Sec. 9-261. Process of voting.
Sec. 9-239. Payment for voting tabulators. Exception re direct purchase by Secretary and subsequent transfer. (a) The fiscal authority in each municipality shall authorize payment of the bill incurred for the purchase or lease or other method of acquisition of an adequate number of voting tabulators incurred by the officials who are responsible for providing the same under the provisions of section 9-238.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section and section 9-238, the Secretary of the State may purchase directly from the manufacturer of a voting tabulator approved under section 9-241 voting tabulators or voting tabulator accessories and subsequently transfer ownership of any such voting tabulator or voting tabulator accessory to the officials in one or more municipalities who are responsible for providing the same under the provisions of section 9-238.
(1955, S. 716d; 1957, P.A. 561, S. 2; P.A. 11-20, S. 1; P.A. 25-5, S. 1.)
History: Pursuant to P.A. 11-20, “machines” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “tabulators”, effective May 24, 2011; P.A. 25-5 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a), added Subsec. (b) re Secretary's direct purchase and subsequent transfer to municipalities, and made a technical change, effective May 19, 2025.
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Sec. 9-261. Process of voting. (a) In each primary, election or referendum, when an elector has entered the polling place, the elector shall announce the elector's street address, if any, and the elector's name to the official checker or checkers in a tone sufficiently loud and clear as to enable all the election officials present to hear the same. Each elector who registered to vote by mail for the first time on or after January 1, 2003, and has a “mark” next to the elector's name on the official registry list, as required by section 9-23r, shall present to the official checker or checkers, before the elector votes, either a current and valid photo identification that shows the elector's name and address or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows the name and address of the elector. Each other elector shall (1) present to the official checker or checkers the elector's Social Security card or any other preprinted form of identification which shows the elector's name and either the elector's address, signature or photograph, or (2) on a form prescribed by the Secretary of the State, write the elector's residential address and date of birth, print the elector's name and sign a statement under penalty of false statement that the elector is the elector whose name appears on the official checklist. Such form shall clearly state the penalty of false statement. A separate form shall be used for each elector. If the elector presents a preprinted form of identification under subdivision (1) of this subsection, the official checker or checkers shall check the name of such elector on the official checklist, manually on paper or electronically. If the elector completes the form under subdivision (2) of this subsection, the registrar of voters or the assistant registrar of voters, as the case may be, shall examine the information on such form and either instruct the official checker or checkers to check the name of such elector on the official checklist, manually on paper or electronically, or notify the elector that the form is incomplete or inaccurate.
(b) In the event that an elector is present at the polling place but is unable to gain access to the polling place due to an incapacity, the elector may request that the ballot be brought to him or her in the area designated pursuant to subsection (c) of section 9-236 for curbside voting. The registrars of voters or the assistant registrars of voters, as the case may be, shall take such ballot, along with a privacy sleeve to such elector. The elector shall show identification, in accordance with the provisions of this section. The elector shall forthwith mark the ballot in the presence of the election officials in such manner that the election officials shall not know how the ballot is marked. The elector shall place the ballot in the privacy sleeve. The election officials shall mark the elector's name on the official voter list, manually on paper or electronically, as having voted in person and deliver such ballot and privacy sleeve to the voting tabulator where such ballot shall be placed into the tabulator, by the election official, for counting. The moderator shall record such activity in the moderator's diary.
(c) In each polling place in which two or more parties are holding primaries in which unaffiliated electors are authorized to vote, pursuant to section 9-431, an unaffiliated elector shall also announce to the separate table of the official checker or checkers for unaffiliated electors the party in whose primary the elector chooses to vote and the official checker or checkers shall note such party when checking such elector's name on the checklist of unaffiliated electors, manually on paper or electronically, provided such choice shall not alter the elector's unaffiliated status.
(d) In each polling place in which two or more parties are holding primaries in which unaffiliated electors are authorized to vote or in which one party is holding a primary in which unaffiliated electors are authorized to vote for some but not all offices to be contested at the primary, the official checker or checkers shall give to each elector checked manually on paper or electronically, a receipt provided by the registrars of voters, in a form prescribed by the Secretary of the State, specifying either (1) the party with which the elector is enrolled, if any, or (2) in the case of an unaffiliated elector, the party in whose primary the elector has so chosen to vote, and whether the elector is authorized to vote for only a partial ballot.
(e) If not challenged by anyone lawfully present in the polling place, the elector shall be permitted to pass to the separated area to receive the ballot. The elector shall give any receipt the elector has received to a ballot clerk who shall give the elector a ballot to vote only in the primary of the party specified by the receipt. The elector shall be permitted into the voting booth area, and shall then register his or her vote in secret. Having voted, the elector shall immediately exit the voting booth area and deposit the ballot in the voting tabulator and leave the room. No elector shall remain within the voting booth longer than the time necessary to complete the ballot, and, if the elector refuses to leave such booth after completing the ballot, the elector shall at once be removed by the election officials upon order of the moderator. Not more than one elector at a time shall be permitted to be within the enclosed space which the elector occupies while the elector completes his or her ballot, provided an elector may be accompanied within such enclosed space 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. If any elector, after entering the voting booth area, asks for further instruction concerning the manner of voting, the election officials shall give such instructions or directions to the elector; but no election official instructing or assisting an elector, except as provided in section 9-264, shall look at the ballot in such a way as to see the elector's markings or in any manner seek to influence any such elector in the casting of the elector's vote.
(1949 Rev., S. 1206, 1209; 1953, S. 737d; 1967, P.A. 647; P.A. 87-251, S. 2; 87-509, S. 10, 24; P.A. 93-300; P.A. 95-87, S. 1; P.A. 97-154, S. 18, 27; P.A. 99-276, S. 1, 15; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 101; P.A. 04-74, S. 3; P.A. 07-194, S. 24; P.A. 14-217, S. 24; P.A. 25-168, S. 295.)
History: 1967 act changed from one to two minutes times allowed elector to remain in voting booth; P.A. 87-251 allowed children 10 years of age or younger to accompany an elector within enclosed space occupied by elector while operating machine; P.A. 87-509 divided section in to Subdivs., in Subdiv. (1) substituted “checklist” for “registry list”, added Subdivs. (2) and (3) re process of voting for unaffiliated electors when two or more parties hold primaries in which unaffiliated electors authorized to vote or (Subdiv. (3) only) one party holds primary in which unaffiliated electors authorized to vote for some but not all offices contested at primary and, in Subdiv. (4) added provisions re receipt; P.A. 93-300 added Subdiv. (1)(B), requiring elector to present identification or sign statement that he is elector whose name appears on checklist; P.A. 95-87 revised Subsec., Subdiv. and Subpara. indicators to conform with customary statutory usage and in Subsec. (a) replaced forms “provided” by Secretary of the State with “prescribed” forms; P.A. 97-154 amended Subsec. (d) to increase maximum age of children who may accompany an elector into enclosed space of voting machine booth, 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. 99-276 amended Subsec. (a) by applying provisions to each primary, election and referendum, effective January, 1, 2000; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 amended Subsec. (a) by renumbering subdivisions, requiring each elector who registered to vote by mail for first time on or after January 1, 2003, and has a mark next to the elector's name on registry list to present identifying information to checkers before voting, requiring elector signing statement to write elector's residential address and date of birth and print elector's name on form which states penalty of false statement, requiring separate form for each elector, requiring assistant registrar of voters to examine information on form and instruct checkers, and making technical changes for purposes of gender neutrality, effective January 1, 2004; P.A. 04-74 amended Subsec. (a) to replace reference to Sec. 9-23g(e) with reference to Sec. 9-23r, effective May 10, 2004; P.A. 07-194 added new Subsec. (b) re temporary incapacity, redesignated existing Subsecs. (b) to (d) as Subsecs. (c) to (e), replaced “checkers” with “official checkers” and “municipal clerk” with “registrar of voters”, deleted provisions re voting machines and made conforming and technical changes; P.A. 14-217 amended Subsecs. (a) to (d) by adding references to manual or electronic checking of electors, amended Subsec. (e) by deleting provision permitting two additional electors to be in polling area and made technical changes, effective June 13, 2014; P.A. 25-168 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting “temporary” before “incapacity” and adding reference to area designated for curbside voting pursuant to Sec. 9-236(c), effective January 1, 2026.
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Sec. 9-264. Assistance to elector who is blind, has disability or is unable to write or to read the ballot. An elector who requires assistance to vote, by reason of blindness, disability or inability to write or to read the ballot, may be given assistance by a person of the elector's choice, other than (1) the elector's employer, (2) an agent of such employer, (3) an officer or agent of the elector's union, or (4) a candidate for any office on the ballot, unless the elector is a member of the immediate family of such candidate. The person assisting the elector may accompany the elector into the voting booth at the polling place, the location designated for same-day election registration or the location designated for the conduct of early voting, as applicable. Such person shall register such elector's vote upon the ballot as such elector directs. Any person accompanying an elector into the voting booth at the polling place or the location designated for election day registration who deceives any elector in registering the elector's vote under this section or seeks to influence any elector while in the act of voting, or who registers any vote for any elector or on any question other than as requested by such elector, or who gives information to any person as to what person or persons such elector voted for, or how such elector voted on any question, shall be guilty of a class D felony. As used in this section, “immediate family” has the same meaning as provided in section 9-140b.
(1949 Rev., S. 1210; 1953, S. 740d; 1961, P.A. 431; P.A. 75-133; P.A. 87-382, S. 29, 55; P.A. 93-384, S. 10, 28; P.A. 00-79, S. 3; P.A. 11-20, S. 18; 11-173, S. 41; P.A. 13-258, S. 36; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 110; P.A. 23-5, S. 31; 23-204, S. 183; P.A. 25-134, S. 10.)
History: 1961 act made special provision for blind electors and made other technical changes; P.A. 75-133 deleted provision for physically disabled voter to be accompanied into voting machine booth by two election officials of opposite parties, substituting therefor a person of his choice who is a Connecticut elector and providing for such person to register disabled voter's vote on machine as he directs; P.A. 87-382 amended provisions to clarify who qualifies for assistance and to indicate who may provide assistance to an elector and deleted a reference to voting for a “ticket”; P.A. 93-384 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (b) requiring paper ballots to be made available to electors with disabilities who are unable to reach all necessary parts of voting machine, effective June 29, 1993; P.A. 00-79 amended Subsec. (b) to specify paper ballots “provided by the municipal clerk to the moderator pursuant to section 9-259” and to make technical changes; P.A. 11-20 replaced “voting machine booth” with “voting booth” and “machine” with “ballot”, made technical changes, eliminated Subsec. (a) designator and eliminated former Subsec. (b) re paper ballots, effective May 24, 2011; P.A. 11-173 added Subdiv. (4) re candidate for office, replaced “voting machine booth” with “voting booth” and “machine” with “ballot”, defined “immediate family”, made technical changes, deleted Subsec. (a) designator and deleted former Subsec. (b) re paper ballots, effective July 13, 2011; P.A. 13-258 changed penalty from a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment of not more than 5 years to a class D felony; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 added references to polling places and election day registration locations, effective June 23, 2021; P.A. 23-5 replaced “election day registration” with “same-day election registration” and added reference to early voting location, effective July 1, 2023; P.A. 23-204 changed effective date of P.A. 23-5, S. 31, from July 1, 2023, to January 1, 2024, effective June 12, 2023; P.A. 25-134 made a technical change.
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