SB 1156 — AN ACT CONCERNING STATE-WIDE RECOGNITION OF MINOR PARTIES FOR PURPOSES OF NOMINATING PETITIONS.

Senate General Assembly SubstituteFile Bill No.

1156667 January Session, 2025 ANSubstitute ACTSenate CONCERNINGBill STATE-WIDENo. RECOGNITION OF MINOR PARTIES FOR PURPOSES OF NOMINATING PETITIONS.

1156 Senate, April 14, 2025 The Committee on Government Administration and Elections reported through SEN.

FLEXER of the 29th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the Senate, that the substitute bill ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING STATE-WIDE RECOGNITION OF MINOR PARTIES FOR PURPOSES OF NOMINATING PETITIONS.

(1) The name or names of the candidates to appear on such nominating petition, compared by the town clerk of the town of residence of each candidate with the candidate's name as it appears on the last-completed registry list of such town, and verified and corrected by such town clerk or in the case of a newly admitted elector whose namesSB1156 does/ notFile appearNo. on the last-completed registry list, the town clerk shall compare the candidate's name as it appears on the candidate's application for admission and verify and correct it accordingly;

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667 name does not appear on the last-completed registry list, the town clerk shall compare the candidate's name as it appears on the candidate's application for admission and verify and correct it accordingly;

An applicant for petition forms who does not wish to specify a party designation shall so indicate on the application for LCOsuch 1forms ofand 6the Substituteapplication, Billif No.so marked, shall not be amended in this respect.

1156 such forms and the application, if so marked, shall not be amended in this respect.

Section 9-372 of the general statutes is repealed and the followingsSB1156 is/ substitutedFile inNo. lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2026):

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667 following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2026):

(1) "Caucus" means any meeting, at a designated hour and place, or LCOat 2designated hours and places, of 6the Substituteenrolled Billmembers No.of a political party within a municipality or political subdivision thereof for the purpose of selecting party-endorsed candidates for a primary to be held by such party or for the purpose of transacting other business of such party;

1156 at designated hours and places, of the enrolled members of a political party within a municipality or political subdivision thereof for the purpose of selecting party-endorsed candidates for a primary to be held by such party or for the purpose of transacting other business of such party;

(6) "Minor party" means (A) a political party or organization [which] that is not a major party and whose candidate for the office in question received at the last-preceding regular election for such office, under the designation of that political party or organization, at least one per cent ofsSB1156 the/ wholeFile number of votes cast for all candidates for such office at such election, or (B) with respect to a candidate applying to appear on a nominating petition for any office in accordance with the provisions of section 9-453b, as amended by this act, a political party or organization that is not a major party and whose candidate for a state office received at the last-preceding regular election for such state office, under the LCO 3 of 6 Substitute Bill No.

1156667 designation3 ofsSB1156 thatFile politicalNo. party or organization, at least one per cent of the whole number of votes cast for all candidates for such state office at such election;

667 of the whole number of votes cast for all candidates for such office at such election, or (B) with respect to a candidate applying to appear on a nominating petition for any office in accordance with the provisions of section 9-453b, as amended by this act, a political party or organization that is not a major party and whose candidate for a state office received at the last-preceding regular election for such state office, under the designation of that political party or organization, at least one per cent of the whole number of votes cast for all candidates for such state office at such election;

(12)sSB1156 "Registrar"/ meansFile the registrar of voters in a municipality who is enrolled with the political party holding a primary and, in each municipality where there are different registrars for different voting districts, means the registrar so enrolled in the voting district in which, at the last-preceding regular election, the presiding officer for the purposeofdeclaringtheresultofthevoteofthewholemunicipalitywas LCO 4 of 6 Substitute Bill No.

1156667 moderator;4 sSB1156 File No.

667 (12) "Registrar" means the registrar of voters in a municipality who is enrolled with the political party holding a primary and, in each municipality where there are different registrars for different voting districts, means the registrar so enrolled in the voting district in which, at the last-preceding regular election, the presiding officer for the purposeofdeclaringtheresultofthevoteofthewholemunicipalitywas moderator;

ThissSB1156 act/ shallFile takeNo. effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:

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

3 January 1, 2026 9-66 LCOStatement 5 of 6Legislative SubstituteCommissioners: Bill No.

1156 Statement of Legislative Commissioners:

-LCO LCOsSB1156 6/ ofFile 6No.

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667 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 expands ballot access for minor parties if a candidate nominated by that party for state office received at least 1% of the vote for a statewide office in the last election, and results in no fiscal impact to the state or municipalities.

The Out Years State Impact:

None Municipal Impact:

None sSB1156 / File No.

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667 OLR Bill Analysis SB 1156 AN ACT CONCERNING STATE-WIDE RECOGNITION OF MINOR PARTIES FOR PURPOSES OF NOMINATING PETITIONS.

SUMMARY This bill allows minor party candidates to qualify for ballot access in state, district, and municipal elections if a candidate under that party’s designation for any state office received at least 1% of the votes cast for that office in the last election, rather than on a case-by-case basis as under current law.