SB 1226 — AN ACT CONCERNING STATE VOTING RIGHTS IN RECOGNITION OF JOHN R. LEWIS.

and (11) "Vote" or "voting" includes any action necessary to cast a ballot and make such ballot effective in any election or primary, including, but not limited to, admission as an elector, application for an absentee ballot and any other action required by law as a prerequisite to casting a ballot and having such ballot counted, canvassed or certified properly and LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-0122 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

(b) (1) No municipality shall employ any method of election for any office of the municipality that has the effect, or is motivated in part by the intent, of impairing the opportunity or ability of protected class LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-0123 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

(B) (i) In determining whether racially polarized voting by protected class members in a municipality occurs or whether candidates or electoral choices preferred by protected class members would usually be defeated, the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford (I) shall consider elections held prior to the filing of an action pursuant to this section as more probative than elections conducted after such filing, (II)shallconsider evidence concerning electionsfor any municipaloffice in such municipality as more probative than evidence concerning elections for other offices, but may still afford probative value to evidence concerning elections for such other offices, (III) shall consider statistical evidence as more probative than nonstatistical evidence, (IV) in the case of claims brought on behalf of two or more protected classes that are politically cohesive in such municipality, shall combine members of such protected classes to determine whether voting by such LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-0124 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

(F) the extent to which protected class members in LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-0125 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

(e) (1) Notwithstanding any provision of title 9 of the general statutes and any special act, charter or home rule ordinance, whenever the LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-0126 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph (M) of this LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-0127 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

In advance of each such hearing, themunicipality shall conduct outreachto membersofthe LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-0128 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

(B) Prior to receiving a notification letter, or not later than fifty days after any such notification letter is sent to a municipality, the legislative body of such municipality may pass a resolution (i) affirming such municipality's intention to enact and implement a remedy for a potential violation of the provisions of sections 1 to 9, inclusive, of this act, (ii) setting forth specific measures such municipality will take to facilitate approval and implementation of such a remedy, and (iii) providing a schedule for the enactment and implementation of such a LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-012269 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

The Secretary may only approve such proposed remedy if the Secretary concludes (I) such municipality may be in violation of the provisions of sections 1 to 9, inclusive, of this act, (II) the proposed remedy would address any such potential violation, (III) theproposedremedy does not violate the Constitution of Connecticut or any federal law, and (IV) the proposed remedy can be implemented in a manner that will not unduly LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-012210 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

If such party agrees to so enter into such an agreement, such LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-0111 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

(F) (i) Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, a party described in subsection (d) of this section may seek preliminary relief for a regular election held in a municipality by filing an action pursuant LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-0112 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-01213 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-01214 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

(i) The office of the Secretary of the State may provide nonpartisan LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-012215 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

(2) As used in this section, "limited English proficient individual" LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-01216 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

All provided translations shall convey the intent and LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-0117 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

(b) A covered policy shall include any new or modified qualification for admission as an elector, prerequisite to voting or ordinance, LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-0118 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-01219 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

or LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-0120 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

(e) (1) If a covered jurisdiction seeks preclearance from the Secretary of the State for the adoption or implementation of any covered policy, LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-0121 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

(E) In any such determination, the Secretary shall state in writing LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-0122 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

(i) For any covered policy concerning the location of polling places or absentee ballot drop boxes, (I) the time period for public comment shall betenbusinessdays,and(II)thetimeperiodinwhichtheSecretaryshall review the covered policy, including any public comment thereon, and LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-0123 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

Any such appeal shall be privileged with respect to LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-0124 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

(5) If the court denies preclearance to a covered policy, or fails to make a determination within ninety days of receipt of submission of LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-0125 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

(1) Any person who uses or threatens to use any force, violence, restraint, abduction or duress, who inflicts or threatens to inflict any injury, damage, harm or loss or who by any other conduct practices intimidation that causes or will reasonably have the effect of causing LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-01226 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

(2) Any person who violates the provisions of this section, or who aids in the violation of any of such provisions, shall be liable for any LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-0127 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

In the case of a party against whom such action was filed and who prevailed in such action, the court shall not award such party any costs unless such court finds such action to be frivolous, unreasonable LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-0128 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

APP Joint Favorable JUD Joint Favorable LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-01226- 29 of 29 R02-SB.docxR03-SB.docx }