Bill Text: CT HB05479 | 2014 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: An Act Concerning An Extension Of The Activity Distance Ban To Exits Of Polling Places.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-03-06 - Public Hearing 03/10 [HB05479 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2014-HB05479-Introduced.html

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General Assembly		Raised Bill No. 5479
February Session, 2014		LCO No. 2151
		*02151_______GAE*
Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION AND ELECTIONS
Introduced by:
(GAE)

AN ACT CONCERNING AN EXTENSION OF THE ACTIVITY DISTANCE BAN TO EXITS OF POLLING PLACES.

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

Section 1. Subsection (j) of section 9-19j of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2014):

(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 or exit in use as an entry to or exit from the registrars' of voters designated location for election day registration balloting or in any corridor, passageway or other approach leading from any such outside entrance to or exit from such registrars' of voters designated location or in any room opening upon any such corridor, passageway or approach.

Sec. 2. Subsections (a) and (b) of section 9-236 of the general statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2014):

(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 or exit in use as an entry to or exit from any polling place or in any corridor, passageway or other approach leading to or from any such outside entrance to or exit from 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 or exit. 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 or exit in use as an entry to or exit from any polling place or in any corridor, passageway or other approach leading from any such outside entrance to or exit from 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.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	July 1, 2014	9-19j(j)
Sec. 2	July 1, 2014	9-236(a) and (b)

Statement of Purpose:

To make the activity distance ban for polling place entrances applicable to polling place exits.

[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.]