Voting and Elections Information for Connecticut

Deadline

• Voter registration deadlines are determined by the date of the election.
• August 9, 2018 was the registration deadline for the 2018 primary election
• October 30, 2018 is the deadline for in-person registration and postmark of mail-in registration for the general election.
• Guidelines: https://portal.ct.gov/en/SOTS/Election-Services/Registration-Deadlines/Registration-Deadlines
• Election Calendar: https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Calendars/Election-Calendars
• CT offers election-day registration at designated sites https://portal.ct.gov/en/SOTS/Election-Services/Election-Day-Registration-2013/Election-Day-Registration

Online registration

To use the online voter registration system you must have a current and valid driver’s license, learner’s permit or non-driver photo identification card issued by the CT Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and a signature on file with DMV.

Online registration form (in English and Spanish): https://voterregistration.ct.gov/OLVR/welcome.do

Mail-in registration

Printable forms (in English and Spanish): https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Register-to-Vote/Voter-Registration-Application-English-and-Spanish

Refer to the box below for information about ID requirements.

Choosing a political party   

You may choose a political party affiliation when you register, but it is not required.                 

Updating registration      

To update registration after a move, name change, or change of political party affiliation, use the voter registration form.

Cancelling registration

The Registrar of Voters in each town maintains the voter rolls. To remove someone from a voter roll, contact the local Registrar of Voters.

Directory of Registrars: https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Find-Your-Town-Clerk-Registrar-and-Elected-Officials/Find-Your-Town-Clerk-Registrar-of-Voters-and-Elected-Officials

ID Requirements for Voting

First-Time Voters

First-time voters who meet certain requirements must present either a current and valid photo ID with their name and address OR “a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or government document that shows your name and address.”

If you cannot meet either of the above requirements, you may sign an affidavit and cast a provisional ballot subject to verification of your eligibility to vote.

All Other Voters

Voters who are not voting for the first time can present:

• A Social Security card, OR
• Any pre-printed form of identification that shows your name and address, or name and signature, or name and photograph, OR
• Sign 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.

More information: https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/FAQ/FAQ---Voter-Identification

Where to get an ID

Department of Motor Vehicles

• Locations: https://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=808&q=244586

Obtaining a Driver’s License

• New license: https://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=805&q=515038
• Transferring from another state: https://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=805&q=244776
• Obtaining a non-driver photo ID: https://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=805&q=490078

Absentee voting

Opening/closing dates

• Absentee ballots are provided by the municipal clerk beginning 31 days before an election, 21 days before a primary, or 19 days before a referendum
• Absentee ballots for the November 6 general election will be available on October 5, 2018 and will not be issued after November 5, 2018.
• Absentee ballots for the November 6 general election are due to the Town Clerk “(1) by the close of the polls if it is mailed or if it is returned by a member of the immediate family of the applicant in person or by the qualified designee of an ill or physically disabled ballot applicant in person, or (2) by the day before the election if it is returned in person by the applicant.”

Military voters and voters who reside outside the U.S.

• “Blank ballots may be sent out to certain military persons beginning 90 days before a regular election and to Connecticut electors temporarily residing outside the U.S. and all military persons beginning approximately 45 days before a regular election, approximately 30 days before a primary and as soon as a complete list of candidates and questions is available before a special election.”
• Overseas ballots must be received by the Town Clerk by the close of the polls on election day in order to be counted.

Who is eligible to use an absentee ballot?

In order to apply for and receive an absentee ballot, you must meet one of the following requirements:

• Active service in the Armed Forces of the United States
• Absence from the town during all of the hours of voting
• An illness
• Religious tenets forbid secular activity on the day of the election, primary or referendum
• Duties as a primary, election or referendum official at a polling place other than my own during all of the hours of voting
• A physical disability

Application for Absentee Ballot (English or Spanish): https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Voter-Information/Absentee-Voting

Polling places and hours

• Use the Polling Place Locator to find your polling place: https://gettothepolls.com/
• For a general election or primary, polls in Connecticut are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Check with the Town Clerk regarding voting hours for referenda.
• Time off to vote: Connecticut does not require employers to give employees time off to vote.

Rides to the polls

Many organizations offer free rides to polling places. Some of these include:

• Lyft (www.lyft.com) provides free or discounted rides in some underserved communities
• Political parties sometimes arrange rides for voters. Contact the local office:
  • Republican Party: http://ct.gop/your-local-party/
  • Democratic Party: https://ctdems.org/dtcs/

Help for disabled voters

• Disability Rights Connecticut (https://www.disrightsct.org) operates the Protection and Advocacy for Voting Access (PAVA) program.
• If you have a permanent disability, you may be eligible to apply for a permanent absentee ballot from your Town Clerk.
• A vote by phone option is available at every polling place for voters with disabilities or for any voter who prefers this option.

Ballots

Where to get more info on candidates

Referenda

Sample ballots

• 2018 Primary Election: https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Town-Ballots/Ballots
• 2018 General Election: available October 26

Who are the candidates, and what else is on the ballot?

• Town-by-town sample ballots: https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Town-Ballots/Ballots
• Certificates of endorsement by political parties: https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Certificate-of-Endorsement/2018-Certificates-of-Endorsement

Important Dates

Election Day is November 6, 2018

Dates of municipal elections can be found in the State Register and Manual https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Register-Manual/Register-Manual/Connecticut-State-Register--Manual

Who conducts elections?

• The Connecticut Secretary of State is the Commissioner of Elections and oversees statewide and local elections
• The Registrars of Voters maintains voter rolls for each municipality
• Town Clerks prepare ballots and administer balloting for each municipality

Voter Bill of Rights

English https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/sots/ElectionServices/HAVA/HavaPDF/VotersBillofRightsEngpdf.pdf?la=en

Spanish https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/sots/ElectionServices/HAVA/HavaPDF/VotersBillofRightsSpanpdf.pdf?la=en

Where to go with complaints about candidates or how elections are conducted

The Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Commission (https://ct.gov/seec/site/default.asp) has “the authority to investigate possible violations of the election laws, inspect campaign finance records and reports, refer evidence of violations to the Chief State's Attorney or to the Attorney General, issue advisory opinions and make recommendations to the General Assembly concerning revisions to the state's election laws.”

Campaign finance

Campaign Reporting Information System (www.ct.gov/seec/site/default.asp) provides access to candidates’ election committee and Political Action Committee campaign finance filings

How to contact your elected officials:

Find your elected officials: http://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Find-Your-Town-Clerk-Registrar-and-Elected-Officials/Find-Your-Town-Clerk-Registrar-of-Voters-and-Elected-Officials