Sec. 9-139a. (Formerly Sec. 9-155). Secretary to furnish forms. Contents. Instructions.
Sec. 9-153a. (Formerly Sec. 9-141). Use of federal ballot application form.
Sec. 9-158c. Application for ballot.
Sec. 9-163k. Pilot program for absentee voting.
Sec. 9-139a. (Formerly Sec. 9-155). Secretary to furnish forms. Contents. Instructions. (a) The Secretary of the State shall prescribe and furnish the following materials to municipal clerks: The absentee ballot facsimile, the application for absentee ballot authorized for use at each election or primary, the inner envelope, the outer envelope provided for the return of the ballot to the municipal clerk, the instructions for the use of the absentee ballot and the envelope for mailing of such forms by the clerk to the absentee ballot applicant.
(b) The application for absentee ballot shall be in the form of a statement signed under the penalties of false statement in absentee balloting. Each application shall contain (1) spaces for the signature under the penalties of false statement in absentee balloting of any person who assists the applicant in the completion of an application together with the information required in section 9-140, (2) spaces for the signature and the printed or typed name of the applicant, and (3) a clear and conspicuous notation of the year for which such application's use is authorized.
(c) The Secretary of the State shall prescribe and furnish to the Department of Correction an application for absentee ballot form for use within Department of Correction facilities. Such form shall contain spaces for all information required under subsection (b) of this section. Each such form shall be consecutively numbered and shall indicate that such form is only for use by an absentee ballot applicant who is incarcerated in a Department of Correction facility and that such applicant is required to provide in the appropriate space on such form a mailing address at the Department of Correction facility in order for an absentee ballot to be mailed to such applicant.
(d) The instructions for the use of the absentee ballot shall be in plain language and shall include the steps to be taken if a vote is to be cancelled or changed, and shall also contain a simple and concise restatement of the provisions of subsection (l) of section 9-150a and section 9-159o concerning rejection of ballots marked in such manner as to identify the voters casting them, and withdrawal of ballots by persons who find they are able to vote at the polls.
(e) A sufficient supply of such instructions and envelopes shall be printed to supply the number which the municipal clerk requests or the Secretary of the State deems sufficient.
(1949 Rev., S. 1139; 1953, 1955, S. 642d; 1957, P.A. 517, S. 12; 1963, P.A. 42, S. 3; 214, S. 1; February, 1965, P.A. 59, S. 4; 574, S. 10; P.A. 75-310, S. 9, 11; P.A. 79-363, S. 22, 38; P.A. 84-319, S. 23, 49; P.A. 86-179, S. 8, 53; P.A. 87-382, S. 8, 55; 87-532, S. 2, 10; P.A. 91-286, S. 1; P.A. 96-119, S. 2, 14; P.A. 24-148, S. 8; P.A. 25-168, S. 289.)
History: 1963 acts required inner envelope to be self-sealing and required the instructions to include a restatement of Sec. 9-151; 1965 acts changed statement to be included in instructions to the effect that a list of candidates and questions will be mailed as soon as available to those not receiving same with the absentee ballot, effective with respect to all elections held on or after January 1, 1966 and deleted provision requiring that statements be sent to applicants in the armed forces automatically but to others only upon their request; P.A. 75-310 deleted provision for the statement to be included in instructions, effective January 1, 1976; P.A. 79-363 made technical changes; P.A. 84-319 eliminated requirement that inner ballot envelope be “self-sealing”; P.A. 86-179 added subsection requiring that application be in form of a statement to be signed under the penalties of false statement in absentee balloting, added requirement that instructions be in plain language and include steps to be taken if vote is cancelled or changed; Sec. 9-155 transferred to Sec. 9-139a in 1987; P.A. 87-382, in Subsec. (c), substituted “(l)” for “(m)”; P.A. 87-532 amended Subsec. (b) to require application to contain spaces for signature or stamp of clerk and signature and name of person obtaining application from clerk for another person, statement that any such signature or stamp made under penalties of false statement in absentee balloting, and spaces for signature and name of applicant; P.A. 91-286 deleted depository envelopes used in counting absentee ballots from list of materials that secretary is required to furnish under Subsec. (a); P.A. 96-119 amended Subsec. (b) to delete provision allowing an application to contain a stamp of the municipal clerk in lieu of a signature and to add language requiring an application to contain the signature “of any person who assists the applicant in the completion of an application together with the information required in section 9-140”, effective May 24, 1996; P.A. 24-148 amended Subsec. (a) to add “authorized for use at each election or primary” and amended Subsec. (b) to add Subdiv. (3) re clear and conspicuous notation of year, effective January 1, 2025; P.A. 25-168 added new Subsec. (c) re application for absentee ballot form for use within Department of Correction facilities and redesignated existing Subsecs. (c) and (d) as Subsecs. (d) and (e), effective January 1, 2026.
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Sec. 9-140. Application for and issuance of absentee ballots; online system. Distribution of absentee ballot applications. Mailing of unsolicited applications. Downloading of applications. Summary of absentee voting laws. Definitions. (a)(1) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, application for an absentee ballot shall be made to the clerk of the municipality in which the applicant is eligible to vote or has applied for such eligibility. Any person who assists another person in the completion of an application shall, in the space provided, sign the application and print or type his name, residence address and telephone number. Such signature shall be made under the penalties of false statement in absentee balloting. The municipal clerk shall not invalidate the application solely because it does not contain the name of a person who assisted the applicant in the completion of the application. The municipal clerk shall not distribute with an absentee ballot application any material which promotes the success or defeat of any candidate or referendum question. The municipal clerk shall maintain a log of all absentee ballot applications provided under this subsection, including the name and address of each person to whom applications are provided and the number of applications provided to each such person. Each absentee ballot application provided by the municipal clerk shall be consecutively numbered and be stamped or marked with the name of the municipality issuing the application. The application shall be signed by the applicant under the penalties of false statement in absentee balloting on (A) the form prescribed by the Secretary of the State pursuant to section 9-139a, (B) a form provided by any federal department or agency if applicable pursuant to section 9-153a, or (C) any of the special forms of application prescribed pursuant to section 9-150c, 9-153a, 9-153b, 9-153d, 9-153e, 9-153f or 9-158d, if applicable. Any such absentee ballot applicant who is unable to write may cause the application to be completed by an authorized agent who shall, in the spaces provided for the date and signature, write the date and name of the absentee ballot applicant followed by the word “by” and his own signature. If the ballot is to be mailed to the applicant, the applicant shall list the bona fide personal mailing address of the applicant in the appropriate space on the application.
(2) A municipal clerk may transmit an application to a person under this subsection by facsimile machine or other electronic means, if so requested by the applicant. If a municipal clerk has a facsimile machine or other electronic means, an applicant may return a completed application to the clerk by such a machine or device, provided the applicant shall also mail the original of the completed application to the clerk, either separately or with the absentee ballot that is issued to the applicant. If the clerk does not receive such original application by the close of the polls on the day of the election, primary or referendum, the absentee ballot shall not be counted.
(3) No municipal clerk shall provide, for an election, primary or referendum, five or more absentee ballot applications to any person earlier than ninety days prior to the first day of issuance of absentee voting sets, as provided in subsection (f) of this section, for such election, primary or referendum.
(4) No municipal clerk shall provide or accept for return, and no person shall distribute or otherwise use, any absentee ballot application in a given year unless such application contains the notation described in subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of section 9-139a authorizing such application's use in such year.
(b) On and after July 1, 2021:
(1) Application for an absentee ballot may also be made to the Secretary of the State through an online system established and maintained by the Secretary for such purpose if an applicant's signature is in a database described in subsection (b) of section 9-19k, or the system described in section 9-4c, and such signature may be imported into such online application system.
(2) In order for an application for an absentee ballot to be submitted through the online system described in subdivision (1) of this subsection, the applicant's signature shall be obtained from a database described in subsection (b) of section 9-19k, or the system described in section 9-4c, and the applicant shall, on an online form prescribed by the Secretary, (A) type his or her name, (B) indicate the municipality in which such applicant is eligible to vote or has applied for such eligibility, and (C) mark a box associated with the following statement:
“By clicking on the box below, I swear or affirm all of the following under penalty of false statement in absentee balloting:
1. I am the person whose name is provided on this form, and I desire to apply for an absentee ballot.
2. I am eligible to vote in the municipality provided on this form or have applied for such eligibility.
3. I authorize the Department of Motor Vehicles or other Connecticut state agency to transmit to the Connecticut Secretary of the State my signature that is on file with such agency and understand that such signature will be used by the Secretary on this online application for an absentee ballot as if I had signed this form personally.”
(3) Not later than twenty-four hours after receipt of any submitted application for an absentee ballot through the online system described in subdivision (1) of this subsection, the Secretary shall transmit such application to the clerk of the municipality indicated in such application.
(c) The municipal clerk shall check the name of each absentee ballot applicant against the last-completed registry list and any updated registry lists on file in the municipal clerk's office. If the name of such applicant does not appear on any of such lists, the clerk shall send such applicant a notice, in a form prescribed by the Secretary of the State, to the effect that (1) the applicant's name did not appear on the list of electors of the municipality at the time the application was processed, and (2) unless the applicant is admitted or restored as an elector of the municipality by the applicable cutoff dates an absentee ballot will not be mailed to him. Such notice shall not be so mailed if, prior to the mailing of the notice, the registrars provide the clerk with reliable information showing the absentee ballot applicant to be an elector of the municipality.
(d) An absentee voting set shall consist of an absentee ballot, inner and outer envelopes for its return, instructions for its use, and if applicable, explanatory texts concerning ballot questions, as provided for in sections 2-30a and 9-369b. No other material shall be included with an absentee voting set issued to an applicant except as provided in sections 9-153e and 9-153f or where necessary to correct an error or omission as provided in section 9-153c.
(e) Upon receipt of an application, the municipal clerk shall, unless a notice is mailed to the applicant pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, write the serial number of the outer envelope included in the absentee voting set to be issued to the applicant in the space provided for that purpose on the application form. Sets shall be issued to applicants in consecutive ascending numerical order of the envelope serial numbers, and the clerk shall keep a list of the numbers indicating beside each number the name of the applicant to whom that set was issued. The list shall be preserved as a public record as required by section 9-150b.
(f) Absentee voting sets shall be issued beginning on the thirty-first day before an election and the twenty-first day before a primary or, if such day is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, beginning on the next preceding business day.
(g) On the first day of issuance of absentee voting sets the municipal clerk shall mail an absentee voting set to each applicant whose application was received by the clerk prior to that day. When the clerk receives an application during the time period in which absentee voting sets are to be issued he shall mail an absentee voting set to the applicant, within twenty-four hours, unless the applicant submits his application in person at the office of the clerk and asks to be given his absentee voting set immediately, in which case the clerk shall comply with the request. Any absentee voting set to be mailed to an applicant shall be mailed to the bona fide personal mailing address shown on the application. If an applicant has provided a mailing address at a Department of Correction facility and such applicant is subsequently transferred to another Department of Correction facility, the Commissioner of Correction shall ensure delivery of the absentee voting set to such applicant. Issuance of absentee voting sets shall also be subject to the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, section 9-150c and section 9-159q concerning persons designated to deliver or return ballots in cases involving unforeseen illness or disability and supervised voting at certain health care institutions.
(h) No absentee ballot shall be issued on the day of an election or primary, or after the opening of the polls on the day of a referendum, except in cases involving unforeseen illness or disability or presidential or overseas ballots as provided in section 9-150c and sections 9-158a to 9-158m, inclusive.
(i) The municipal clerk shall file executed applications in alphabetical order according to the applicants' surnames. Such applications shall be preserved as a public record as required by section 9-150b.
(j) No person shall pay or give any compensation to another and no person shall accept any compensation solely for (1) distributing absentee ballot applications obtained from a municipal clerk or the Secretary of the State or (2) assisting any person in the execution of an absentee ballot.
(k) (1) A person shall register with the municipal clerk before distributing five or more absentee ballot applications for an election, primary or referendum, not including applications distributed to such person's immediate family. Such requirement shall not apply to a person who is the designee of an applicant or to any employee of the Department of Correction who provides the application for absentee ballot form prescribed under subsection (c) of section 9-139a to incarcerated absentee ballot applicants.
(2) The municipal clerk shall reject the application of any absentee ballot applicant made upon the form prescribed under subsection (c) of section 9-139a if such form indicates any address other than an address at a Department of Correction facility. The municipal clerk shall maintain a log of all applications of incarcerated absentee ballot applicants received by such municipal clerk, which log shall indicate the name and address of each applicant, the date of receipt of each application and the date such municipal clerk mailed the absentee ballot to such applicant or the reason why such application was rejected.
(3) Any person who distributes absentee ballot applications shall maintain a list of the names and addresses of prospective absentee ballot applicants who receive such applications, and shall file such list with the municipal clerk prior to the date of the primary, election or referendum for which the applications were so distributed, except that such requirements shall not apply to any employee of the Department of Correction who provides the application for absentee ballot form prescribed under subsection (c) of section 9-139a to incarcerated absentee ballot applicants. Any person who distributes absentee ballot applications and receives an executed application shall forthwith file the application with the municipal clerk.
(l) No candidate, party or political committee, or agent of such candidate or committee shall mail unsolicited applications for absentee ballots to any person, unless such mailing includes: (1) A written explanation of the eligibility requirements for voting by absentee ballot as prescribed in subsection (a) of section 9-135, and (2) a written warning that voting or attempting to vote by absentee ballot without meeting one or more of such eligibility requirements subjects the elector or applicant to potential civil and criminal penalties. As used in this subsection, “agent” means any person authorized to act on behalf of another person.
(m) The Secretary of the State shall conspicuously post on the Secretary of the State's web site, adjacent to the absentee ballot application form available for downloading, a notice that the application may be downloaded by a person only for (1) the person's own use, (2) the use of a member of the person's immediate family, or (3) the use of a designee of the applicant. The notice shall also contain an advisory statement concerning the requirements of subsection (k) of this section.
(n) The State Elections Enforcement Commission, in consultation with the Secretary of the State, shall prepare a summary of the requirements and prohibitions of the absentee voting laws, which shall be posted on said agencies' web sites. Candidates and political party chairpersons shall provide such summary to campaign and party employees and volunteers.
(o) As used in this section, (1) “immediate family” has the same meaning as provided in subsection (a) of section 9-140b, and (2) “designee” has the same meaning as provided in subsection (b) of section 9-140b.
(1949 Rev., S. 1135; 1953, 1955, S. 627d; 1957, P.A. 517, S. 2; 1959, P.A. 54; 1963, P.A. 139; 207, S. 1; February, 1965, P.A. 59, S. 1; 158, S. 1; 1967, P.A. 176, S. 3; 1971, P.A. 871, S. 71; P.A. 74-96, S. 4, 9; 74-141, S. 1, 2; P.A. 75-310, S. 5, 11; P.A. 76-50, S. 4, 7; P.A. 78-153, S. 2, 32; P.A. 79-363, S. 15, 38; P.A. 84-319, S. 13, 49; P.A. 85-514, S. 1; 85-577, S. 5; 85-592, S. 1; P.A. 86-179, S. 11, 53; P.A. 87-382, S. 9, 55; 87-532, S. 3, 10; P.A. 89-297, S. 3, 10, 11, 18; P.A. 93-384, S. 26, 28; P.A. 95-177, S. 1, 7; P.A. 97-154, S. 11, 27; P.A. 05-235, S. 2, 3; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 10-1, S. 37; P.A. 11-173, S. 63; July Sp. Sess. P.A. 20-3, S. 4; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 101, 130; P.A. 23-22, S. 15; P.A. 24-148, S. 9; P.A. 25-168, S. 290, 291.)
History: 1959 act required applicant to give his bona fide personal mailing address to which ballot was to be sent; 1963 acts allowed application to be made at any time but reduced earliest time for giving or mailing ballot to applicant from 2 months to 45 days and authorized mailing of ballot to applicant at his request; 1965 acts deleted box on application form where applicant could request list, added provision, in case of armed forces members, not more than 90 days before election date, for ballot to be furnished, also provided if application received more than 90 days before election date, ballot to be mailed on ninetieth day and further provided list of all applicants be open to public inspection for period beginning 90 days before election, in lieu of 45, effective for elections held after January 1, 1966; 1967 act added provision for procedure to cover spouse or dependent of armed forces member, if living where member is stationed, to be covered by the 90-day provision, effective for elections held after January 1, 1968; 1971 act substituted “false statement” for “perjury”; P.A. 74-96 added “in absentee balloting” following “false statement”, effective January 1, 1975; P.A. 74-141 in addition to list to be maintained of all applicants for absentee ballots provided for including the voting address, bona fide mailing address and reason given for requesting absentee ballot; P.A. 75-310 deleted reference to 90 days in case of members of armed forces, their spouses and dependents; further changed reference to 45 days to 30 days, further changed period for list open to public inspection to start 30 days before election, effective January 1, 1976; P.A. 76-50 made technical changes; P.A. 78-153 provided absentee ballots to be made available by a municipality 30 days before an election, spelled out procedure to be followed by clerk, specifying a 24-hour period following receipt of application during which action to be taken, further provided executed applications to be kept on hand for 60 days after election, in lieu of 6 months; P.A. 79-363 deleted provision for maintaining a list as public record and provided for the applications themselves to constitute the public record with destruction authorized after 60 days; P.A. 84-319 amended section to allow applicant to designate person to deliver ballot to him or return it to clerk; P.A. 85-514 divided section into Subsecs. and amended Subsec. (a) to prohibit giving or accepting compensation for distributing absentee ballot applications or for assisting persons in the execution of such ballots; P.A. 85-577 changed time frame from 30 days before an election to the thirty-first day before an election or the next preceding business weekday, required notices to electors whose names are not on registry lists that unless the applicant is an elector by applicable cutoff dates, an absentee ballot will not be mailed, and provided that such notices are not mailed if registrar provided clerk with reliable information that absentee ballot applicant is elector of the municipality; P.A. 85-592 added new Subsec. which allowed electors to return application by U.S. postal service, commercial carrier, courier or messenger services; P.A. 86-179 made technical changes, added requirement that applicants list bona fide personal mailing address on application, prohibited issuance of ballot on day of election or during voting hours on day of special election primary or referendum and added prohibition of compensation for distributing applications or assisting in execution of ballot; P.A. 87-382, in Subsec. (d), added references to Secs. 9-153e and 9-153f; P.A. 87-532 amended Subsec. (a) to require clerk to maintain log of absentee ballot applications and to sign or stamp each application provided, under penalties of false statement in absentee balloting, and to require any person obtaining application from a clerk for use of another person to sign and type his name, under same penalties; P.A. 89-297 amended Subsec. (a) by allowing person obtaining application from municipal clerk for use of another person to affix his signature stamp instead of signing the application and by adding prohibition on clerk distributing campaign material with application, substituted “twenty-first” for “nineteenth” in Subsec. (f) and amended Subsec. (h) to prohibit an absentee ballot from being issued on day of “an election or primary”, instead of on day of “a regular election”, or after opening of polls on day of “a referendum” instead of “a special election, primary or referendum”; P.A. 93-384 amended Subsec. (a) to authorize fax transmissions for sending and returning applications, effective January 1, 1994; P.A. 95-177 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting provisions re log of absentee ballot applications and signature stamp, changing identification requirement from person obtaining application for use of another person to person assisting with completion of application, adding requirement of assistant's address and telephone number, provision re not invalidating application lacking name of assistant, and Subdiv. indicators, moving provision re applicant's mailing address from Subsec. (b) to (a), and making provision re facsimile machine Subsec. (b), and amended Subsecs. (e) and (i) by deleting explanation of time period set in Sec. 9-150b, effective January 1, 1996; P.A. 97-154 deleted provisions that forms prescribed by Secretary of the State be provided by the secretary, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 05-235 amended Subsec. (a) to require municipal clerk to maintain a log of absentee ballot applications provided and require that each application provided by municipal clerk be consecutively numbered and stamped or marked with name of municipality, and added Subsecs. (k) to (o), inclusive, re requirements for absentee ballot distributors, mailing unsolicited applications, notice on the Secretary of the State's web site re downloading applications, and a summary of absentee voting laws by the State Elections Enforcement Commission, effective July 1, 2005, and applicable to elections, primaries and referenda held on or after September 1, 2005; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 10-1 amended Subsec. (b) by allowing for transmission of application by electronic means other than facsimile, effective June 22, 2010; P.A. 11-173 amended Subsec. (c) by replacing “supplementary” with “updated” re registry lists, effective July 13, 2011; July Sp. Sess. P.A. 20-3 amended Subsec. (g) to designate existing provisions as Subdiv. (1) and to add Subdiv. (2) re state election in 2020, effective July 31, 2020; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 amended Subsec. (a) to designate existing provisions as Subsec. (a)(1) and redesignate former Subdivs. (1) to (3) as Subparas. (A) to (C), redesignated former Subsec. (b) as new Subsec. (a)(2) and added new Subsec. (b) re online system for absentee ballot application, effective July 1, 2021, and amended Subsec. (g)(2) to add provision re certain elections, primaries and referenda held prior to November 3, 2021, effective June 23, 2021; P.A. 23-22 amended Subsec. (g) to delete Subdiv. (1) designator and delete former Subdiv. (2) re state election in 2020, and certain elections, primaries and referenda held prior to November 3, 2021; P.A. 24-148 amended Subsec. (a) to add Subdiv. (3) re prohibition on providing 5 or more applications to person earlier than 90 days prior to first day of issuance of absentee voting sets and add Subdiv. (4) re prohibition on use of application not containing notation authorizing such year-specific use, effective January 1, 2025; P.A. 25-168 amended Subsec. (g) by adding provision re delivery of absentee voting set to applicant with Department of Correction facility mailing address who is subsequently transferred to another department facility, amended Subsec. (k) by replacing “town clerk” with “municipal clerk”, adding provision re Department of Correction employee providing application form to incarcerated absentee ballot applicants in Subdiv. (1), adding new Subdiv. (2) re municipal clerk's rejection of applications made on such form if indicates address other than Department of Correction facility and re such clerk's maintenance of log of applications from incarcerated absentee ballot applicants and redesignating existing Subdiv. (2) as Subdiv. (3) and adding exception re Department of Correction employee providing application form to incarcerated absentee ballot applicants therein, effective January 1, 2026.
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Sec. 9-153a. (Formerly Sec. 9-141). Use of federal ballot application form. The form of absentee ballot application provided by any federal department or agency, referred to in section 9-140, may be used only by a person in any one of the following categories who is eligible to vote and who expects to be unable to appear at his proper polling place for any reason specified in section 9-135: (1) Members of the armed forces, (2) the spouses and dependents of such members, (3) members of religious groups or welfare agencies assisting members of the armed forces, who are officially attached to and serving with the armed forces, and their spouses and dependents, (4) civilian employees of the United States in all categories serving outside the territorial limits of the several states of the United States and the District of Columbia and their spouses and dependents when residing with or accompanying them, whether or not the employee is subject to the civil service laws and the Federal Classification Act of 1949, and whether or not paid from funds appropriated by the Congress, (5) citizens of the United States temporarily residing outside of the territorial limits of the several states of the United States and the District of Columbia and (6) overseas citizens qualified to vote under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, 100 Stat. 924, 42 USC 1973ff et seq., as amended from time to time. Any such person may apply for an absentee ballot in the manner provided in section 9-140, either on the form prescribed by the Secretary of the State under section 9-140, or on the application form provided by any federal department or agency hereinbefore referred to.
(1955, S. 620d; 1969, P.A. 334; P.A. 80-281, S. 8, 31; P.A. 86-179, S. 22, 53; P.A. 93-30, S. 11, 14; P.A. 97-154, S. 12, 27; P.A. 25-134, S. 7.)
History: 1969 act added citizens temporarily residing outside territorial limits; P.A. 80-281 added overseas citizens qualified to vote under federal law; P.A. 86-179 deleted reference to elector or applicant for admission as an elector and substituted reference to person eligible to vote; Sec. 9-141 transferred to Sec. 9-153a in 1987; P.A. 93-30 updated reference to federal act in Subdiv. (6), effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 97-154 deleted provision that application form prescribed by the Secretary of the State be provided by the secretary, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 25-134 made technical changes.
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Sec. 9-158c. Application for ballot. (a)(1) Not earlier than forty-five days before the election and not later than the close of the polls on election day, each former resident who desires to vote in a presidential election under sections 9-158a to 9-158m, inclusive, may apply for a “presidential ballot” to the municipal clerk of the town in which such former resident is qualified to vote on the form prescribed in section 9-158d. Application for a “presidential ballot” may be made in person or absentee, in the manner provided for applying for an absentee ballot under section 9-140, except as provided in sections 9-158a to 9-158m, inclusive.
(2) A municipal clerk shall have the authority to designate a location in a municipal facility for the distribution, completion and processing of presidential ballot applications and the distribution, casting and return of presidential ballots under sections 9-158a to 9-158m, inclusive, on election day. Such municipal clerk may appoint one or more presidential ballot assistants to serve at such location, may delegate to such assistants any of the responsibilities assigned to municipal clerks under said sections, and shall train and supervise such presidential ballot assistants.
(b) Each overseas elector who desires to vote in a federal election under subsection (b) of section 9-158b may apply for an overseas ballot not earlier than (1) the forty-fifth day preceding a federal election which is a general election or a general election held in conjunction with a special election, and (2) the thirtieth day preceding a federal election which is a primary or a federal election which is a special election not held in conjunction with a general election. Application shall be made to the town clerk of the municipality in which the elector is so qualified to vote on a form prescribed in subsection (b) of section 9-158d.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this section, in any year in which the date of a primary is advanced pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 9-376, overseas electors may not apply for an overseas ballot earlier than the fortieth day preceding a federal election which is a general election or a general election held in conjunction with a special election.
(1972, P.A. 196, S. 3; P.A. 86-179, S. 30, 53; P.A. 89-297, S. 16, 18; P.A. 97-154, S. 6, 27; P.A. 04-80, S. 1; P.A. 12-56, S. 5; P.A. 25-134, S. 8.)
History: P.A. 86-179 made technical changes and added subsecs. relating to overseas balloting; P.A. 89-297 amended Subsec. (b) by changing earliest date for applying for overseas ballot from nineteenth day preceding a federal election which is a primary to thirtieth day; P.A. 97-154 amended Subsec. (a) by extending application deadline for residents from seven days before election to close of polls on election day, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 04-80 amended Subsec. (a) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1) and adding Subdiv. (2), authorizing municipal clerk to designate location in municipal facility for presidential ballots and applications and to appoint presidential ballot assistants, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 12-56 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by limiting the applicability of provisions to former residents and amended Subsec. (b) by making technical changes, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 25-134 made a technical change in Subsec. (a)(1).
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Sec. 9-163k. Pilot program for absentee voting. (a) As used in this section:
(1) “Commission” means the State Elections Enforcement Commission; and
(2) “Designee” means (A) a person who is caring for an absentee ballot applicant because of the applicant's illness or physical disability, including but not limited to, a licensed physician or a registered or practical nurse, or (B) a member of any such applicant's family, who is designated by an absentee ballot applicant and who consents to such designation.
(b) Notwithstanding any provision of this title, the State Elections Enforcement Commission shall establish a pilot program for absentee voting at the municipal elections and primaries held in three municipalities in 2003. The commission shall notify municipalities of the opportunity to participate in the pilot program and shall select three municipalities to participate, provided the legislative body of each such municipality or, in the case of a municipality in which the legislative body is a town meeting, the board of selectmen, consents to such participation. In making such selections, the commission shall rank all municipalities from highest population to lowest population, and select one municipality in the highest third of such ranking, one municipality in the middle third of such ranking, and one municipality in the lowest third of such ranking.
(c) The provisions of this chapter shall apply in each municipality participating in the pilot program, except that:
(1) Only municipal clerks, registrars of voters and absentee ballot coordinators appointed by registrars of voters may issue absentee ballot applications;
(2) Such officials may issue absentee ballot applications only to persons who (A) request such applications for themselves, (B) have been identified by candidates or political parties as potential absentee voters, or (C) are designees;
(3) For a municipal election, each registrar of voters shall appoint at least one absentee ballot coordinator for each two hundred persons who voted by absentee ballot in the most recent municipal election. For a municipal primary, each registrar of voters shall appoint at least one absentee ballot coordinator for each two hundred persons who voted by absentee ballot in the most recent municipal primary. The appointment of an absentee ballot coordinator by a registrar of voters shall not be effective until the registrar files the appointment with the municipal clerk;
(4) Absentee ballot coordinators serving in a municipality shall be residents of such municipality (A) who apply for such positions, or (B) whose names are submitted by candidates or slates of candidates at the election or primary or by political parties. Absentee ballot coordinators may not be municipal employees or members of a town committee or be employed by, or volunteer for, any campaign or political party;
(5) Absentee ballot coordinators may be compensated by the municipalities appointing the coordinators and shall receive training in absentee voting procedures by the appointing registrar or registrars of voters and be sworn to the faithful performance of their duties as election officials, in accordance with the provisions of section 9-231;
(6) (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision, only absentee ballot coordinators may be present and provide assistance to an applicant in completing an absentee ballot application outside of the office of a registrar of voters or a municipal clerk. In the case of a municipal election, two absentee ballot coordinators of different political parties, and in the case of a primary, two absentee ballot coordinators representing competing slates or candidates in the primary, shall jointly provide such assistance to an applicant residing in the municipality who requests it. Each coordinator who provides such assistance shall sign the application in the space provided. One or both of such coordinators shall deliver the completed application to the municipal clerk not later than two business days after the date of completion of the application. This section shall not apply to supervised voting at institutions under section 9-159q or 9-159r; and
(B) A designee of an ill or physically disabled applicant may also be present and provide assistance to an applicant in completing an absentee ballot application. The persons listed in subsection (a) of section 9-140b may also assist in the return of absentee ballot applications;
(7) Each absentee ballot coordinator shall account to the municipal clerk for blank absentee ballot applications issued by the coordinator;
(8) When a municipal clerk or a registrar of voters provides assistance to an absentee ballot applicant in the office or the clerk or registrar, such official shall also sign the application; and
(9) The list of absentee ballot applicants who have executed applications shall remain confidential until the third business day before an election or primary.
(d) The State Elections Enforcement Commission shall have the power to enforce the provisions of this section to the same extent as the commission has the power to enforce provisions of election statutes under section 9-7b.
(e) After the municipal elections and primaries held in 2003, the State Elections Enforcement Commission shall survey election officials and participants in the three municipalities participating in the pilot program for absentee voting. Not later than January 15, 2004, the commission shall submit a report on its findings and recommendations concerning the pilot program to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to elections.
(P.A. 03-227, S. 1; P.A. 25-134, S. 9.)
History: P.A. 03-227 effective July 9, 2003; P.A. 25-134 made technical changes in Subsec. (c)(3).
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