Election administration in Connecticut

Election Information
Voter registration
Early voting
Absentee/mail-in voting
All-mail voting
Voter ID laws
State poll opening and closing times
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Election administration encompasses a state's voting policies and methods of enforcing them. These include voter identification requirements, early and absentee voting provisions, voter list maintenance methods, and more. Each state's voting policies dictate who can vote and under what conditions.

THE BASICS

Connecticut permits online voter registration.

Connecticut permits early voting. It does not permit no-excuse absentee voting.

In Connecticut, polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Connecticut requires non-photo identification to vote.

Connecticut holds closed primary elections.

Connecticut has tools for verifying voter registration.

Below, you will find details on the following election administration topics in Connecticut:

• Poll times
• Voter registration
• Early and absentee/mail-in voting policy
• Voter identification requirements
• Provisional ballot rules
• Primary election type
• Time off work for voting
• Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

• Voter list maintenance
• Post-election auditing
• Election policy ballot measures
• Election policy legislation
• Ballot access
• Redistricting
• Election administration agencies

Poll times

See also: State poll opening and closing times

In Connecticut, all polling places are open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Election Day. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Voter registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Connecticut, one must be a U.S. citizen and Connecticut resident who will be at least 18 years old before Election Day.

Registration applications can be submitted online or completed via paper forms. Same-day registration is available in Connecticut, but must be completed at designated election-day registration locations in each town.

Automatic registration

Connecticut automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Connecticut has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Connecticut allows same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Connecticut, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Connecticut does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration.

Verifying your registration

The site Voter Registration Lookup, run by the Connecticut Secretary of State office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Early and absentee voting policy

Early voting

See also: Early voting

Governor Ned Lamont (D) signed Public Act 23-5 into law on June 7, 2023. The law, which went into effect on July 1, 2023, implemented in-person early voting for elections occurring after January 1, 2024. The length of the early voting period varies based on the type of election. Fourteen days of early voting are required for general elections, seven days are required for most primaries, and four days are required for special elections and presidential preference primaries. Each municipality was required to establish at least one early voting location.

In 2022, Connecticut voters approved a legislatively referred constitutional amendment allowing the Connecticut General Assembly to pass laws providing for in-person early voting.

Absentee voting

See also: Absentee voting

Connecticut voters are eligible to vote absentee in an election if they cannot make it to the polls on election day for one of the following reasons:

• Active military service
• Absence from town of residence during voting hours
• Illness or physical disability
• Religious beliefs precluding secular activity on election day
• Performance of duties as an election official at a different polling place during voting hours

An absentee ballot must be returned either in person by close of business the day before the election or by mail. If returned by mail, the ballot must be received by close of polls on election day.

Returning absentee ballots

See also: Mail ballot collection and return laws by state

Connecticut voters can return their absentee ballot to their town clerk by mail or in person. Ballots must be received by the time the polls close on election day in order to be counted. Voters who are unable to return their ballot may designate another person to return it for them.

Signature requirements and cure provisions

Absentee ballots in Connecticut include a set of return envelopes with a certification statement printed on the inner envelope. In order to be counted, the statement must be signed by the voter and the ballot must be sealed inside the inner and outer envelopes. If the inner envelope is missing a signature or it is determined that the signature on the envelope does not match the voter’s signature on file, the ballot will not be counted. Connecticut law does not include a cure provision, a procedure allowing voters to correct an issue with their absentee ballot.

Voter identification requirements

See also: Voter ID in Connecticut

See also: Voter identification laws by state

Connecticut requires voters to present non-photo identification while voting.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of April 2023. Click here for the Connecticut Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

First-time voters who registered by mail must present one of the following forms of identification to vote in an election with federal candidates on the ballot:

• Copy of a current and valid photo identification with the voter’s name and address, or
• Copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or government document that shows the voter’s name and address.

Other voters must present one of the following forms of identification:

• Social security card, or
• Pre-printed form of identification that shows the voter's name and address, name and signature, or name and photograph.

Background

As of August 2023, 34 states required voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these states, 23 required voters to present identification containing a photograph, and 11 accepted other forms of identification. The remaining 16 states did not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Valid forms of identification differ by state. Commonly accepted forms include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.

Provisional balloting for voters without ID

A first-time voter who does not have an accepted form of identification while voting may cast a provisional ballot. See below for provisional ballot rules. All other voters can "[s]ign a statement under penalty of false statement on Form ED-681 entitled, 'Signatures of Electors Who Did Not Present ID,' provided by the Secretary of the State that the elector whose name appears on the official check list is the same person who is signing the form."

Provisional ballot rules

Voters in Connecticut are given provisional ballots, or ballots requiring additional steps or information before they can be counted, under the following circumstances.

1) If the voter’s "name does not appear on the official registry list for the polling place," the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.

2) If the voter’s eligibility to vote is challenged by an election official, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.

3) If a first-time voter is unable to provide proper identification, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.

4) If the voter votes "after the polls close in an election for federal office as a result of a federal or state court order, or any other order extending the time established for closing the polls by a state law in effect 10 days before the date of that election," the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.

In each of the above circumstances, the voter must complete a "written affirmation at the polling place affirming that you are qualified to vote in the election or primary for federal office in the polling place; and you have neither offered yourself to vote nor voted in person or by absentee ballot at said election or primary for federal office at the polling place."

If the voter is not registered in the proper precinct when the ballot is cast, the voter’s provisional ballot is rejected.

Local election officials

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Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool.

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Primary election type

See also: Primary elections in Connecticut

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Connecticut utilizes a closed primary system, in which only registered party members may vote in a party's primary.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Time off work for voting

In 2021, Connecticut lawmakers enacted legislation that required employees to grant workers unpaid time off to vote so long as the employee requests the time off at least two days in advance. As enacted, the requirement expires on June 30, 2024.

As of 2020, 28 states had laws requiring employers to provide time off for voting under certain conditions.

Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

See also: Voting rights for convicted felons

In Connecticut, people convicted of a felony in a federal or out-of-state court regain their voting rights upon completion of confinement, parole, and the payment of all fines. People convicted of a felony and confined in a Connecticut facility regain voting rights after the completion of confinement and parole, except for those who have violated Connecticut's Election Statutes, who must be discharged from probation before their voting rights are restored.

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.

Voter list maintenance

All states have rules under which they maintain voter rolls—or, check and remove certain names from their lists of registered voters. Most states are subject to the parameters set by The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The NVRA requires states to make efforts to remove deceased individuals and individuals who have become ineligible due to a change of address. It prohibits removing registrants from voter lists within 90 days of a federal election due to change of address unless a registrant has requested to be removed, or from removing people from voter lists solely because they have not voted. The NVRA says that states may remove names from their registration lists under certain other circumstances and that their methods for removing names must be uniform and nondiscriminatory.

When names can be removed from the voter list

Connecticut law requires state and local election officials to remove individuals from the voter registration list if the individual:

• Dies,
• Confirms in writing a change of address to a location outside of their voting jurisdiction,
• Has been convicted of a felony and committed to the custody of the Commissioner of Correction, or
• Remains on the inactive voter list for four years.

Inactive voter list rules

Local election officials conduct an annual canvass in which they determine if voters have moved from their voting jurisdiction. State law requires officials to send a forwardable notice to voters determined to have moved. Officials add the voter’s name to the inactive list if the voter does not return the notice. Inactive voters are not included in calculations for petitions and other election administration procedures. If a voter remains on the inactive voter list for four years - by not voting or updating their registration status - their registration is to be canceled.

The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)

See also: Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)

According to its website, ERIC is a nonprofit corporation that is governed by a board of member-states. These member states submit voter registration and motor vehicle registration information to ERIC. ERIC uses this information, as well as Social Security death records, to provide member states with detailed reports showing voters who have moved within their state, moved out of their state, died, have duplicate registrations in their state, or are potentially eligible to vote but are not yet registered. ERIC's website describes its funding as follows: "Each state pays annual dues, which are determined by a formula approved by the ERIC membership. The formula includes a state's citizen voting age population as a factor."

By 2022, 33 states and the District of Columbia had joined ERIC. As of August 2023, 26 states and the District of Columbia were members in the ERIC program.

As of August 2023, Connecticut was participating in the ERIC program.

Post-election auditing

Connecticut state law requires post-election audits. Local registrars of voters and the secretary of state randomly select offices to be audited, and at least 10% of the randomly selected voting districts are audited. The audit may be conducted by a hand count or electronic count. "A re-canvass is ordered if the difference between the manual and machine counts is more than 0.5% and cannot be resolved through other means." The audit must be conducted between the fifteenth day after the election and two business days before the canvass.

Post-election audits check that election results tallied by a state's voting system match results from paper records, such as paper ballots filled out by voters or the paper records produced by electronic voting machines. Post-election audits are classified into two categories: audits of election results—which include traditional post-election audits as well as risk-limiting audits—and procedural audits.

Typically, traditional post-election audits are done by recounting a portion of ballots, either electronically or by hand, and comparing the results to those produced by the state's voting system. In contrast, risk-limiting audits use statistical methods to compare a random sample of votes cast to election results instead of reviewing every ballot. The scope of procedural audits varies by state, but they typically include a systematic review of voting equipment, performance of the voting system, vote totals, duties of election officials and workers, ballot chain of custody, and more.

As of December 2023, 41 states and the District of Columbia required some form of post-election audit. Of these, 36 states and the District of Columbia required traditional post-election audits, three states required risk-limiting post-election audits, and two states required procedural post-election audits.

Noteworthy events

2021

On April 6, 2021, Governor Ned Lamont (D) signed an executive order allowing voters to cast absentee/mail-in ballots in any election, primary, or referendum held before May 20, 2021, citing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse for being unable to vote in person at a polling place. The full text of the executive order can be accessed here.

Election policy ballot measures

See also: Elections and campaigns on the ballot and List of Connecticut ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in Connecticut.

1. Connecticut Party Lever Usage Ban, Question 2 (1986)
2. Connecticut Admission of Electors, Question 1 (1980)
3. Connecticut Age of Eligibility for State Office, Question 3 (1980)
4. Connecticut Qualification of Electors, Question 1 (1976)
5. Connecticut Forfeiture of Electoral Privileges Upon Conviction, Question 3 (1974)
6. Connecticut Justices of the Peace, Question 4 (1974)
7. Connecticut Residence Requirement of Electors, Question 2 (1964)
8. Connecticut Admission of Electors, Question 2 (1962)
9. Connecticut Election Procedure for the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Question 3 (1962)
10. Connecticut Elector Residence Privileges, Question 4 (1962)
11. Connecticut Election Procedure for State Executive Officials, Question 2 (1948)
12. Connecticut Forfeiture of Electoral Privileges Upon Conviction, Question 3 (1948)
13. Connecticut Qualifications of Electors, Question 2 (1932)

Recent legislation related to election administration in Connecticut

The table below lists bills related to election administration that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in Connecticut. The following information is included for each bill:

• State
• Bill number
• Official name or caption
• Most recent action date
• Legislative status
• Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized alphabetically, first by state and then by bill number. The table displays up to 100 results by default. To view additional results, use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the table. For more information about a particular bill, click the bill number. This will open a separate page with additional information.

Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker

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The Ballot Bulletin

The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.

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Ballot access

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Connecticut

A cardboard ballot box at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

In order to get on the ballot in Connecticut, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.

1. An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Connecticut. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, see "Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Connecticut." Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).

Redistricting

See also: Redistricting in Connecticut

"Gerrymandering"

Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Each of Connecticut's five United States Representatives and 187 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. United States Senators are not elected by districts, but by the states at large. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.

Connecticut was apportioned five seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, the same number it received after the 2010 census. Click here for more information about redistricting in Connecticut after the 2020 census.

HIGHLIGHTS

Following the 2020 United States Census, Connecticut was apportioned five congressional districts, which was unchanged from the number it had after the 2010 census.

Connecticut's House of Representatives is made up of 151 districts; Connecticut's State Senate is made up of 36 districts.

In Connecticut, the state legislature is primarily responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines.

On June 28, 2018, the NAACP, in conjunction with five Connecticut voters, filed suit in federal district court, alleging that Connecticut's state legislative district plan violates the Amendment XIV, United States Constitution by counting prison inmates as residents of their incarceration facilities as opposed to their pre-incarceration residences for redistricting purposes. For more information, see below.

State process

See also: State-by-state redistricting procedures

In Connecticut, the state legislature is primarily responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines. Maps must be approved by a two-thirds vote in each chamber. If the state legislature is unable to approve new maps, a backup commission is convened to draw congressional and state legislative district boundaries. The commission consists of nine members. The four legislative leaders (i.e., the majority and minority leaders of each chamber of the legislature) appoint two members each. The ninth member is selected by the eight previously selected commissioners.

The Connecticut Constitution requires that all districts, whether congressional or state legislative, be contiguous. In addition, state House districts must "not divide towns except where necessary to comply with other legal requirements."

Election administration agencies

Election agencies

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Connecticut can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.

Connecticut Town Clerks

Click here for a list

Secretary of State

Physical address: 165 Capitol Avenue, Suite 1000, Hartford, CT 06106

Mailing address: PO Box 150470, Hartford, CT 06115-0470

Telephone: 860-509-6100

Fax: 860-509-6127

Email: lead@ct.gov

http://www.sots.ct.gov/

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20001

Telephone: 301-563-3919

Toll free: 1-866-747-1471

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Recall

Democratic primaries 2024

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See also

• 2024 election dates and deadlines
• Voting in Connecticut
• Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Connecticut
• Redistricting in Connecticut

Elections in Connecticut

• Connecticut elections, 2023
• Connecticut elections, 2022
• Connecticut elections, 2021
• Connecticut elections, 2020
• Connecticut elections, 2019
• Connecticut elections, 2018
• Connecticut elections, 2017
• Connecticut elections, 2016
• Connecticut elections, 2015
• Connecticut elections, 2014

External links

• Connecticut Secretary of State - Elections