Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB01514 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
3		-	LCO 5615 1 of 5
	3	+	LCO No. 5615 1 of 5
4	4
5	5		General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1514
6	6		January Session, 2025
7	7		LCO No. 5615
8	8
9	9
10		-	Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT
11		-	~~ADMINISTRATION~~ AND ELECTIONS
	10	+	Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
	11	+	AND ELECTIONS
12	12
13	13
14	14		Introduced by:
15	15		(GAE)
	16	+
16	17
17	18
18	19
19	20		AN ACT CONCERNING CURBSIDE VOTING ACCESSIBILITY FOR
20	21		ELECTORS WITH DISABILITIES OR OTHER INCAPACITIES.
21	22		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
22	23		Assembly convened:
23	24
24	25		Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 9-261 of the general statutes is 1
25	26		repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 2
26	27		1, 2026): 3
27	28		(b) In the event that an elector is present at the polling place but is 4
28	29		unable to gain access to the polling place due to [a temporary] an 5
29	30		incapacity, the elector may request that the ballot be brought to him or 6
30	31		her in the area designated pursuant to subsection (c) of section 9-236, as 7
31	32		amended by this act, for curbside voting. The registrars of voters or the 8
32	33		assistant registrars of voters, as the case may be, shall take such ballot, 9
33	34		along with a privacy sleeve to such elector. The elector shall show 10
34	35		identification, in accordance with the provisions of this section. The 11
35	36		elector shall forthwith mark the ballot in the presence of the election 12
36	37		officials in such manner that the election officials shall not know how 13
37		-	the ballot is marked. The elector shall place the ballot in the privacy 14 Raised Bill No. 1514
	38	+	the ballot is marked. The elector shall place the ballot in the privacy 14
	39	+	Raised Bill No. 1514
38	40
39	41
40		-	LCO 5615 2 of 5
	42	+
	43	+	LCO No. 5615 2 of 5
41	44
42	45		sleeve. The election officials shall mark the elector's name on the official 15
43	46		voter list, manually on paper or electronically, as having voted in person 16
44	47		and deliver such ballot and privacy sleeve to the voting tabulator where 17
45	48		such ballot shall be placed into the tabulator, by the election official, for 18
46	49		counting. The moderator shall record such activity in the moderator's 19
47	50		diary. 20
48	51		Sec. 2. Section 9-236 of the general statutes is repealed and the 21
49	52		following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2026): 22
50	53		(a) On the day of any primary, referendum or election, no person 23
51	54		shall solicit on behalf of or in opposition to the candidacy of another or 24
52	55		himself or on behalf of or in opposition to any question being submitted 25
53	56		at the election or referendum, or loiter or peddle or offer any advertising 26
54	57		matter, ballot or circular to another person within a radius of seventy-27
55	58		five feet of any outside entrance in use as an entry to any polling place 28
56	59		or in any corridor, passageway or other approach leading from any such 29
57	60		outside entrance to such polling place or in any room opening upon any 30
58	61		such corridor, passageway or approach. Nothing contained in this 31
59	62		section shall be construed to prohibit (1) parent-teacher associations or 32
60	63		parent-teacher organizations from holding bake sales or other fund-33
61	64		raising activities on the day of any primary, referendum or election in 34
62	65		any school used as a polling place, provided such sales or activities shall 35
63	66		not be held in the room in which the election booths are located, (2) the 36
64	67		registrars of voters from directing the officials at a primary, referendum 37
65	68		or election to distribute, within the restricted area, adhesive labels on 38
66	69		which are imprinted the words "I Voted Today", or (3) the registrars of 39
67	70		voters in a primary, election or referendum from jointly permitting 40
68	71		nonpartisan activities to be conducted in a room other than the room in 41
69	72		which the election booths are located. The registrars may jointly impose 42
70	73		such conditions and limitations on such nonpartisan activity as deemed 43
71	74		necessary to ensure the orderly process of voting. The moderator shall 44
72	75		evict any person who in any way interferes with the orderly process of 45
73	76		voting. 46
74		-	~~(b) (1) The selectmen shall provide suitable markers to indicate the 47~~ Raised Bill No. 1514
	77	+	Raised Bill No. 1514
75	78
76	79
77		-	LCO 5615 3 of 5
78	80
	81	+	LCO No. 5615 3 of 5
	82	+
	83	+	(b) (1) The selectmen shall provide suitable markers to indicate the 47
79	84		seventy-five-foot distance from such entrance. Such markers shall 48
80	85		consist of a board resting on an iron rod, which board shall be not less 49
81	86		than twelve inches square and painted a bright color and shall bear the 50
82	87		figures and letters "75 feet" and the following words: "On the day of any 51
83	88		primary, referendum or election no person shall solicit in behalf of or in 52
84	89		opposition to another or himself or peddle or offer any ballot, 53
85	90		advertising matter or circular to another person or loiter within a radius 54
86	91		of seventy-five feet of any outside entrance in use as an entry to any 55
87	92		polling place or in any corridor, passageway or other approach leading 56
88	93		from any such outside entrance to such polling place or in any room 57
89	94		opening upon any such corridor, passageway or approach." 58
90	95		(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this 59
91	96		subsection, the selectmen may provide the markers required by the 60
92	97		provisions of this subsection in effect prior to October 1, 1983, except 61
93	98		that in the case of a referendum which is not held in conjunction with 62
94	99		an election or a primary, the selectmen shall provide the markers 63
95	100		required by subdivision (1) of this subsection. 64
96	101		(3) The moderator and the moderator's assistants shall meet at least 65
97	102		twenty minutes before the opening of a primary, referendum or an 66
98	103		election in the voting district, and shall cause to be placed by a police 67
99	104		officer or constable, or such other primary or election official as they 68
100	105		select, a suitable number of distance markers. Such moderator or any 69
101	106		police officer or constable shall prohibit loitering and peddling of tickets 70
102	107		within that distance. 71
103	108		(c) (1) The registrars of voters shall designate at each polling place an 72
104	109		area for curbside voting where any elector who is present at the polling 73
105	110		place, but is unable to gain access to the polling place due to an 74
106	111		incapacity, may request that the ballot be brought to such elector as 75
107	112		provided in subsection (b) of section 9-261, as amended by this act. 76
108	113		(2) On the day of any primary, referendum or election, no person 77
109		-	shall solicit on behalf of or in opposition to the candidacy of another or 78
110		-	himself or on behalf of or in opposition to any question being submitted 79 Raised Bill No. 1514
	114	+	Raised Bill No. 1514
111	115
112	116
113		-	LCO 5615 4 of 5
114	117
	118	+	LCO No. 5615 4 of 5
	119	+
	120	+	shall solicit on behalf of or in opposition to the candidacy of another or 78
	121	+	himself or on behalf of or in opposition to any question being submitted 79
115	122		at the election or referendum, or loiter or peddle or offer any advertising 80
116	123		matter, ballot or circular to another person within a marked radius of 81
117	124		twenty feet of any elector who is brought a ballot in the area designated 82
118	125		for curbside voting pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection. 83
119	126		(3) (A) While an elector is casting his or her ballot in the area 84
120	127		designated for curbside voting pursuant to subdivision (1) of this 85
121	128		subsection, no person shall be allowed in any vehicle being used by such 86
122	129		elector to cast such ballot for any purpose other than casting such ballot 87
123	130		or driving such elector to cast such ballot. 88
124	131		(B) Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph (A) of this 89
125	132		subdivision, no candidate shall be allowed in any vehicle used for the 90
126	133		casting of a ballot under this subsection unless for purposes of casting 91
127	134		the candidate's own ballot. 92
128	135		(4) The Secretary of the State shall adopt regulations, in accordance 93
129	136		with the provisions of chapter 54, to carry out the provisions of this 94
130	137		subsection. Such regulations shall include, but not be limited to, a model 95
131	138		plan that municipalities may implement for curbside voting. 96
132	139		[(c)] (d) No person shall be allowed within any polling place for any 97
133	140		purpose other than casting his or her vote, except (1) those permitted or 98
134	141		exempt under this section or section 9-236a, (2) primary officials under 99
135	142		section 9-436, (3) election officials under section 9-258, including (A) a 100
136	143		municipal clerk or registrar of voters, who is a candidate for the same 101
137	144		office, performing his or her official duties, and (B) a deputy registrar of 102
138	145		voters, who is a candidate for the office of registrar of voters, performing 103
139	146		his or her official duties, or (4) unofficial checkers under section 9-235. 104
140	147		Representatives of the news media shall be allowed to enter, remain 105
141	148		within and leave any polling place or restricted area surrounding any 106
142	149		polling place to observe the election, provided any such representative 107
143	150		who in any way interferes with the orderly process of voting shall be 108
	151	+	Raised Bill No. 1514
	152	+
	153	+
	154	+
	155	+	LCO No. 5615 5 of 5
	156	+
144	157		evicted by the moderator. A number of students in grades four to 109
145	158		twelve, inclusive, not to exceed four at any one time in any one polling 110
146		-	place, may enter any polling place between twelve o'clock noon and 111 Raised Bill No. 1514
147		-
148		-
149		-	LCO 5615 5 of 5
150		-
	159	+	place, may enter any polling place between twelve o'clock noon and 111
151	160		three o'clock p.m. for the purpose of observing the activities taking place 112
152	161		in the polling place, provided there is proper parental or teacher 113
153	162		supervision present, and provided further, any such student who in any 114
154	163		way interferes with the orderly process of voting shall be evicted by the 115
155	164		moderator. An elector may be accompanied into any polling place by 116
156	165		one or more children who are fifteen years of age or younger and 117
157	166		supervised by the elector if the elector is the parent or legal guardian of 118
158	167		such children. 119
159	168		[(d)] (e) Any person who violates any provision of this section or, 120
160	169		while the polls are open for voting, removes or injures any such distance 121
161	170		marker, shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor. 122
162	171		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
163	172		sections:
164	173
165	174		Section 1 January 1, 2026 9-261(b)
166	175		Sec. 2 January 1, 2026 9-236
167	176
168		-	GAE Joint Favorable
	177	+	Statement of Purpose:
	178	+	To require registrars of voters to designate areas for curbside voting at
	179	+	polling places to assist electors with disabilities and other incapacities
	180	+	in casting their ballots.
	181	+
	182	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	183	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	184	+	underlined.]
169	185