Bill Text: CT HB05422 | 2018 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: An Act Concerning Voting Rights And Primary Day Elector Registration.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-04-12 - File Number 441 [HB05422 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2018-HB05422-Introduced.html
General Assembly |
Raised Bill No. 5422 | ||
February Session, 2018 |
LCO No. 1055 | ||
*01055_______GAE* | |||
Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION AND ELECTIONS |
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Introduced by: |
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(GAE) |
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AN ACT CONCERNING VOTING RIGHTS AND PRIMARY DAY ELECTOR REGISTRATION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 9-19j of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(a) As used in this subsection and subsections (b) to (i), inclusive, of this section, "election day" means the day on which a regular election, as defined in section 9-1, is held, "primary day" means the day on which a primary, as defined in section 9-372 or 9-463, as applicable, is held, "election day registration" means admission as an elector on election day and "primary day registration" means enrollment in a political party holding a primary, and may include admission as an elector, on primary day.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter, a person who (1) is (A) not an elector, [or] (B) an elector registered in a municipality who wishes to change his or her registration to another municipality pursuant to the provisions of subdivision (2) of subsection (e) of this section, or (C) not an enrolled member of any political party, and (2) meets the eligibility requirements under subsection (a) of section 9-12 and section 9-59, if applicable, may apply for admission as an elector on election day or primary day, or for enrollment in a political party holding a primary on primary day, pursuant to the provisions of subsections (a) to (i), inclusive, of this section.
(c) (1) The registrars of voters shall designate a location for the completion and processing of election day registration applications on election day and primary day registrations on primary day, provided the registrars of voters have access to the state-wide centralized voter registration system from such location.
(2) The registrars of voters may appoint one or more election officials or primary officials, as applicable, to serve at such location and may delegate to such election or primary officials any of the responsibilities assigned to the registrars of voters. The registrars of voters shall supervise such election or primary officials and train such election or primary officials to be election day registration election officials or primary day registration primary officials.
(d) Any person applying to register as an elector on election day or primary day, or enroll in a political party holding a primary on primary day, under the provisions of subsections (a) to (i), inclusive, of this section shall make application in accordance with [the provisions of] section 9-20 and section 9-59, if applicable, provided (1) on election day or primary day, the applicant shall appear in person at the location designated by the registrars of voters for election day registration or primary day registration, (2) an applicant who is a student enrolled at an institution of higher education may submit a current photo identification card issued by [said] such institution in lieu of the identification required by section 9-20, and (3) the applicant shall declare under oath that the applicant has not previously voted in [the] any election or primary held that day. If the information that the applicant is required to provide under section 9-20 and subsections (a) to (i), inclusive, of this section does not include proof of the applicant's residential address, the applicant shall also submit identification that shows the applicant's bona fide residence address, including, but not limited to, a learner's permit issued under section 14-36 or a utility bill that has the applicant's name and current address and that has a due date that is not later than thirty days after the election or primary, as applicable, or, in the case of a student enrolled at an institution of higher education, a registration or fee statement from such institution that has the applicant's name and current address.
(e) If the registrars of voters determine that an applicant satisfies the application requirements set forth in subsection (d) of this section, the registrars of voters shall check the state-wide centralized voter registration system before admitting such applicant as an elector or enrolling such applicant in a political party holding a primary, if applicable.
(1) If the registrars of voters determine that the applicant is not already an elector, the registrars of voters shall admit the applicant as an elector and the privileges of an elector shall attach immediately. On primary day, if the registrars of voters determine that the applicant is already an elector but not already enrolled in any political party, the registrars of voters shall enroll the applicant in the political party holding a primary of such applicant's preference and the privileges of party enrollment shall attach immediately.
(2) If the registrars of voters determine that such applicant is an elector in another municipality and such applicant states that he or she wants to change the municipality in which the applicant is an elector, notwithstanding the provisions of section 9-21, the registrars of voters of the municipality in which such elector now seeks to register shall immediately notify the registrars of voters in such other municipality that such elector is changing the municipality in which the applicant is an elector. The registrars of voters in such other municipality shall notify the election officials in such municipality to remove such elector from the official voter list and, if applicable, any enrollment list of such municipality. Such election officials shall cross through the elector's name on such official voter list and, if applicable, enrollment list and mark "off" next to such elector's name on such official voter list and, if applicable, enrollment list.
(A) If it is reported that such applicant already voted in such other municipality, the registrars of voters of such other municipality shall immediately notify the registrars of voters of the municipality in which such elector now seeks to register. In such event, such elector shall not receive an election day registration or primary day registration, as applicable, ballot from the registrars of voters of the municipality in which such elector now seeks to register. For any such elector, the election day registration or primary day registration process shall cease in the municipality in which such elector now seeks to register and such matter shall be reviewed by the registrars of voters in the municipality in which such elector now seeks to register. After completion of such review, if a resolution of the matter [can not] cannot be made, such matter shall be reported to the State Elections Enforcement Commission which shall conduct an investigation of the matter.
(B) If there is no such report that such applicant already voted in the other municipality, the registrars of voters of the municipality in which the applicant seeks to register shall admit the applicant as an elector and the privileges of an elector shall attach immediately. On primary day, such registrars of voters shall also enroll the applicant in the political party holding a primary of such applicant's preference and the privileges of party enrollment shall attach immediately.
(f) If the applicant is admitted as an elector or enrolled in a political party holding a primary, the registrars of voters shall provide the elector with an election day registration or primary day registration ballot and [election day registration] envelope and shall make a record of such issuance. The elector shall complete an affirmation imprinted upon the back of the envelope for an election day registration or primary day registration ballot and shall declare under oath that the applicant has not previously voted in [the] any election or primary held that day. The affirmation shall be in the form substantially as follows and signed by the voter:
AFFIRMATION: I, the undersigned, do hereby state, under penalty of false statement, (perjury) that:
1. I am the person admitted here as an elector in the town indicated.
2. I am eligible to vote in the election or primary indicated for today in the town indicated.
3. The information on my voter registration card is correct and complete.
4. I reside at the address that I have given to the registrars of voters.
5. If previously registered at another location, I have provided such address to the registrars of voters and hereby request cancellation of such prior registration.
6. I have not voted in person or by absentee ballot and I will not vote otherwise than by this ballot at this election or primary.
7. I completed an application for an election day registration or primary day registration ballot and received an election day registration or primary day registration ballot.
.... (Signature of voter)
(g) The elector shall forthwith mark the election day registration or primary day registration ballot in the presence of the registrars of voters in such a manner that the registrars of voters shall not know how [the election day registration] such ballot is marked. The elector shall place [the election day registration] such ballot in the election day registration or primary day registration ballot envelope provided, and deposit such envelope in a secured election day registration or primary day registration 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 [the election day registration] such ballots to the area, either district or central, where absentee ballots are counted and such election day registration or primary day registration ballots shall be counted by the election or primary officials present at such location. A section of the head moderator's return shall show the number of election day registration or primary day registration ballots received from electors. The registrars of voters shall seal a copy of the vote tally for [election day registration] such ballots in a depository envelope with [the election day registration] such ballots and store such [election day registration] depository envelope with the other election or primary results materials. The election day registration or primary day registration depository envelope shall be preserved by the registrars of voters for the period of time required to preserve counted ballots for elections or primaries, as applicable.
(h) 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 election day registration and primary day registration ballots under subsections (a) to (i), inclusive, of this section.
(i) After the acceptance of an election day registration or a primary day registration, the registrars of voters shall forthwith send a registration confirmation notice to the residential address of each applicant who is admitted as an elector on election day or primary day, as applicable, under subsections (a) to (i), inclusive, of this section. Such confirmation shall be sent by first class mail with instructions on the envelope that it be returned if not deliverable at the address shown on the envelope. If a confirmation notice is returned undelivered, the registrars shall forthwith take the necessary action in accordance with section 9-35 or 9-43, as applicable, notwithstanding the May first deadline in section 9-35.
(j) No person shall solicit in behalf of or in opposition to the candidacy of another or himself or herself or in 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 registrars' of voters designated location for election day registration or primary day registration balloting or in any corridor, passageway or other approach leading from any such outside entrance to such registrars' of voters designated location or in any room opening upon any such corridor, passageway or approach.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
from passage |
9-19j |
Statement of Purpose:
To apply to primaries the procedures at regular elections for elector registration, party enrollment and voting.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]