Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 146 - Elections
Section 9-183a. - Number of justices of the peace, exceptions.

(a) The number of justices of the peace for each town shall be equal to one-third the number of jurors to which such town is by law entitled, except in the town of Waterbury the number shall be sixty-nine, in the town of Trumbull the number shall be thirty, in the town of Meriden the number shall be thirty-six, and in the town of Litchfield the number shall be fifteen; provided any town, by ordinance, may provide for the selection of a lesser number of justices of the peace for such town as herein provided, which shall be not less than fifteen.

(b) Notwithstanding any provision of any special act or charter to the contrary:
(1) In 1994, the number of justices of the peace for any town which selects a number of justices of the peace under a special act or charter, which is fewer than one-third the number of jurors to which the town is by law entitled, shall be one and one-half times the number authorized for the town on May 1, 1994, but not less than fifteen;
(2) In 1996, the number of justices of the peace for any such town shall be one and one-half times the number authorized for the town on May 1, 1994, but not less than fifteen, unless the town amends such special act or charter or adopts an ordinance under subdivision (3) of this subsection;
(3) Any town which selects a number of justices of the peace under a special act or charter, which is fewer than one-third the number of jurors to which the town is by law entitled, may amend such special act or charter under chapter 99 or may adopt an ordinance superseding such special act or charter provision, to provide for a number of justices of the peace to be selected in 1996, and quadrennially thereafter, which shall be not less than fifteen nor more than one-third the number of jurors to which the town is by law entitled, or may repeal the special act or charter provision.
(c) Notwithstanding any provision of any ordinance to the contrary:
(1) In 1994, the number of justices of the peace for any town which selects a number of justices of the peace under an ordinance, which is fewer than one-third the number of jurors to which the town is by law entitled, shall be one and one-half times the number authorized for the town on May 1, 1994, but not less than fifteen;
(2) In 1996, the number of justices of the peace for any such town shall be one and one-half times the number authorized for the town on May 1, 1994, but not less than fifteen, unless the town amends such ordinance under subdivision (3) of this subsection;
(3) Any town which selects a number of justices of the peace under an ordinance, which is fewer than one-third the number of jurors to which the town is by law entitled, may amend such ordinance to provide for a number of justices of the peace to be selected in 1996, and quadrennially thereafter, which shall be not less than fifteen nor more than one-third the number of jurors to which the town is by law entitled, or may repeal the ordinance provision.
(d) Upon the adoption, amendment or repeal of any ordinance under this section, the clerk of such town shall send a certified copy thereof to the Secretary of the State.
(P.A. 74-109, S. 1, 11; P.A. 94-230, S. 1, 10; P.A. 96-120, S. 1, 3; P.A. 04-142, S. 10; P.A. 06-137, S. 14.)
History: P.A. 94-230 designated first sentence of existing section as Subsec. (a), amended Subsec. (a) to increase number of justices of the peace from 46 to 69 in Waterbury, from 7 to 15 in Trumbull, from 15 to 23 in Meriden and from 5 to 15 in Litchfield and to require a minimum of 15 justices of the peace in towns establishing a number of justices of the peace by ordinance, added Subsec. (b) re number of justices of the peace in towns establishing a number of justices of the peace under special act or charter, added Subsec. (c) re number of justices of the peace in towns establishing a number of justices of the peace by ordinance, designated second sentence of existing section as Subsec. (d) and inserted “amendment” and “under this section” in Subsec. (d), effective June 11, 1994; P.A. 96-120 added new Subsec. (b)(2) re the number of justices of the peace in 1996, and renumbered former Subdiv. (2) as Subdiv. (3) and new Subsec. (c)(2) re the number of justices of the peace in 1996 and renumbered former Subdiv. (2) as Subdiv. (3), effective May 24, 1996; P.A. 04-142 amended Subsec. (a) by increasing the number of justices of the peace in Meriden from 23 to 36, effective May 17, 2004; P.A. 06-137 amended Subsec. (a) to increase the number of justices of the peace for the town of Trumbull from 15 to 30, effective June 6, 2006.

Structure Connecticut General Statutes

Connecticut General Statutes

Title 9 - Elections

Chapter 146 - Elections

Section 9-164. - Regular and special municipal elections.

Section 9-164a. - Transitional terms of office.

Section 9-164b. - Deferred terms.

Section 9-164c. - Change of municipal election date.

Section 9-164d. - Notification to secretary.

Section 9-164e. - Proposed action to be submitted to municipal attorney.

Section 9-164f. - Election of registrars unaffected.

Section 9-165 to 9-167. - Biennial town elections: Change to from annual elections, unexpired terms; term and method of rotation of board members.

Section 9-167a. - Minority representation.

Section 9-168. - Place of holding elections.

Section 9-168a. - Polling places for voting districts whose lines differ from the district lines as constituted in a municipal election year and for voting districts with less than one thousand five hundred electors who vote for officers that no othe...

Section 9-168b. - Designation of polling places in adjacent voting districts.

Section 9-168c. - Accessibility of polling places to physically disabled voters.

Section 9-168d. - Accessibility of polling places to voters with physical disabilities. Certification. Waiver of requirements.

Section 9-168e. - Parking spaces at polling places for handicapped and infirm elderly persons.

Section 9-169. - Voting districts.

Section 9-169a. - Split voting districts.

Section 9-169b. - Effective date of changes in voting districts.

Section 9-169c. - At-large election of members of legislative bodies of certain towns.

Section 9-169d. - Voting districts crossing legislative district lines, permitted for municipal elections.

Section 9-169e. - Voting districts in special elections held to fill vacancy in district or municipal office.

Section 9-169f. - Reapportionment required for certain municipal legislative bodies.

Section 9-169g. - Town clerks required to submit voting district maps to Secretary of the State. Use of maps by General Assembly.

Section 9-169h. - Adjustment of decennial census information re certain incarcerated individuals for purposes of determining state legislative and municipal voting districts.

Section 9-170. - Eligibility to vote at town elections.

Section 9-171. - Eligibility to vote at city elections.

Section 9-172. - Eligibility to vote at state elections.

Section 9-172a. - Revised registry list defined for purposes of special elections.

Section 9-172b. - Updated list and registration deadline for special election or referendum.

Section 9-173. - Plurality required for election.

Section 9-174. - Hours of voting and election day registration. Voting by electors and election day registration applicants in line at eight o'clock p.m.

Section 9-174a. - Emergency contingency plan for elections. Model plan.

Section 9-174b. - Notification re extension of hours of polling place.

Section 9-175. - Presidential and vice presidential electors. Write-in candidates and ballots.

Section 9-175a. - Agreement Among the States to Elect the President of the United States by National Popular Vote.

Section 9-176. - Meeting of presidential electors.

Section 9-177. - Compensation of presidential electors.

Section 9-178. - Senator in Congress.

Section 9-179. - Representative in Congress.

Section 9-180. - Representative at large.

Section 9-181. - State officers.

Section 9-182. - Sheriffs.

Section 9-183. - Justices of the peace.

Section 9-183a. - Number of justices of the peace, exceptions.

Section 9-183b. (Formerly Sec. 9-252). - Nomination of justices of the peace by parties qualifying as major parties based on enrollment. Terms. Primaries.

Section 9-183c. - Nomination of justices of the peace by parties qualifying as major parties based solely on gubernatorial vote. Terms. Primaries.

Section 9-184. - Vacancy in office of justice of the peace when justice nominated by a major party.

Section 9-184c. - Appointment as justices of the peace of electors who are not members of major parties. Terms. Vacancies.

Section 9-185. - Municipal officers.

Section 9-186. - Electoral status of municipal officers and justices of the peace.

Section 9-187. - Terms.

Section 9-187a. - Date term to begin.

Section 9-188. - First selectman and selectmen. Election procedure. Dual candidacy prohibited. Minority representation; restricted voting. Tie vote.

Section 9-189. - Town clerks, treasurers and tax collectors.

Section 9-189a. - Four-year terms for town clerks, registrars and treasurers.

Section 9-190. - Registrars of voters.

Section 9-190a. - Election of registrars at state elections.

Section 9-190b. - Temporary relief of registrar by Secretary of the State; procedure.

Section 9-190c. - Removal of registrar.

Section 9-191. - Election of registrars for each voting district.

Section 9-192. - Deputy registrar. Registrar vacancy. Assistant registrars. Special assistant registrars.

Section 9-192a. - Secretary of the State to establish program and criteria for certification of registrars. Committee to advise Secretary on programs and procedures for training, examining and certifying registrars, deputies and assistants. Training...

Section 9-192b. - Designation of registrar, deputy or an assistant to receive instruction.

Section 9-193. - Registrar's oath.

Section 9-194. - Compensation of registrars, deputies and assistants.

Section 9-195. - Compensation of registrars and town clerks for duties as to enrollment.

Section 9-196 and 9-197. - Assessors. Minority representation for assessors in towns holding annual elections.

Section 9-198. - Determination of number, method of election or appointment, term and compensation of assessors.

Section 9-199. - Boards of assessment appeals. Alternate and additional members.

Section 9-200. - Constables.

Section 9-201. - Election of five-member boards of police commissioners.

Section 9-202. - Board of finance.

Section 9-203. - Number and term of members of boards of education.

Section 9-204. - Minority representation on board of education.

Section 9-204a. - Nomination and voting for full number of board members to be elected authorized.

Section 9-204b. - Optional alternative system for towns with four-year terms for board of education.

Section 9-205. - Election of board of education when number of members revised.

Section 9-206. - Election of board of education in towns adopting biennial elections. Alternate rotation of terms and length of terms permitted.

Section 9-206a. - Optional number of members and terms of boards of education.

Section 9-207. - Library directors.

Section 9-208. - Election of library directors on change from annual to biennial election.

Section 9-209. - Certificate filed with secretary when planning or zoning members to be elected.

Section 9-210. - Incompatible town offices.

Section 9-211. - United States senator; vacancy.

Section 9-211a. - Fifty or more vacancies in the office of senator in Congress among the states. Connecticut vacancy. Governor's power to appoint.

Section 9-212. - Representative in Congress.

Section 9-213. - Secretary, Treasurer, Comptroller and Attorney General.

Section 9-214. - State representative.

Section 9-215. - Member or member-elect of the General Assembly.

Section 9-216. - Nomination by petition.

Section 9-217. - List of candidates.

Section 9-218. - Probate judge.

Section 9-219. - Justice of the peace.

Section 9-220. - Town office.

Section 9-221. - Municipal office vacancy election provisions inapplicable in certain circumstances.

Section 9-222. - Filling of vacancy in office of first selectman or selectman. Petition for special election.

Section 9-223. - Notice of vacancy in municipal office.

Section 9-224. - Special election on same day as regular election.

Section 9-224a. - No election if only one candidate in special election to fill vacancy.

Section 9-224b. - Registration as write-in candidate in special election to fill vacancy.

Section 9-225. - State elections; exception for certain elections held in 2020 and 2021.

Section 9-226. - Municipal elections; exception for certain elections held in 2021.

Section 9-227. - Record of warning of municipal election.

Section 9-228. - Municipal elections.

Section 9-228a. - Certification re location of polling place. Report to Secretary of the State identifying moderators. Removal of moderator by Secretary.

Section 9-229. - Appointment of moderators. Certification and duties of regional election monitors. Instruction and certification of moderators. Regulations. Alternate moderators.

Section 9-229a. - Election or primary day polling place observers. Appointment. Duties. Training program. Regulations. Additional election officials. Code of ethics for polling place observers.

Section 9-229b. - Regional election monitors. Contract. Memorandum of understanding.

Section 9-230. - Authority of registrars and moderators to prevent or suppress disorder.

Section 9-231. - Oath of election officials.

Section 9-232. - Challenges to the right of any person offering to vote. Challenges to not be indiscriminate and to be under oath.

Section 9-232a. - Remedy for denial of voting rights.

Section 9-232b. - Penalty for false statement.

Section 9-232c. - Moderator to keep memorandum of challenge; form.

Section 9-232d. - Request for challenged ballot.

Section 9-232e. - Casting of challenged ballot, procedure.

Section 9-232f. - Preservation and counting of challenged ballots.

Section 9-232i. - Definition.

Section 9-232j. - Provisional ballot packets for elections for federal office.

Section 9-232k. - Secretary of the State to prescribe and provide provisional ballots.

Section 9-232l. - Applications for provisional ballots.

Section 9-232m. - Casting of provisional ballots.

Section 9-232n. - Determination of eligibility of provisional ballot applicants to vote. Report. Corrected return.

Section 9-232o. - Counting of provisional ballots.

Section 9-233. - Voting tabulator tenders.

Section 9-234. - Presence of registrars. Official checkers. Checking of elector's name.

Section 9-235. - Unofficial checkers.

Section 9-235a. - Temporary absence of election officials.

Section 9-235b. - Runners.

Section 9-235c. - Voluntary service by election, primary or referendum officials.

Section 9-235d. - Citizens sixteen or seventeen years of age authorized to serve as election or primary officials. Requirements.

Section 9-235e. - Secretary of the State allowed access to polling place.

Section 9-236. - Activities prohibited in and near polling place; distance markers; entry restricted; exceptions.

Section 9-236a. - Spare voting tabulator or ballot box for educational use of students.

Section 9-236b. - Voter's Bill of Rights. Sample ballots. Voters in line when polls scheduled to close permitted to vote. Voting instructions and information. Display of identification requirements.

Section 9-237. - Display of national and state flags.

Section 9-237a. - Telephones at polling places.