Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 145 - Absentee Voting
Section 9-135. - Absentee voting eligibility; expansion for certain elections, primaries and referenda held in 2020 and 2021. Misrepresentation prohibited.

(a) Any elector eligible to vote at a primary or an election and any person eligible to vote at a referendum may vote by absentee ballot if such elector or person is unable to appear at such elector's or person's polling place during the hours of voting for any of the following reasons: (1) Such elector's or person's active service with the armed forces of the United States; (2) such elector's or person's absence from the town of such elector's or person's voting residence during all of the hours of voting; (3) such elector's or person's illness; (4) such elector's or person's physical disability; (5) the tenets of such elector's or person's religion forbid secular activity on the day of the primary, election or referendum; (6) the required performance of such elector's or person's duties as a primary, election or referendum official, including as a town clerk or registrar of voters or as staff of the clerk or registrar, at a polling place other than such elector's or person's own during all of the hours of voting at such primary, election or referendum; or (7) for the state election in 2020, and any election, primary or referendum held on or after June 23, 2021, but prior to November 3, 2021, the sickness of COVID-19. As used in this section, “COVID-19” means the respiratory disease designated by the World Health Organization on February 11, 2020, as coronavirus 2019, and any related mutation thereof recognized by said organization as a communicable respiratory disease.

(b) No person shall misrepresent the eligibility requirements for voting by absentee ballot prescribed in subsection (a) of this section, to any elector or prospective absentee ballot applicant.
(1949 Rev., S. 1134; 1953, S. 622d; 1963, P.A. 93, S. 2; February, 1965, P.A. 74, S. 1; 1967, P.A. 678, S. 1; 831, S. 6; 1969, P.A. 2, S. 1; 69, S. 2; P.A. 75-595, S. 2, 5; P.A. 76-50, S. 2, 7; 76-435, S. 44, 82; P.A. 79-189, S. 5, 9; P.A. 81-238, S. 2; 81-472, S. 119, 159; P.A. 83-254, S. 2, 4; P.A. 84-546, S. 19, 173; P.A. 86-179, S. 3, 53; P.A. 87-320, S. 1; P.A. 05-235, S. 1; P.A. 12-193, S. 7; July Sp. Sess. P.A. 20-3, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 127.)
History: 1963 act changed technical language of statute; 1965 act added to eligibility for absentee ballot where “tenets of his religion forbid secular activity”, effective January 1, 1966; 1967 acts added absence because of status as student at institution of higher learning outside town of residence and also because of temporary abode outside town occasioned by membership in a religious community, effective January 1, 1968, and following “any elector” deleted “not a member of the armed forces”; 1969 acts added spouse to student at institution of higher learning, effective January 1, 1970 and added provision for absentee voting for those who have continued their registration for a period one day short of six months following their removal from the town, effective January 1, 1970; P.A. 75-595 gave authority to vote by absentee ballot to those confined in correctional institutions outside the town whose privileges as electors have not been forfeited, effective January 1, 1976; P.A. 76-50 rephrased provisions; P.A. 76-435 made technical changes; P.A. 79-189 deleted provision for absentee voting of elector who has removed from the town; P.A. 81-238 eliminated reference to certain conditions under which absence from town of voting residence during all of the hours of voting at a state, municipal or special election entitled electors to vote by absentee ballot and granted such entitlement to electors on the basis of such absence for any reason; P.A. 81-472 made technical changes; P.A. 83-254 authorized absentee voting by election official performing duties at polling place other than his own; P.A. 84-546 made technical change; P.A. 86-179 added references to voting at primary and referendum and added active service with armed forces as reason for voting by absentee ballot; P.A. 87-320 deleted provision limiting applicability to only those referenda “for which absentee ballots are made available pursuant to section 9-369c”; P.A. 05-235 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (b) re prohibition on misrepresentation of eligibility requirements for voting by absentee ballot, effective July 1, 2005, and applicable to elections, primaries and referenda held on or after September 1, 2005; P.A. 12-193 amended Subsec. (a) by adding town clerk or registrar of voters and staff in Subdiv. (6) and making technical changes, effective June 15, 2012; July Sp. Sess. P.A. 20-3 amended Subsec. (a) to add Subdiv. (7) re state election in 2020, define “COVID-19” and make technical changes, effective July 31, 2020; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision re certain elections, primaries and referenda held prior to November 3, 2021, effective June 23, 2021.

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