Ballot Question and Explanation (PDF)

PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE
STATE OF CONNECTICUT
BALLOT QUESTION
Shall the Constitution of the State be amended to permit the
General Assembly to provide for early voting?
CONTENT AND PURPOSE
OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT
Currently, the Connecticut Constitution does not permit in-person,
early voting, If this amendment is approved, it would allow the
General Assembly to pass legislation establishing in-person voting
before the day of an election,
Additionally, approval of the amendment would eliminate the
constitutional requirement that certain copies of election results,
when sent to the Secretary of the State, be under seal. It would
not change the statutory requirement that these copies be sent
under seal,
Further Explanation
The state constitution contains several provisions about the time,
place, and manner of elections in Connecticut, These provisions
Currently require voters to cast theft ballots at their polling place on
the day of an election unless they qualify to vote by absentee ballot.
Because these are constitutional requirements, the General
Assembly cannot pass legislation establishing a form of voting that
conflicts with them.
If this amendment is approved, it would specifically allow the
General Assembly to pass legislation establishing in-person, early
voting. This authority would apply both to choosing candidates
for office and to voting on referendum questions at an election,
Relatedly, the amendment would eliminate a requirement that
town election officials receive the votes at elections for state
officers and state legislators only on the day of the election.
The preceding explanatory text was prepared by the nonpartisan
Office of Legislative Research and approved by the General Assembly’S
joint standing Committee on Government Administration and
Elections in accordance with Section 2-30a of the Connecticut
General Statutes.
TEXT OF THE PROPOSED
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
(As set forth in H.J.R. No. 59 of 2021)
Section 1. That the following be proposed as an amendment to the
Constitution of the State, which, when approved and adopted in the
manner provided by the Constitution, shall, to all intents and
purposes, become a part thereof:
Section 7. of article sixth of the Constitution is amended to read as
follows:
Sec. 7. The general assembly may provide by law for voting in the
choice of any officer to be elected or upon any question to be voted on
at an election by qualified voters of the state who are unable to
appear at the polling place on the day of election because of absence
from the city or town of which they are inhabitants or because of
sickness or physical disability or because the tenets of their religion
forbid secular activity. The general assembly may further provide by
law for yoti rior to the day of election i ceofa
er to be elected or upon any question to be voted on at an elect
by qualified voters of the state
Section 9, of article third of the Constitution is amended to read as
follows:
Sec, 9, Atall elections for members of the general assembly the
presiding officers in the several towns shall count and declare the
votes of the electors in open meeting. The presiding officers shall
make and certify duplicate lists of the persons voted for, and of the
number of votes for each. One list shall be delivered within three days
to the town clerk, and within ten days after such meeting, the other
shall be delivered to the secretary of the state,
Section 4. of article fourth of the Constitution is amended to read
as follows:
Sec. 4. The votes at the election of state officers shall be counted and
declared in open meeting by the presiding officers in the several
towns. The presiding officers shall make and certify duplicate lists of
the persons voted for, and of the number of votes for each. One list
shall be delivered within three days to the town clerk, and within ten
days after such meeting, the other shall be delivered [under seal] to
the secretary of the state. The votes so delivered shall be counted,
canvassed and declared by the treasurer, secretary, and comptroller,
within the month of November. The vote for treasurer shall be
counted, canvassed and declared by the secretary and comptroller
only; the vote for secretary shall be counted, canvassed and declared
by the treasurer and comptroller only; and the vote for comptroller
shall be counted, canvassed and declared by the treasurer and
secretary only. A fair list of the persons and number of votes given
for each, together with the returns of the presiding officers, shall
be, by the treasurer, secretary and comptroller, made and laid
before the general assembly, then next to be held, on the first day
of the session thereof. In the election of governor, lieutenant-
governor, secretary, treasurer, comptroller and attorney general,
the person found upon the count by the treasurer, secretary and
comptroller in the manner herein provided, to be made and
announced before December fifteenth of the year of the election, to
have received the greatest number of votes for each of such offices,
respectively, shall be elected thereto; provided, if the election of
any of them shall be contested as provided by statute, and ifsucha
contest shall proceed to final judgment, the person found by the
court to have received the greatest number of votes shall be
elected. If two or more persons shall be found upon the count of
the treasurer, secretary and comptroller to have received an equal
and the greatest number of votes for any of said offices, and the
election is not contested, the general assembly on the second day
ofits session shall hold a joint convention of both houses, at which,
without debate, a ballot shall be taken to choose such officer from
those persons who received such a vote; and the balloting shall
continue on that or subsequent days until one of such persons is
chosen by a majority vote of those present and voting, The general
assembly shall have power to enact laws regulating and prescribing
the order and manner of voting for such officers, The general
assembly shail by law prescribe the manner in which all questions
concerning the election of a governor or lieutenant-governor shall
be determined.
Adopted May 27, 2021
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PROCESS
In accordance with Article Sixth of the amendments to the
Connecticut State Constitution, this proposed amendment was
approved by the General Assembly and is to be voted upon by the
electors of each town at the state election on Tuesday, November
8, 2022.
Ifa majority of the electors voting on the proposed amend-
Ment approve it, the amendment will become part of the
state constitution.