Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 153 - Nominations and Political Parties
Section 9-445. - Recanvass on close vote.

Forthwith after a primary for nomination to a municipal office or for election of members of a town committee, or forthwith upon tabulation of the vote for a state or district office by the Secretary of the State when the plurality of an elected or nominated candidate over the vote for a defeated candidate receiving the next highest number of votes was either (1) less than a vote equivalent to one-half of one per cent of the total number of votes cast at the primary for the office or position but not more than one thousand votes, or (2) less than twenty votes, there shall be a recanvass of the returns of the voting tabulator or voting tabulators used in such primary for such office or position unless within one day after the primary, in the case of nomination to a municipal office or for election of members of a town committee, or prior to the time the Secretary of the State notifies the town clerk of state and district offices which qualify for an automatic recanvass, the defeated candidate or defeated candidates, as the case may be, for such office or position file a written statement waiving the right to such recanvass with the municipal clerk in the case of a municipal office or town committee, or with the Secretary of the State in the case of a state or district office. In the case of a state or district office, the Secretary of the State, upon tabulation of the votes for such an office, shall notify the town clerks in the state or district, as the case may be, of the state and district offices which qualify for an automatic recanvass and shall also notify each candidate for any such office. When a recanvass is to be held, the municipal clerk shall promptly notify the moderator, as defined in section 9-311, who shall proceed forthwith to recanvass such returns of the office in question in the same manner as is provided for a recanvass in regular elections, except that the recanvass officials shall be divided equally, as nearly as may be, among the candidates for such office. In addition to the notice required under section 9-311, the moderator shall, before such recanvass is made, give notice in writing of the time and place of such recanvass to each candidate for a municipal office which qualifies for an automatic recanvass under this section. For purposes of this section, “the total number of votes cast at the primary for the office or position” means, in the case of multiple openings for the same office or position, the total number of electors checked as having voted in the primary in the state, district, municipality or political subdivision, as the case may be. When a recanvass of the returns for an office for which there are multiple openings is required by the provisions of this section, the returns for all candidates for all openings for the office shall be recanvassed. Nothing in this section shall preclude the right to judicial proceedings on behalf of such defeated candidate under any provision of this chapter.

(1963, P.A. 225, S. 1; 1969, P.A. 694, S. 16; 1971, P.A. 542, S. 2; P.A. 80-281, S. 29, 31; P.A. 84-319, S. 40, 49; P.A. 03-241, S. 49; P.A. 10-32, S. 25; P.A. 11-20, S. 29.)
History: 1969 act substituted “an elected or nominated candidate” for “candidate receiving highest number of votes” and added application of section to elections of members of a town committee or delegates to a convention; 1971 act deleted time limit of “within five days” and substituted therefor “forthwith”, provided for automatic recanvass where votes are within the limits prescribed unless waived in writing by defeated candidates and deleted provision for successful candidate to apply for recanvass in any other municipality within which the primary was held when defeated candidate or chairman applied for a recanvass; P.A. 80-281 provided for determining application of section where multiple openings for the same office or position are involved and that where such a recanvass is applicable the returns for all candidates for all openings of the office are recanvassed; P.A. 84-319 amended section to provide uniformity in recanvass procedures for primaries and elections; P.A. 03-241 removed convention delegates from application of section, effective January 1, 2004, and applicable to primaries and elections held on or after that date; P.A. 10-32 made technical changes, effective May 10, 2010; P.A. 11-20 replaced “machine or voting machines” with “tabulator or voting tabulators” and made a technical change, effective May 24, 2011.

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