrars of voters of a municipality is located, | |
| 1065 | - | shall be subject to disclosure under section 1-210. The provisions of this | |
| 1066 | - | section shall not apply to Department of Motor Vehicles records | |
| 1067 | - | described in section 14-10. | |
| 1068 | - | (c) (1) Except as provided in subsections (a) and [(d)] (e) of this | |
| 1069 | - | section, no public agency may disclose the residential address of any | |
| 1070 | - | person listed in subsection (a) of this section from any record described | |
| 1071 | - | in subdivision (2) of this subsection that is requested in accordance with | |
| 1072 | - | the provisions of said subdivision, regardless of whether such person is | |
| 1073 | - | an employee of the public agency, provided such person has (A) Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 768 | + | LCO 22 of 32 | |
| 1074 | 769 | ||
| 1075 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 33 of 35 | |
| 770 | + | (b) The registrars of voters shall send written notice to each such 668 | |
| 771 | + | elector with permanent absentee ballot status in January of each year, 669 | |
| 772 | + | on a form prescribed by the Secretary of the State, for the purpose of 670 | |
| 773 | + | determining if such elector continues to reside at the address indicated 671 | |
| 774 | + | on the elector's permanent absentee ballot application. If [(1)] such 672 | |
| 775 | + | written notice is returned as undeliverable, [or (2) not later than sixty 673 | |
| 776 | + | days after such notice is sent to the elector, the elector fails to return such 674 | |
| 777 | + | notice to the registrars of voters, as directed on the form,] the elector in 675 | |
| 778 | + | question shall be removed from permanent absentee ballot status. If 676 | |
| 779 | + | such elector indicates on such notice that the elector no longer resides at 677 | |
| 780 | + | such address and the elector's new address is within the same 678 | |
| 781 | + | municipality, the registrars of voters shall change the elector's address 679 | |
| 782 | + | pursuant to section 9-35 and such elector shall retain permanent 680 | |
| 783 | + | absentee ballot status. If the elector indicates on such notice that the 681 | |
| 784 | + | elector no longer resides in the municipality, the registrars of voters 682 | |
| 785 | + | shall remove such individual from the registry list of the municipality 683 | |
| 786 | + | and send such individual an application for voter registration. Failure 684 | |
| 787 | + | to return such written notice shall not result in the removal of an elector 685 | |
| 788 | + | from the official registry list of the municipality or from permanent 686 | |
| 789 | + | absentee ballot status. 687 | |
| 790 | + | Sec. 22. Subsection (a) of section 9-320f of the 2024 supplement to the 688 | |
| 791 | + | general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 689 | |
| 792 | + | thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 690 | |
| 793 | + | (a) (1) Not earlier than the fifteenth day after any federal or state 691 | |
| 794 | + | election or primary and not later than two business days before the 692 | |
| 795 | + | canvass of votes by the Secretary of the State, Treasurer and 693 | |
| 796 | + | Comptroller, [for any federal or state election or primary, or] and (2) not 694 | |
| 797 | + | earlier than the fifth day after any municipal election or primary and not 695 | |
| 798 | + | later than two business days before the canvass of votes by the town 696 | |
| 799 | + | clerk, [for any municipal election or primary,] the registrars of voters 697 | |
| 800 | + | shall conduct a manual audit, or [, for an election or primary held on or 698 | |
| 801 | + | after January 1, 2016,] an electronic audit authorized under section 9-699 | |
| 802 | + | 320g, of the votes recorded in not less than five per cent of the voting 700 | |
| 803 | + | districts in the state, district or municipality, whichever is applicable. 701 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 1076 | 804 | ||
| 1077 | - | submitted a written request for the nondisclosure of the person's | |
| 1078 | - | residential address to the public agency, and (B) furnished his or her | |
| 1079 | - | business address to the public agency. | |
| 1080 | - | (2) Any public agency that receives a request for a record subject to | |
| 1081 | - | disclosure under this chapter where such request (A) specifically names | |
| 1082 | - | a person who has requested that his or her address be kept confidential | |
| 1083 | - | under subdivision (1) of this subsection, shall make a copy of the record | |
| 1084 | - | requested to be disclosed and shall redact the copy to remove such | |
| 1085 | - | person's residential address prior to disclosing such record, (B) is for an | |
| 1086 | - | existing list that is derived from a readily accessible electronic database, | |
| 1087 | - | shall make a reasonable effort to redact the residential address of any | |
| 1088 | - | person who has requested that his or her address be kept confidential | |
| 1089 | - | under subdivision (1) of this subsection prior to the release of such list, | |
| 1090 | - | or (C) is for any list that the public agency voluntarily creates in | |
| 1091 | - | response to a request for disclosure, shall make a reasonable effort to | |
| 1092 | - | redact the residential address of any person who has requested that his | |
| 1093 | - | or her address be kept confidential under subdivision (1) of this | |
| 1094 | - | subsection prior to the release of such list. | |
| 1095 | - | (3) Except as provided in subsection (a) of this section, an agency shall | |
| 1096 | - | not be prohibited from disclosing the residential address of any person | |
| 1097 | - | listed in subsection (a) of this section from any record other than the | |
| 1098 | - | records described in subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of subdivision | |
| 1099 | - | (2) of this subsection. | |
| 1100 | - | (d) (1) Except as provided in subsections (a) and (e) of this section and | |
| 1101 | - | subject to the provisions of subdivisions (2) and (3) of this subsection, | |
| 1102 | - | no public agency of a municipality may disclose, under the Freedom of | |
| 1103 | - | Information Act, from a public record, including any record described | |
| 1104 | - | in subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of this section, the residential address | |
| 1105 | - | of any person who is a municipal clerk, registrar of voters, deputy | |
| 1106 | - | registrar of voters, election official described in section 9-258, primary | |
| 1107 | - | official described in section 9-436 or audit official described in section 9- Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 1108 | 805 | ||
| 1109 | - | ||
| 806 | + | LCO 23 of 32 | |
| 1110 | 807 | ||
| 1111 | - | 320f, as amended by this act, regardless of whether such person is an | |
| 1112 | - | employee of the public agency, provided such person has (A) submitted | |
| 1113 | - | to the municipality a written request for the nondisclosure of the | |
| 1114 | - | person's residential address, and (B) furnished to the municipality (i) his | |
| 1115 | - | or her business address, or (ii) if such person does not have a business | |
| 1116 | - | address, the address of the town hall, city hall or other municipal | |
| 1117 | - | building in which the office of the registrars of voters of such | |
| 1118 | - | municipality is located. | |
| 1119 | - | (2) (A) If a person submits a written request described in subdivision | |
| 1120 | - | (1) of this subsection prior to the ninetieth day preceding an election, the | |
| 1121 | - | prohibition in said subdivision against disclosing such person's | |
| 1122 | - | residential address shall take effect on the ninetieth day preceding such | |
| 1123 | - | election and shall expire on the ninetieth day following such election. | |
| 1124 | - | (B) If a person submits a written request described in subdivision (1) | |
| 1125 | - | of this subsection on or after the ninetieth day preceding an election, the | |
| 1126 | - | prohibition in said subdivision against disclosing such person's | |
| 1127 | - | residential address shall take effect upon such submission and shall | |
| 1128 | - | expire on the ninetieth day following such election. | |
| 1129 | - | (3) The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to prohibit | |
| 1130 | - | the disclosure of the residential address of any person described in | |
| 1131 | - | subdivision (1) of this subsection in the case where such residential | |
| 1132 | - | address appears on a public record by virtue of such person holding any | |
| 1133 | - | elective or appointive state or municipal office other than municipal | |
| 1134 | - | clerk, registrar of voters or deputy registrar of voters. | |
| 1135 | - | [(d)] (e) The provisions of this section shall not be construed to | |
| 1136 | - | prohibit the disclosure without redaction of any document, as defined | |
| 1137 | - | in section 7-35bb, any list prepared under title 9, or any list published | |
| 1138 | - | under section 12-55. | |
| 1139 | - | [(e)] (f) No public agency or public official or employee of a public Substitute House Bill No. 5498 | |
| 808 | + | For the purposes of this section, any central location used in a 702 | |
| 809 | + | municipality for the counting of absentee ballots, early voting ballots or 703 | |
| 810 | + | same-day election registration ballots shall be deemed a voting district. 704 | |
| 811 | + | Such manual or electronic audit shall be noticed in advance and be open 705 | |
| 812 | + | to public observation. Any election official who participates in the 706 | |
| 813 | + | administration and conduct of an audit pursuant to this section shall be 707 | |
| 814 | + | compensated by the municipality at the standard rate of pay established 708 | |
| 815 | + | by such municipality for elections or primaries, as the case may be. 709 | |
| 816 | + | Sec. 23. Section 9-460 of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes 710 | |
| 817 | + | is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 711 | |
| 818 | + | 1, 2024): 712 | |
| 819 | + | If any party has nominated a candidate for office, or, on and after 713 | |
| 820 | + | November 4, 1981, if a candidate has qualified to appear on any ballot 714 | |
| 821 | + | by nominating petition under a reserved party designation, in 715 | |
| 822 | + | accordance with the provisions of this chapter, and such nominee 716 | |
| 823 | + | thereafter, but prior to forty-six days before the opening of the polls on 717 | |
| 824 | + | the day of the election for which such nomination has been made, dies, 718 | |
| 825 | + | withdraws such nominee's name or for any reason becomes disqualified 719 | |
| 826 | + | to hold the office for which such nominee has been nominated, (1) such 720 | |
| 827 | + | party or, on and after November 4, 1981, the party designation 721 | |
| 828 | + | committee may make a nomination to fill such vacancy or provide for 722 | |
| 829 | + | the making of such nomination as its rules prescribe, and (2) if another 723 | |
| 830 | + | party that is qualified to nominate a candidate for such office does not 724 | |
| 831 | + | have a nominee for such office, such party may also nominate a 725 | |
| 832 | + | candidate for such office as its rules prescribe. No withdrawal, and no 726 | |
| 833 | + | nomination to replace a candidate who has withdrawn, under this 727 | |
| 834 | + | section shall be valid unless the candidate who has withdrawn has filed 728 | |
| 835 | + | a letter of withdrawal signed by such candidate with the Secretary of the 729 | |
| 836 | + | State in the case of a state or district office or the office of state senator 730 | |
| 837 | + | or state representative from any district, or with the municipal clerk in 731 | |
| 838 | + | the case of a municipal office other than state senator or state 732 | |
| 839 | + | representative. A copy of such candidate's letter of withdrawal to the 733 | |
| 840 | + | municipal clerk shall also be filed with the Secretary of the State. No 734 | |
| 841 | + | nomination to fill a vacancy under this section shall be valid unless it is 735 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 1140 | 842 | ||
| 1141 | - | Public Act No. 24-148 35 of 35 | |
| 1142 | 843 | ||
| 1143 | - | agency shall be penalized for violating a provision of this section, unless | |
| 1144 | - | such violation is wilful and knowing. Any complaint of such a violation | |
| 1145 | - | shall be made to the Freedom of Information Commission. Upon receipt | |
| 1146 | - | of such a complaint, the commission shall serve upon the public agency, | |
| 1147 | - | official or employee, as the case may be, by certified or registered mail, | |
| 1148 | - | a copy of the complaint. The commission shall provide the public | |
| 1149 | - | agency, official or employee with an opportunity to be heard at a | |
| 1150 | - | hearing conducted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, | |
| 1151 | - | unless the commission, upon motion of the public agency, official or | |
| 1152 | - | employee or upon motion of the commission, dismisses the complaint | |
| 1153 | - | without a hearing if it finds, after examining the complaint and | |
| 1154 | - | construing all allegations most favorably to the complainant, that the | |
| 1155 | - | public agency, official or employee has not wilfully and knowingly | |
| 1156 | - | violated a provision of this section. If the commission finds that the | |
| 1157 | - | public agency, official or employee wilfully and knowingly violated a | |
| 1158 | - | provision of this section, the commission may impose against such | |
| 1159 | - | public agency, official or employee a civil penalty of not less than twenty | |
| 1160 | - | dollars nor more than one thousand dollars. Nothing in this section shall | |
| 1161 | - | be construed to allow a private right of action against a public agency, | |
| 1162 | - | public official or employee of a public agency. | |
| 844 | + | LCO 24 of 32 | |
| 845 | + | ||
| 846 | + | certified to the Secretary of the State in the case of a state or district office 736 | |
| 847 | + | or the office of state senator or state representative from any district, or 737 | |
| 848 | + | to the municipal clerk in the case of a municipal office other than state 738 | |
| 849 | + | senator or state representative, by the organization or committee 739 | |
| 850 | + | making such nomination, at least forty-two days before the opening of 740 | |
| 851 | + | the polls on the day of the election, except as otherwise provided by this 741 | |
| 852 | + | section. If a nominee dies within forty-six days before the election, but 742 | |
| 853 | + | prior to twenty-four hours before the commencement of the period of 743 | |
| 854 | + | early voting at the election for which such nomination has been made, 744 | |
| 855 | + | the vacancy may be filled in the manner prescribed in this section by 745 | |
| 856 | + | two o'clock p.m. of the day before the first day of such period of early 746 | |
| 857 | + | voting with the municipal clerk or the Secretary of the State, as the case 747 | |
| 858 | + | may be. If a nominee dies within twenty-four hours before the 748 | |
| 859 | + | commencement of the period of early voting at the election and prior to 749 | |
| 860 | + | the close of the polls on the day of the election for which such 750 | |
| 861 | + | nomination has been made, such nominee shall not be replaced and the 751 | |
| 862 | + | votes cast for such nominee shall be canvassed and counted, and if such 752 | |
| 863 | + | nominee receives a plurality of the votes cast, a vacancy shall exist in the 753 | |
| 864 | + | office for which the nomination was made. The vacancy shall then be 754 | |
| 865 | + | filled in a manner prescribed by law. A copy of such certification to the 755 | |
| 866 | + | municipal clerk shall also be filed with the Secretary of the State. Such 756 | |
| 867 | + | nomination to fill a vacancy due to death or disqualification shall 757 | |
| 868 | + | include a statement setting forth the reason for such vacancy. If at the 758 | |
| 869 | + | time such nomination is certified to the Secretary of the State or to the 759 | |
| 870 | + | municipal clerk, as the case may be, the ballots have already been 760 | |
| 871 | + | printed, the Secretary of the State shall direct the municipal clerk in each 761 | |
| 872 | + | municipality affected to (A) have the ballots reprinted with the 762 | |
| 873 | + | nomination thus made included thereon, (B) cause printed stickers to be 763 | |
| 874 | + | affixed to the ballots so that the name of any candidate who has died [, 764 | |
| 875 | + | withdrawn or been disqualified] is deleted and the name of any 765 | |
| 876 | + | candidate chosen to fill such vacancy appears in the same position as 766 | |
| 877 | + | that in which the vacated candidacy appeared, or (C) [cause blank 767 | |
| 878 | + | stickers to be so affixed] if the vacancy is not filled, cause the name of 768 | |
| 879 | + | the candidate whose candidacy has been vacated to be obscured in such 769 | |
| 880 | + | manner that such name is no longer visible. 770 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 881 | + | ||
| 882 | + | ||
| 883 | + | LCO 25 of 32 | |
| 884 | + | ||
| 885 | + | Sec. 24. Subsection (a) of section 9-437 of the general statutes is 771 | |
| 886 | + | repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 772 | |
| 887 | + | 2024): 773 | |
| 888 | + | (a) At the top of each ballot shall be printed the name of the party 774 | |
| 889 | + | holding the primary, and each ballot shall contain the names of all 775 | |
| 890 | + | candidates to be voted upon at such primary, except the names of 776 | |
| 891 | + | justices of the peace. The vertical columns shall be headed by the 777 | |
| 892 | + | designation of the office or position and instructions as to the number 778 | |
| 893 | + | for which an elector may vote for such office or position, in the same 779 | |
| 894 | + | manner as a ballot used in a regular election. The name of each 780 | |
| 895 | + | candidate for town committee or municipal office, except for the 781 | |
| 896 | + | municipal offices of state senator and state representative, shall appear 782 | |
| 897 | + | on the ballot as authorized by each candidate. The name of each 783 | |
| 898 | + | candidate for state or district office or for the municipal offices of state 784 | |
| 899 | + | senator or state representative shall appear on the ballot as it appears on 785 | |
| 900 | + | the certificate or statement of consent filed under section 9-388, 9-391, 9-786 | |
| 901 | + | 400 or 9-409. On the first horizontal line, below the designation of the 787 | |
| 902 | + | office or position in each column, shall be placed the name of the party-788 | |
| 903 | + | endorsed candidate for such office or position, such name to be marked 789 | |
| 904 | + | with an asterisk; provided, where more than one person may be voted 790 | |
| 905 | + | for for any office or position, the names of the party-endorsed 791 | |
| 906 | + | candidates shall be arranged in alphabetical order from left to right 792 | |
| 907 | + | under the appropriate office or position designation and shall continue, 793 | |
| 908 | + | if necessary, from left to right on the next lower line or lines. In the case 794 | |
| 909 | + | of no party endorsement there shall be inserted the designation "no 795 | |
| 910 | + | party endorsement" at the head of the vertical column, immediately 796 | |
| 911 | + | beneath the designation of the office or position. On the horizontal lines 797 | |
| 912 | + | below the line for party-endorsed candidates shall be placed, in the 798 | |
| 913 | + | appropriate columns, the names of all other candidates as [hereinafter] 799 | |
| 914 | + | provided in this section. 800 | |
| 915 | + | Sec. 25. Subsection (g) of section 9-437 of the general statutes is 801 | |
| 916 | + | repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 802 | |
| 917 | + | 2024): 803 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 918 | + | ||
| 919 | + | ||
| 920 | + | LCO 26 of 32 | |
| 921 | + | ||
| 922 | + | (g) The name of each candidate shall appear on the ballot in such 804 | |
| 923 | + | position as is [hereinbefore] required in this section, and such position 805 | |
| 924 | + | shall be determined as of the final time for filing candidacies specified 806 | |
| 925 | + | in section 9-400 or 9-405. Vacancies in candidacies thereafter occurring 807 | |
| 926 | + | shall not cause the position of any candidate's name on the ballot to be 808 | |
| 927 | + | changed to another position. The name of any candidate whose 809 | |
| 928 | + | candidacy has been vacated shall not appear on the ballot. If such a 810 | |
| 929 | + | vacancy results in the cancellation of a primary for any office, the office 811 | |
| 930 | + | column or columns where the names of the candidates and the title of 812 | |
| 931 | + | the office would have appeared if the primary for that office had not 813 | |
| 932 | + | been cancelled shall be left blank. If a vacancy occurs in a party-814 | |
| 933 | + | endorsed candidacy and a person is chosen in accordance with section 815 | |
| 934 | + | 9-426 or 9-428, as amended by this act, to fill the resulting vacancy in 816 | |
| 935 | + | candidacy, the name of the person so chosen shall appear in the same 817 | |
| 936 | + | position as that in which the name of the vacating candidate appeared. 818 | |
| 937 | + | The municipal clerk shall have the ballot prepared so that the name of 819 | |
| 938 | + | any candidate who has vacated such candidate's candidacy is deleted 820 | |
| 939 | + | and so that the name of any candidate chosen to fill a vacancy in 821 | |
| 940 | + | candidacy appears in the same position as that in which the vacated 822 | |
| 941 | + | candidacy appeared. The municipal clerk may use [blank or] printed 823 | |
| 942 | + | stickers [, as the case may be,] in preparing the ballots if the ballots were 824 | |
| 943 | + | printed before [the occurrence of the vacancy in candidacy or] the 825 | |
| 944 | + | selection of a candidate to fill a vacancy in candidacy. If a vacancy in 826 | |
| 945 | + | candidacy is not filled, the municipal clerk shall cause the name of the 827 | |
| 946 | + | candidate whose candidacy has been vacated to be obscured in such 828 | |
| 947 | + | manner that such name is no longer visible. The order of the offices and 829 | |
| 948 | + | positions shall be as prescribed by the Secretary of the State. 830 | |
| 949 | + | Sec. 26. Section 9-428 of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes 831 | |
| 950 | + | is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 832 | |
| 951 | + | 1, 2024): 833 | |
| 952 | + | (a) If a party-endorsed candidate for election to the position of town 834 | |
| 953 | + | committee member, prior to twenty-four hours before the opening of 835 | |
| 954 | + | the polls at the primary, dies or, prior to ten days before the day of such 836 | |
| 955 | + | primary, withdraws his name from nomination or for any reason 837 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 956 | + | ||
| 957 | + | ||
| 958 | + | LCO 27 of 32 | |
| 959 | + | ||
| 960 | + | becomes disqualified to hold the position for which he is a candidate, 838 | |
| 961 | + | the state central committee, the town committee or other authority of 839 | |
| 962 | + | the party which endorsed such candidate may make an endorsement to 840 | |
| 963 | + | fill such vacancy or provide for the making of such endorsement, in such 841 | |
| 964 | + | manner as is prescribed in the rules of such party, and certify to the 842 | |
| 965 | + | registrar and municipal clerk or to the Secretary of the State, as the case 843 | |
| 966 | + | may be, the name of the person so endorsed. If such certification is made 844 | |
| 967 | + | at least twenty-four hours prior to the opening of the polls at the 845 | |
| 968 | + | primary, in the case of such an endorsement to replace a candidate who 846 | |
| 969 | + | has died, or at least seven days before the day of such primary, in the 847 | |
| 970 | + | case of such an endorsement to replace a candidate who has withdrawn 848 | |
| 971 | + | or become disqualified, such person so endorsed shall run in the 849 | |
| 972 | + | primary as the party-endorsed candidate, except as provided in sections 850 | |
| 973 | + | 9-416 and 9-417. If such certification of another party-endorsed 851 | |
| 974 | + | candidate has been made within the time specified in this section, and if 852 | |
| 975 | + | the ballots have already been printed and the names of the candidates 853 | |
| 976 | + | for such position appear on the ballots, the Secretary of the State or the 854 | |
| 977 | + | registrar, as the case may be, shall direct the clerk of each municipality 855 | |
| 978 | + | holding such primary to have the ballots reprinted with the name of the 856 | |
| 979 | + | person so certified included thereon; provided, in the case of such an 857 | |
| 980 | + | endorsement to replace a candidate who has died, if such certification 858 | |
| 981 | + | has been made less than ninety-six hours but at least twenty-four hours 859 | |
| 982 | + | prior to the opening of the polls at the primary, such Secretary or 860 | |
| 983 | + | registrar shall direct such clerk to have stickers printed and inserted 861 | |
| 984 | + | upon the ballots, having the name of the person so certified appearing 862 | |
| 985 | + | thereon, and the moderator in each polling place shall cause such 863 | |
| 986 | + | stickers to be pasted on the ballots before the opening of the polls at such 864 | |
| 987 | + | primary. If no such certification has been made, such clerk shall cause 865 | |
| 988 | + | the name of the candidate whose candidacy has been vacated to be 866 | |
| 989 | + | obscured in such manner that such name is no longer visible. 867 | |
| 990 | + | (b) If a party-endorsed candidate for nomination to an office, prior to 868 | |
| 991 | + | twenty-four hours before the commencement of the period of early 869 | |
| 992 | + | voting at the primary, dies or, prior to ten days before the first day of 870 | |
| 993 | + | such period of early voting, withdraws his name from nomination or for 871 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 994 | + | ||
| 995 | + | ||
| 996 | + | LCO 28 of 32 | |
| 997 | + | ||
| 998 | + | any reason becomes disqualified to hold the office for which he is a 872 | |
| 999 | + | candidate, the state central committee, the town committee or other 873 | |
| 1000 | + | authority of the party which endorsed such candidate may make an 874 | |
| 1001 | + | endorsement to fill such vacancy or provide for the making of such 875 | |
| 1002 | + | endorsement, in such manner as is prescribed in the rules of such party, 876 | |
| 1003 | + | and certify to the registrar and municipal clerk or to the Secretary of the 877 | |
| 1004 | + | State, as the case may be, the name of the person so endorsed. If such 878 | |
| 1005 | + | certification is made at least twenty-four hours prior to the 879 | |
| 1006 | + | commencement of the period of early voting at the primary, in the case 880 | |
| 1007 | + | of such an endorsement to replace a candidate who has died, or at least 881 | |
| 1008 | + | seven days before the first day of such period of early voting, in the case 882 | |
| 1009 | + | of such an endorsement to replace a candidate who has withdrawn or 883 | |
| 1010 | + | become disqualified, such person so endorsed shall run in the primary 884 | |
| 1011 | + | as the party-endorsed candidate, except as provided in sections 9-416 885 | |
| 1012 | + | and 9-417. If such certification of another party-endorsed candidate has 886 | |
| 1013 | + | been made within the time specified in this section, and if the ballots 887 | |
| 1014 | + | have already been printed and the names of the candidates for such 888 | |
| 1015 | + | office appear on the ballots, the Secretary of the State or the registrar, as 889 | |
| 1016 | + | the case may be, shall direct the clerk of each municipality holding such 890 | |
| 1017 | + | primary to have the ballots reprinted with the name of the person so 891 | |
| 1018 | + | certified included thereon; provided, in the case of such an endorsement 892 | |
| 1019 | + | to replace a candidate who has died, if such certification has been made 893 | |
| 1020 | + | less than ninety-six hours but at least twenty-four hours prior to the 894 | |
| 1021 | + | commencement of the period of early voting at the primary, such 895 | |
| 1022 | + | Secretary or registrar shall direct such clerk to have stickers printed and 896 | |
| 1023 | + | inserted upon the ballots, having the name of the person so certified 897 | |
| 1024 | + | appearing thereon, and the moderator in each polling place shall cause 898 | |
| 1025 | + | such stickers to be pasted on the ballots before the opening of the polls 899 | |
| 1026 | + | at such primary. If no such certification has been made, such clerk shall 900 | |
| 1027 | + | cause the name of the candidate whose candidacy has been vacated to 901 | |
| 1028 | + | be obscured in such manner that such name is no longer visible. 902 | |
| 1029 | + | Sec. 27. Subsection (d) of section 9-135b of the general statutes is 903 | |
| 1030 | + | repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 904 | |
| 1031 | + | 2024): 905 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 1032 | + | ||
| 1033 | + | ||
| 1034 | + | LCO 29 of 32 | |
| 1035 | + | ||
| 1036 | + | (d) If a vacancy in candidacy occurs after the ballots have been 906 | |
| 1037 | + | printed, the clerk may either reprint the ballots or cause [blank or] 907 | |
| 1038 | + | printed stickers [, as the case may be,] to be affixed to them so that the 908 | |
| 1039 | + | name of any candidate who has vacated his candidacy is deleted and 909 | |
| 1040 | + | the name of any candidate chosen to fill the vacancy as provided in 910 | |
| 1041 | + | section 9-428, as amended by this act, or section 9-460, as amended by 911 | |
| 1042 | + | this act, appears in the same position as that in which the vacated 912 | |
| 1043 | + | candidacy appeared except as provided in section 9-426 or 9-453s. If no 913 | |
| 1044 | + | candidate is chosen to fill such vacancy as so provided, the clerk shall 914 | |
| 1045 | + | cause the name of the candidate whose candidacy has been vacated to 915 | |
| 1046 | + | be obscured in such manner that such name is no longer visible. 916 | |
| 1047 | + | Sec. 28. Section 9-472 of the general statutes is repealed and the 917 | |
| 1048 | + | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 918 | |
| 1049 | + | If, after determination of the order of candidates on the ballot, a 919 | |
| 1050 | + | candidate dies, his name shall not appear on such ballot; provided that 920 | |
| 1051 | + | the position of each remaining candidate on the ballot shall not be 921 | |
| 1052 | + | altered by the deletion of such name. The secretary may authorize [the 922 | |
| 1053 | + | use of] town clerks to use blank stickers on the ballot, [by town clerks] 923 | |
| 1054 | + | or otherwise cause the name of such deceased candidate to be obscured 924 | |
| 1055 | + | in such manner that such name is no longer visible, in order to comply 925 | |
| 1056 | + | with the provisions of this section. 926 | |
| 1057 | + | Sec. 29. (NEW) (Effective from passage) Not later than July 1, 2024, the 927 | |
| 1058 | + | Secretary of the State shall revise each form, whether in paper or 928 | |
| 1059 | + | electronic format, that is provided for under the provisions of chapter 929 | |
| 1060 | + | 143 of the general statutes as an application for admission as an elector 930 | |
| 1061 | + | or enrollment in a political party, for the purposes of clarifying the 931 | |
| 1062 | + | portion of such form regarding party affiliation and minimizing 932 | |
| 1063 | + | potential confusion or other ambiguity related to the use of any word 933 | |
| 1064 | + | that may be included as part of a reserved party designation recorded 934 | |
| 1065 | + | by the Secretary pursuant to section 9-453u of the general statutes. 935 | |
| 1066 | + | Sec. 30. Subdivision (1) of subsection (g) of section 9-7a of the general 936 | |
| 1067 | + | statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 937 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 1068 | + | ||
| 1069 | + | ||
| 1070 | + | LCO 30 of 32 | |
| 1071 | + | ||
| 1072 | + | (Effective July 1, 2024): 938 | |
| 1073 | + | (g) (1) In the case of a written complaint filed with the commission 939 | |
| 1074 | + | pursuant to section 9-7b, commission staff shall conduct and complete a 940 | |
| 1075 | + | preliminary examination of such complaint by the fourteenth day 941 | |
| 1076 | + | following its receipt, at which time such staff shall, at its discretion, (A) 942 | |
| 1077 | + | dismiss the complaint for failure to allege any substantial violation of 943 | |
| 1078 | + | state election law supported by evidence, (B) engage the respondent in 944 | |
| 1079 | + | discussions in an effort to speedily resolve any matter pertaining to a de 945 | |
| 1080 | + | minimis violation, or (C) investigate and docket the complaint for a 946 | |
| 1081 | + | determination by the commission that probable cause or no probable 947 | |
| 1082 | + | cause exists for any such violation. If commission staff dismisses a 948 | |
| 1083 | + | complaint pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this subdivision, such staff 949 | |
| 1084 | + | shall provide a brief written statement concisely setting forth the 950 | |
| 1085 | + | reasons for such dismissal. If commission staff engages a respondent 951 | |
| 1086 | + | pursuant to subparagraph (B) of this subdivision but is unable to 952 | |
| 1087 | + | speedily resolve any such matter described in said subparagraph by the 953 | |
| 1088 | + | forty-fifth day following receipt of the complaint, such staff shall docket 954 | |
| 1089 | + | such complaint for a determination by the commission that probable 955 | |
| 1090 | + | cause or no probable cause exists for any violation of state election law. 956 | |
| 1091 | + | If the commission does not, by the sixtieth day following receipt of the 957 | |
| 1092 | + | complaint, either issue a decision or render its determination that 958 | |
| 1093 | + | probable cause or no probable cause exists for any violation of state 959 | |
| 1094 | + | election laws, the complainant or respondent may apply to the superior 960 | |
| 1095 | + | court for the judicial district of Hartford for an order to show cause why 961 | |
| 1096 | + | the commission has not acted upon the complaint and to provide 962 | |
| 1097 | + | evidence that the commission has unreasonably delayed action. For any 963 | |
| 1098 | + | complaint received on or after January 1, 2018, if the commission does 964 | |
| 1099 | + | not, by one year following receipt of such complaint, issue a decision 965 | |
| 1100 | + | thereon, the commission shall dismiss such complaint, provided the 966 | |
| 1101 | + | length of time of any delay caused by (i) the commission or commission 967 | |
| 1102 | + | staff granting any extension or continuance to a respondent prior to the 968 | |
| 1103 | + | issuance of any such decision, (ii) any subpoena issued in connection 969 | |
| 1104 | + | with such complaint, (iii) any litigation in state or federal court related 970 | |
| 1105 | + | to such complaint, or (iv) any investigation by, or consultation of the 971 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 1106 | + | ||
| 1107 | + | ||
| 1108 | + | LCO 31 of 32 | |
| 1109 | + | ||
| 1110 | + | commission or commission staff with, the Chief State's Attorney, the 972 | |
| 1111 | + | Attorney General, the United States Department of Justice or the United 973 | |
| 1112 | + | States Attorney for Connecticut related to such complaint, shall be 974 | |
| 1113 | + | added to such one year. For any complaint received on or after July 1, 975 | |
| 1114 | + | 2024, if the commission does not, by the ninetieth day following the 976 | |
| 1115 | + | commission's determination that probable cause exists for any violation 977 | |
| 1116 | + | of state election laws, issue a decision on such complaint, the 978 | |
| 1117 | + | commission shall refer such complaint to the Chief State's Attorney for 979 | |
| 1118 | + | further enforcement action. In the case of any complaint so referred 980 | |
| 1119 | + | under this subdivision, the Chief State's Attorney shall submit a report 981 | |
| 1120 | + | to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having 982 | |
| 1121 | + | cognizance of matters relating to elections, in accordance with the 983 | |
| 1122 | + | provisions of section 11-4a, detailing the status of any enforcement 984 | |
| 1123 | + | action related to such referred complaint. 985 | |
| 1124 | + | This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following | |
| 1125 | + | sections: | |
| 1126 | + | ||
| 1127 | + | Section 1 from passage 9-140b(c) | |
| 1128 | + | Sec. 2 July 1, 2024 9-140c(a) | |
| 1129 | + | Sec. 3 from passage 9-153b | |
| 1130 | + | Sec. 4 from passage 9-364 | |
| 1131 | + | Sec. 5 from passage 9-364a | |
| 1132 | + | Sec. 6 January 1, 2025 9-139a(a) and (b) | |
| 1133 | + | Sec. 7 July 1, 2024 9-140(a) | |
| 1134 | + | Sec. 8 from passage 9-50c | |
| 1135 | + | Sec. 9 July 1, 2024 9-50b | |
| 1136 | + | Sec. 10 October 1, 2024 9-50d | |
| 1137 | + | Sec. 11 July 1, 2024 9-163aa(h) | |
| 1138 | + | Sec. 12 July 1, 2024 9-19j(j) | |
| 1139 | + | Sec. 13 July 1, 2024 9-236(c) | |
| 1140 | + | Sec. 14 July 1, 2024 9-147a | |
| 1141 | + | Sec. 15 July 1, 2024 9-453e | |
| 1142 | + | Sec. 16 July 1, 2024 9-453j | |
| 1143 | + | Sec. 17 July 1, 2024 9-453k(a) and (b) | |
| 1144 | + | Sec. 18 July 1, 2024 9-453o | |
| 1145 | + | Sec. 19 July 1, 2024 9-404b(c) and (d) | |
| 1146 | + | Sec. 20 July 1, 2024 9-410 Substitute Bill No. 5498 | |
| 1147 | + | ||
| 1148 | + | ||
| 1149 | + | LCO 32 of 32 | |
| 1150 | + | ||
| 1151 | + | Sec. 21 from passage 9-140e | |
| 1152 | + | Sec. 22 July 1, 2024 9-320f(a) | |
| 1153 | + | Sec. 23 July 1, 2024 9-460 | |
| 1154 | + | Sec. 24 July 1, 2024 9-437(a) | |
| 1155 | + | Sec. 25 July 1, 2024 9-437(g) | |
| 1156 | + | Sec. 26 July 1, 2024 9-428 | |
| 1157 | + | Sec. 27 July 1, 2024 9-135b(d) | |
| 1158 | + | Sec. 28 July 1, 2024 9-472 | |
| 1159 | + | Sec. 29 from passage New section | |
| 1160 | + | Sec. 30 July 1, 2024 9-7a(g)(1) | |
| 1161 | + | ||
| 1162 | + | ||
| 1163 | + | GAE Joint Favorable Subst. | |
| 1164 | + | JUD Joint Favorable | |
| 1163 | 1165 |