Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 149 - Elections and Primaries: Contested
Section 9-323. - Contests and complaints in election of presidential electors, U.S. senator and representative.

Any elector or candidate who claims that he is aggrieved by any ruling of any election official in connection with any election for presidential electors and for a senator in Congress and for representative in Congress or any of them, held in his town, or that there was a mistake in the count of the votes cast at such election for candidates for such electors, senator in Congress and representative in Congress, or any of them, at any voting district in his town, or any candidate for such an office who claims that he is aggrieved by a violation of any provision of section 9-355, 9-357 to 9-361, inclusive, 9-364, 9-364a or 9-365 in the casting of absentee ballots at such election, may bring his complaint to any judge of the Supreme Court, in which he shall set out the claimed errors of such election official, the claimed errors in the count or the claimed violations of said sections. In any action brought pursuant to the provisions of this section, the complainant shall file a certification attached to the complaint indicating that a copy of the complaint has been sent by first-class mail or delivered to the State Elections Enforcement Commission. If such complaint is made prior to such election, such judge shall proceed expeditiously to render judgment on the complaint and shall cause notice of the hearing to be given to the Secretary of the State and the State Elections Enforcement Commission. If such complaint is made subsequent to the election, it shall be brought not later than fourteen days after the election or, if such complaint is brought in response to the manual tabulation of paper ballots authorized pursuant to section 9-320f, such complaint shall be brought not later than seven days after the close of any such manual tabulation, and in either such circumstance, the judge shall forthwith order a hearing to be had upon such complaint, upon a day not more than five or less than three days from the making of such order, and shall cause notice of not less than three or more than five days to be given to any candidate or candidates whose election may be affected by the decision upon such hearing, to such election official, to the Secretary of the State, to the State Elections Enforcement Commission and to any other party or parties whom such judge deems proper parties thereto, of the time and place for the hearing upon such complaint. Such judge, with two other judges of the Supreme Court to be designated by the Chief Court Administrator, shall, on the day fixed for such hearing and without unnecessary delay, proceed to hear the parties. If sufficient reason is shown, such judges may order any voting tabulators to be unlocked or any ballot boxes to be opened and a recount of the votes cast, including absentee ballots, to be made. Such judges shall thereupon, in the case they, or any two of them, find any error in the rulings of the election official, any mistake in the count of such votes or any violation of said sections, certify the result of their finding or decision, or the finding or decision of a majority of them, to the Secretary of the State before the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December. Such judges may order a new election or a change in the existing election schedule, provided such order complies with Section 302 of the Help America Vote Act, P.L. 107-252, as amended from time to time. Such certificate of such judges, or a majority of them, shall be final upon all questions relating to the rulings of such election officials, to the correctness of such count and, for the purposes of this section only, such claimed violations, and shall operate to correct the returns of the moderators or presiding officers so as to conform to such finding or decision.

(1949 Rev., S. 1107; 1953, S. 801d; 1963, P.A. 307; P.A. 78-125, S. 6; P.A. 83-583, S. 2, 6; P.A. 84-511, S. 4, 15; P.A. 87-545, S. 1; P.A. 88-364, S. 14, 123; P.A. 95-88, S. 4; P.A. 04-74, S. 1; P.A. 05-288, S. 47; P.A. 07-194, S. 2; P.A. 10-43, S. 5; P.A. 11-20, S. 1.)
History: 1963 act added provisions re defeated candidate in first sentence, increased time within which a complaint may be brought from 3 to 10 days after election, clarified the counting of absentee ballots and changed the date by which certification must be made; P.A. 78-125 added candidate as claimant to aggrievement, deleted “the moderator of any election” following “ruling of” and substituted “any election official in connection with any election”, deleted provisions pertaining to defeated candidates, provided for judge to proceed expeditiously on complaint when made prior to election, provided for notice of hearing to election official, changed authority to assign judges to hear case to the chief court administrator, provided that judges may order a new election or a change in the existing election schedule and deleted provision for substitution in case judge unable to serve; P.A. 83-583 required a complainant to send or deliver a copy of the complaint to the state elections commission and required a judge to give notice of a hearing to the secretary of the state and the state elections commission; P.A. 84-511 changed name of elections commission to elections enforcement commission; P.A. 87-545 allowed candidate to bring complaint under this section if he claims that he is aggrieved by violation of any provision of Secs. 9-355, 9-357 to 9-361, inclusive, 9-364, 9-364a or 9-365 in casting of absentee ballots; P.A. 88-364 made technical change; P.A. 95-88 changed time within which a complaint shall be brought from 10 to 14 days; P.A. 04-74 qualified judges' authority to order a new election or a change in existing election schedule by adding “, provided such order complies with Section 302 of the Help America Vote Act, P.L. 107-252, as amended from time to time”, effective May 10, 2004; P.A. 05-288 made technical changes, effective July 13, 2005; P.A. 07-194 added deadline for filing of complaint if complaint is brought in response to manual tabulation of paper ballots authorized pursuant to Sec. 9-320f and made technical changes, effective July 5, 2007; P.A. 10-43 replaced requirement that complainant send by first-class mail or hand-deliver a copy of complaint to State Elections Enforcement Commission with requirement that complainant file a certification attached to complaint indicating that a copy of complaint has been sent by first-class mail or delivered to said commission; pursuant to P.A. 11-20, “machines” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “tabulators”, effective May 24, 2011.
Cited. 186 C. 125; 231 C. 602. Plaintiff lacked standing to bring complaint as plaintiff did not allege any act or conduct by defendant that interpreted a statute, regulation or other authoritative legal requirement applicable to the election process or identify any mandatory statute that defendant had failed to apply or follow. 289 C. 522. Plaintiff who failed to demonstrate he was nominated by a major or minor party as defined in Sec. 9-372 and failed to obtain and timely file the requisite number of signatures to secure a place on the ballot as a petitioning candidate as required by Sec. 9-453a was not entitled to a place on ballot simply because his name mistakenly appeared on voter guide prior to deadline for completion of voter guide. 298 C. 808. Officials administering minor party caucuses are not “election officials” for purposes of section. 323 C. 529. Primary is not an “election” for purposes of section, which applies only to general elections for federal officials. 336 C. 432.

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