HB 6579 — AN ACT REVISING CERTAIN STATUTES CONCERNING VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTION ADMINISTRATION.

579 State shall enter the returns in tabular form in books kept by the Secretary for that purpose andpresent aprintedreport ofthesame, with the name of, and the total number of votes received by, each of the candidates for said offices, to the General Assembly at its next session.

[The moderator shall also deliver oneof such duplicate lists to the clerk of such town.] (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this LCOsection,for 3552thestate {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2021HB-0657912electionin2020,(1)theduplicate list requiredunder said subsections to be transmitted by electronic means to the Secretary by such moderator shall be so transmitted not later than ninety-six hours after the close of 14the R01-HB.docxpolls }on Raisedelection Billday, and (2) the duplicate HB6579 / File No.

6579579 section,for12 thestateHB6579 electionin2020,(1)theduplicateFile listNo. requiredunder said subsections to be transmitted by electronic means to the Secretary by such moderator shall be so transmitted not later than ninety-six hours after the close of the polls on election day, and (2) the duplicate list required under said subsections to be sealed and delivered to the Secretary shall be so delivered not later than the fifth day after the election.

579 list required under said subsections to be sealed and delivered to the Secretary shall be so delivered not later than the fifth day after the election.

on the thirdday following eachregularelection,theheadmoderator,registrarseachregular election,theheadmoderator,registrars of voters andtown clerk for each town divided into voting districts shall meet to identify any error in the returns.

on the fifth day following the election, and (C) any identified error required under said subdivision to be corrected, and any amended return required under said subdivision to be filed with the Secretary of the State, the town clerk and the registrars of voters, by the head moderator LCOshall 3552be {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2021HB-0657913so ofcorrected 14or R01-HB.docxfiled, }as Raisedapplicable, Billnot No.later than one o'clock p.m.

6579 shall be so corrected or filed, as applicable, not later than one o'clock p.m.

(Effective from passage) ThisHB6579 act/ shallFile takeNo. effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:

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579 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:

7 from passage 9-35a from passage Sec.

8 from passage 9-39 Sec.

18 from passage Repealer section GAE Joint Favorable LCOHB6579 3552/ {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2021HB-06579-File 14No. of 14 R01-HB.docx }

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579 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.

Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:

None Municipal Impact:

None Explanation This bill makes various changes affecting registrars of voters that have no fiscal impact.

The Out Years State Impact:

None Municipal Impact:

None HB6579 / File No.

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579 OLR Bill Analysis HB 6579 AN ACT REVISING CERTAIN STATUTES CONCERNING VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTION ADMINISTRATION.

SUMMARY This bill makes various changes affecting election administration.

Principally, it does the following:

1.

allows registrars of voters to provide notice of voter registration sessions on their municipality’s website as an alternative to a newspaper;

2.

repeals obsolete provisions concerning municipal boards for admission of electors;

3.

eliminates a requirement that registrars meet on a specific day before aregular electionto complete theregistry listofallelectors who may vote at the election, and instead requires them to complete the list before the election;

4.

eliminates requirements that (a) the advisory committee tasked with establishing training programs for registrars of voters develop an election law and procedures training program and guide for registrars and their assistants and deputies and (b) registrars or their assistants or deputies annually receive at least hours of training through that program;

and 5.

requires moderators to file moderator returns electronically with the secretary of the state and in hard copy with the town clerk.

The bill also allows registrars of voters to appoint electors from any Connecticut municipality to serve as voting tabulator tenders.

Under current law, registrars may appoint electors only from their municipality (§ 13).

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579 Lastly, the bill makes minor, technical, and conforming changes (§§ 8 & 9).

EFFECTIVE DATE:

Upon passage § 1 — NOTICE OF VOTER REGISTRATION SESSION The bill gives registrars of voters in each municipality the option of providing notice of the time and place of voter registration sessions on their municipal website.

Under current law, they must notice these sessions in a newspaper published or circulated in the municipality.

Instead, the bill allows either option.

In either case, the notice must appear from five to 15 days before the session and it need not be in the form of a legal advertisement.

§§ 2-5 & 18 — BOARDS FOR ADMISSION OF ELECTORS The bill repeals obsolete references to municipal boards for admission of electors.

Current law requires that these boards, among other things, adjudicate appeals made by someone who is denied admission as an elector (i.e., ability to vote) by a registrar of voters.

However, in practice municipalities no longer use these boards.

Rather, someone aggrieved by a registrar’s admission decision may file a complaint with the State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC).

§§ 6 & 7 — PRELIMINARY VOTER REGISTRY LIST The bill eliminates the requirement that registrars of voters meet on the Tuesday of the fifth week before a regular election to complete a correct registry list of electors entitled to vote in the election (i.e., those on both the active and inactive voter registry lists).

It instead requires them to complete the list before the election and makes conforming changes (e.g., repealing the requirement that the registrars notice the sessionat least five daysinadvance).In practice, registrarsmaintainthis list on a continual basis through the statewide centralized voter registration system.

§§ 10-12 & 18 — REGISTRAR TRAINING The bill eliminates a requirement that registrars of voters annually take, or designate their deputies or assistants to take, at least 10 HB6579 / File No.

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579 instruction hours under an election law and procedures training program developed by the six-member advisory committee that trains and certifies them.

It similarly eliminates the requirement that the committee develop the program and a related guide and submit them to the secretary of the state for approval.

Under existing law unchanged by the bill, registrars of voters must (1) be certified through a program developed by the secretary in consultation with the advisory committee and (2) annually complete at least eight hours of training that are separate from the 10-hour training program eliminated by the bill.

The advisory committee consists of representatives of the secretary of the state and SEEC, and four registrars of voters whom the secretary appoints in consultation with the Registrars of Voters Association of Connecticut (CGS § 9-192a).

§§ 14-17— FILING MODERATOR RETURNS By law, moderators must file a moderator return with the secretary of the state and their town clerk after a primary, election, referendum, or recanvass.

Similarly, they must file (1) a corrected return for federal offices showing provisional ballots after a recanvass and (2) for municipalities divided into voting districts, an amended return after meeting with the town clerk and registrars of voters if errors were identified in the election night returns.

The bill generally requires moderators to file these returns electronically with the secretary of the state and in hard copy with the town clerk (in some cases, the hard copy must also be filed with the registrars).

Under existing law, moderators must already file the preliminary and duplicate list of returns electronically with the secretary of the state.

COMMITTEE ACTION Government Administration and Elections Committee Joint Favorable Yea 19 Nay 0 (04/05/2021) HB6579 / File No.

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