Bill Text: CT SB00004 | 2013 | General Assembly | Comm Sub

Connecticut Senate Bill 4 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: An Act Concerning Early Voting.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-06-04 - Senate Recommitted to Government Administration and Elections [SB00004 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2013-SB00004-Comm_Sub.html

General Assembly		*Substitute Bill No. 4*
*January Session, 2013*		_____SB00004GAE___040813____

AN ACT CONCERNING EARLY VOTING.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective January 1, 2014) (a) As used in this section, "election day" means the day on which a regular election, as defined in section 9-1 of the general statutes, that is a state election, as defined in section 9-1 of the general statutes, is held, and "early voting" means voting in accordance with the provisions of this section.

(b) Notwithstanding any provision of chapter 146 of the general statutes, each municipality shall provide an opportunity for electors residing in such municipality to cast ballots in person starting the eighth calendar day prior to election day in accordance with the provisions of this section. Such electors shall be permitted to vote at the town hall or other municipal office building, as provided in the warning under section 9-225 of the general statutes, as amended by this act.

(c) Election officials shall permit early voting during all hours in which the town hall or other municipal office building being used for early voting is open, and such voting shall also be allowed (1) until at least eight o'clock p.m. on at least one day of such voting, and (2) on at least one weekend day from nine o'clock a.m. to five o'clock p.m. Any elector standing in line at the time that early voting closes for the day shall be permitted to vote and no elector who is not in line at such time shall be permitted to enter such line. Hours designated for voting in accordance with this subsection shall be specified in the warning under section 9-225 of the general statutes, as amended by this act.

(d) Each elector voting under this section shall be provided with the ballot that he or she would be voting on if such elector were voting on election day at the polling place assigned to the elector for voting on election day. The registrars of voters shall ensure that a sufficient number of ballots is available to accommodate each such elector residing in any voting district of the municipality.

(e) After the elector has voted his or her ballot, the elector shall place the ballot in a secured ballot depository receptacle. At the time designated by the registrars of voters and noticed to election officials, the registrars of voters shall transport such receptacle containing such ballots to the area, either district or central, where absentee ballots are counted and such ballots shall be counted by the election officials present at such location. A section of the head moderator's return shall show the number of such ballots received from electors. The registrars of voters shall seal a copy of the vote tally for such ballots in a depository envelope with such ballots and store such depository envelope with the other election results materials. The depository envelope shall be preserved by the registrars of voters for the period of time required to preserve counted ballots for elections. The provisions of the general statutes and regulations concerning procedures relating to the custody, control and counting of absentee ballots shall apply as nearly as possible, to the custody, control and counting of the ballots under this section.

(f) Election officials for early voting shall be selected in the same manner as provided under chapter 146 of the general statutes. Before each period of early voting, the registrars of voters and certified head moderator shall instruct the election officials in accordance with the provisions of section 9-249 of the general statutes, as amended by this act.

(g) The process of voting under section 9-261 of the general statutes shall apply as nearly as possible to the process of early voting conducted under this section.

(h) No person shall solicit on behalf of or in opposition to the candidacy of another or himself or herself or on behalf of or in opposition to any question being submitted at the election, or loiter or peddle or offer any advertising matter, ballot or circular to another person within a radius of seventy-five feet of any outside entrance in use as an entry to the town hall or other municipal building used for early voting during the hours of early voting or in any corridor, passageway or other approach leading from any such outside entrance to such location or in any room opening upon any such corridor, passageway or approach.

(i) No ballot cast during the period of early voting pursuant to this section shall be counted prior to the closing of the polls on election day.

Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective January 1, 2014) The Secretary of the State and the registrars of voters of each municipality shall ensure that no elector, as defined in section 9-1 of the general statutes, stands in line to vote for longer than fifteen minutes for any election, as defined in section 9-1 of the general statutes, or any primary, as defined in section 9-372 of the general statutes, without having an opportunity to cast his or her ballot.

Sec. 3. Subsection (a) of section 9-225 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2014):

(a) The town clerk or assistant town clerk of each town shall warn the electors therein to meet on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November in the even-numbered years, at six o'clock a.m., or that any such elector may participate in early voting in accordance with section 1 of this act, which warning shall be given by publication in a newspaper having a general circulation in such town, or towns in the case of a joint publication under subsection (b) of this section, not more than fifteen nor less than five days previous to [holding] the first day of early voting for such election. The clerk in each town shall, in the warning for such election, give notice of the time and the location of the polling place in the town and the location and hours of early voting, and in towns divided into voting districts, of the time and the location of the polling place in each district, at which such election will be held. The town clerk shall record each such warning.

Sec. 4. Subsection (a) of section 9-229 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2014):

(a) The registrars of voters in the several towns and, in towns where there are different registrars for different voting districts, the registrars of voters in such districts shall appoint the moderators of regular and special state and municipal elections in their respective towns or districts. For the purpose of providing a reserve group of persons who may serve as moderators, the registrars shall designate alternate moderators from among those persons chosen as official checkers, or tabulator tenders, in the following minimum numbers: In towns with one or more but not exceeding three voting districts, one alternate moderator; in towns with four or more but not exceeding eight voting districts, two alternate moderators; in towns with more than eight voting districts, a number of alternate moderators equal to one-fourth of the number of voting districts rounded off to the nearest multiple of four. In case the registrars fail to agree in the choice of a moderator or alternate moderator, the choice shall be determined between such registrars by lot. In the case of a primary, the registrar, as defined in section 9-372, shall so appoint such moderators and alternate moderators. Moderators and alternate moderators shall be appointed at least twenty days before the election or primary, except that any moderator and alternate moderator appointed to moderate early voting in accordance with section 1 of this act shall be appointed at least twenty days before the first day of early voting. The registrars shall submit a list of the names of such moderators and alternate moderators to the municipal clerk, which list shall be made available for public inspection by such clerk. Each person appointed to serve as moderator or alternate moderator shall be certified by the Secretary of the State in accordance with the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, except as provided in subsection (d) of this section or section 9-436.

Sec. 5. Subsection (a) of section 9-249 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2014):

(a) Before each election, the registrars of voters and the certified head moderator shall instruct the election officials. [Any] Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes or [of] any special act, [to the contrary notwithstanding,] election officials shall be appointed at least twenty days before the election, except that any election official appointed for early voting in accordance with section 1 of this act shall be appointed at least twenty days before the first day of early voting and except as provided in section 9-229, as amended by this act. The registrars of voters and the certified head moderator shall instruct each election official who is to serve in a voting district in which a voting tabulator is to be used in the use of the tabulator and the election official's duties in connection therewith, and for the purpose of giving such instruction, such instructors shall call such meeting or meetings of the election officials as are necessary. Such instructors shall, without delay, file a report in the office of the municipal clerk and with the Secretary of the State, (1) stating that they have instructed the election officials named in the report and the time and place where such instruction was given, and (2) containing a signed statement from each such election official acknowledging that the official has received such instruction.


This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	January 1, 2014	New section
Sec. 2	January 1, 2014	New section
Sec. 3	January 1, 2014	9-225(a)
Sec. 4	January 1, 2014	9-229(a)
Sec. 5	January 1, 2014	9-249(a)