Sec. 9-218. Probate judge. When there is no election of probate judge in any district by reason of two or more having an equal and the highest number of votes, or when a new probate district is created and no provision made for the election of a judge thereof, or whenever it is shown to the Governor that a vacancy is about to exist in said office by reason of the resignation of the incumbent to take effect at a future time or by reason of constitutional limitation, or when there is a vacancy in said office, the Governor may issue writs of election directed to the town clerk or clerks or assistant town clerk or clerks within such district, ordering an election to be held on a day named therein, other than a Saturday or Sunday, to fill such vacancy or impending vacancy, and cause such writs to be conveyed to such clerk or clerks. On receiving such writs, such clerk or clerks shall warn elections to be held on the day appointed in such writs, in the same manner as state elections are warned. Such elections shall be organized and conducted, and the vote shall be declared and returns made, certified, directed, deposited and transmitted, in the same manner as at a state election. The Secretary of the State, Treasurer and Comptroller shall, within thirty days after any such election, count and declare the votes so returned, and notice shall be given to the person declared elected, in the same manner as is provided in the election of probate judges at state elections. The Secretary of the State shall enter the returns in tabular form in books kept by him for that purpose and present a copy of the same, with the name of, and the total number of votes received by, each of the candidates for said office, to the Governor within ten days thereafter. The Probate Court Administrator shall cite a probate judge to act as a judge in the district during any vacancy in said office in accordance with section 45a-120.
(1949 Rev., S. 1092; 1953, S. 697d; P.A. 84-319, S. 30, 49; P.A. 93-154, S. 3, 5; P.A. 00-99, S. 27, 154; P.A. 15-217, S. 24; P.A. 25-168, S. 150.)
History: P.A. 84-319 amended section to conform provisions of statutes re filing of statement of vote; P.A. 93-154 prohibited elections from being held on Saturdays or Sundays, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 00-99 changed references to sheriff to state marshal, effective December 1, 2000; P.A. 15-217 substituted “may” for “shall” re Governor's authority to issue writs of election in the event of a vacancy or impending vacancy in the office of probate judge, added provision re Probate Court Administrator citing a probate judge to act as judge in the district during any vacancy in said office and made technical changes; P.A. 25-168 deleted provisions re Governor's transmission of writs to state marshals and re state marshals' transmission of writs to town clerks and added provision re Governor causing such writs to be conveyed to town clerks, effective June 30, 2025.
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Sec. 9-236. Activities prohibited in and near polling place; distance markers; entry restricted; exceptions. (a) On the day of any primary, referendum or election, no person shall solicit on behalf of or in opposition to the candidacy of another or himself or on behalf of or in opposition to any question being submitted at the election or referendum, 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 any polling place or in any corridor, passageway or other approach leading from any such outside entrance to such polling place or in any room opening upon any such corridor, passageway or approach. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit (1) parent-teacher associations or parent-teacher organizations from holding bake sales or other fund-raising activities on the day of any primary, referendum or election in any school used as a polling place, provided such sales or activities shall not be held in the room in which the election booths are located, (2) the registrars of voters from directing the officials at a primary, referendum or election to distribute, within the restricted area, adhesive labels on which are imprinted the words “I Voted Today”, or (3) the registrars of voters in a primary, election or referendum from jointly permitting nonpartisan activities to be conducted in a room other than the room in which the election booths are located. The registrars may jointly impose such conditions and limitations on such nonpartisan activity as deemed necessary to ensure the orderly process of voting. The moderator shall evict any person who in any way interferes with the orderly process of voting.
(b) (1) The selectmen shall provide suitable markers to indicate the seventy-five-foot distance from such entrance. Such markers shall consist of a board resting on an iron rod, which board shall be not less than twelve inches square and painted a bright color and shall bear the figures and letters “75 feet” and the following words: “On the day of any primary, referendum or election no person shall solicit in behalf of or in opposition to another or himself or peddle or offer any ballot, advertising matter or circular to another person or loiter within a radius of seventy-five feet of any outside entrance in use as an entry to any polling place or in any corridor, passageway or other approach leading from any such outside entrance to such polling place or in any room opening upon any such corridor, passageway or approach.”
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection, the selectmen may provide the markers required by the provisions of this subsection in effect prior to October 1, 1983, except that in the case of a referendum which is not held in conjunction with an election or a primary, the selectmen shall provide the markers required by subdivision (1) of this subsection.
(3) The moderator and the moderator's assistants shall meet at least twenty minutes before the opening of a primary, referendum or an election in the voting district, and shall cause to be placed by a police officer or constable, or such other primary or election official as they select, a suitable number of distance markers. Such moderator or any police officer or constable shall prohibit loitering and peddling of tickets within that distance.
(c) (1) The registrars of voters shall designate at each polling place an area for curbside voting where any elector who is present at the polling place, but is unable to gain access to the polling place due to an incapacity, may request that the ballot be brought to such elector as provided in subsection (b) of section 9-261.
(2) On the day of any primary, referendum or election, no person shall solicit on behalf of or in opposition to the candidacy of another or himself or on behalf of or in opposition to any question being submitted at the election or referendum, or loiter or peddle or offer any advertising matter, ballot or circular to another person within a marked radius of twenty feet outside the boundary of the area designated for curbside voting pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection.
(3) (A) While an elector is casting his or her ballot in the area designated for curbside voting pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, no person shall be allowed in any vehicle being used by such elector to cast such ballot for any purpose other than casting such ballot or driving such elector to cast such ballot.
(B) Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph (A) of this subdivision, no candidate shall be allowed in any vehicle used for the casting of a ballot under this subsection unless for purposes of casting the candidate's own ballot.
(4) The Secretary of the State shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to carry out the provisions of this subsection. Such regulations shall include, but not be limited to, a model plan that municipalities may implement for curbside voting.
(d) No person shall be allowed within any polling place for any purpose other than casting his or her vote, except (1) those permitted or exempt under this section or section 9-236a, (2) primary officials under section 9-436, (3) election officials under section 9-258, including (A) a municipal clerk or registrar of voters, who is a candidate for the same office, performing his or her official duties, and (B) a deputy registrar of voters, who is a candidate for the office of registrar of voters, performing his or her official duties, or (4) unofficial checkers under section 9-235. Representatives of the news media shall be allowed to enter, remain within and leave any polling place or restricted area surrounding any polling place to observe the election, provided any such representative who in any way interferes with the orderly process of voting shall be evicted by the moderator. A number of students in grades four to twelve, inclusive, not to exceed four at any one time in any one polling place, may enter any polling place between twelve o'clock noon and three o'clock p.m. for the purpose of observing the activities taking place in the polling place, provided there is proper parental or teacher supervision present, and provided further, any such student who in any way interferes with the orderly process of voting shall be evicted by the moderator. An elector may be accompanied into any polling place by one or more children who are fifteen years of age or younger and supervised by the elector if the elector is the parent or legal guardian of such children.
(e) Any person who violates any provision of this section or, while the polls are open for voting, removes or injures any such distance marker, shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor.
(1949 Rev., S. 1068; 1953, 1955, June, 1955, S. 712d; November, 1955, S. N113; 1957, P.A. 494, S. 2; 1969, P.A. 65; 799; P.A. 73-410, S. 1, 2; P.A. 78-153, S. 29, 32; P.A. 79-370; P.A. 81-434, S. 1; P.A. 83-147; P.A. 87-251, S. 1; P.A. 89-286, S. 1, 3; P.A. 93-384, S. 1; P.A. 94-203, S. 8, 12; P.A. 97-154, S. 1, 27; P.A. 10-32, S. 23; P.A. 11-20, S. 36; P.A. 12-80, S. 54; P.A. 18-120, S. 2; P.A. 24-148, S. 14; P.A. 25-168, S. 296.)
History: 1969 acts provided for admission of representatives of news media to any polling place at discretion of moderator and provided that parent-teacher associations or organizations may hold bake sales or other fund raising activities on an election or primary day in a school used as a polling place provided that the activity not take place in room where election booths are located; P.A. 73-410 expanded rights of representatives of news media to remain within and to leave polling places to observe the election, further provided for eviction of such representatives by moderator if in any way they interfere with voting; P.A. 78-153 prohibited placement of advertising matter related directly or indirectly to election or primary on municipally-owned property, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-370 provided for admission of no more than four, at any one time, junior or senior high school students to a polling place between hours of noon and three p.m. for purpose of observation and also provided for eviction in case of interference; P.A. 81-434 eliminated a prohibition against placing political advertising matter on municipally-owned property on the day of a primary or election; P.A. 83-147 applied the provisions of this section to referenda and allowed selectmen to use markers required by this section prior to October 1, 1983, in certain circumstances; P.A. 87-251 allowed children 10 years of age or younger to accompany an elector into a polling place; P.A. 89-286 allowed students in grades four to twelve, inclusive, instead of junior and senior high school students only, to enter polling place “between twelve o'clock noon and three o'clock p.m.” instead of “during the hours of twelve o'clock noon and three o'clock p.m.” and, when allowed by registrars of voters, for purposes of Sec. 9-236a; P.A. 93-384 authorized distribution of “I Voted Today” labels in restricted area; P.A. 94-203 inserted “or in opposition to” and moved a reference to Sec. 9-236a, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 97-154 divided section into Subsecs., amended Subsec. (a) by inserting Subdiv. numbers and adding Subdiv. (3) re nonpartisan activities in a room other than the room in which election booths are located, and amended Subsec. (c) to increase maximum age of children who may accompany an elector into polling place from 10 years to 15 years, and to add proviso that such elector be the parent or legal guardian of such children, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 10-32 made technical changes, effective May 10, 2010; P.A. 11-20 amended Subsec. (a) to delete exception re Sec. 9-294, effective May 24, 2011; P.A. 12-80 designated penalty provision as Subsec. (d) and amended same to replace penalty of a fine of not more than $50 or imprisonment of not more than 3 months or both with a class C misdemeanor; P.A. 18-120 amended Subsec. (c) to add Subdiv. (1) to (4) designators, add provisions re primary and election officials under Secs. 9-436 and 9-258, respectively, add Subpara. (A) re municipal clerk or registrar of voters, and add Subpara. (B) re deputy registrar of voters in Subdiv. (3), and made technical and conforming changes, effective June 7, 2018; P.A. 24-148 amended Subsec. (c)(4) to replace “party checkers” with “unofficial checkers”, effective July 1, 2024; P.A. 25-168 added new Subsec. (c) re curbside voting and redesignated existing Subsecs. (c) and (d) as Subsecs. (d) and (e), effective January 1, 2026.
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Sec. 9-236c. Translation Advisory Committee. Appointment of members by Secretary. Meetings. Report. Regulations. (a) There is established, within the office of the Secretary of the State, a Translation Advisory Committee for the purposes of (1) validating the translations of election-related materials for accuracy and ensuring that such translations meet the needs of the intended audience in a culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate way, and (2) making recommendations to the Secretary of the State and municipal officials on related matters.
(b) The Secretary of the State shall appoint members to serve on the Translation Advisory Committee based on an application that shall include the submission of a writing sample. Each member shall:
(1) Be a current resident of the state of Connecticut;
(2) Have experience in one or more of the municipalities served by the translation of election-related materials;
(3) Be proficient in reading and writing in (A) English, and (B) one or more dialects of a language, other than English, that is spoken in Connecticut and in which federal or state law requires election-related materials be made available; and
(4) Have experience in (A) election administration, including, but not limited to, serving as a poll worker, or (B) bilingual educational settings or community assistance programs.
(c) The Secretary of the State shall make initial appointments to the Translation Advisory Committee not later than August 1, 2025. Each member shall serve for a term of four years from such appointment, or until a successor is appointed and has qualified.
(d) The Translation Advisory Committee shall meet as frequently as necessary to timely approve election-related materials translations prior to elections, primaries and referenda, but not less than quarterly each year. Committee members shall serve without compensation and shall not be eligible for mileage reimbursement. Not later than January 15, 2027, and biennially thereafter, the committee shall submit to the Secretary of the State a report on the committee's proceedings, including any recommendations for improvements in performing the committee's duties under this section.
(e) The Secretary of the State may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to carry out the purposes of this section.
(P.A. 25-168, S. 297.)
History: P.A. 25-168 effective July 1, 2025.
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Sec. 9-236d. Use of professional translators for non-English election-related materials in certain municipalities. Submission to Translation Advisory Committee for review. Each municipality that, pursuant to federal or state law, is required to make election-related materials available in a language other than English shall use professional translators when translating election-related materials from English into such other language. As soon as practicable, but in no case later than sixty-five days prior to each election, primary or referendum, such municipality shall submit its translated election-related materials to the Translation Advisory Committee established under section 9-236c for review of such translations. As used in this section, “professional translator” means a person who has attained (1) an academic certificate or degree in translation from an accredited institution of higher education, or (2) certification as a translator by a professional association or other accrediting organization.
(P.A. 25-168, S. 298.)
History: P.A. 25-168 effective January 1, 2026.
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