§ 9-258 — Election officials; additional lines of electors.

Connecticut § 9-258

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 9: Elections
• Ch. 147: Voting Methods

Text

(a) For municipalities with more than one voting district, the election officials of each polling place shall be electors of the state and shall consist of (1) one moderator, (2) at least one but not more than two official checkers, (3) two assistant registrars of voters of opposite political parties, each of whom shall be residents of the town, (4) at least one but not more than two ballot clerks, and (5) at least one but not more than two voting tabulator tenders for each voting tabulator in use at the polling place. A known candidate for any office shall not serve as an election official on election day or serve at the polls in any capacity, except that (A) a municipal clerk or a registrar of voters, who is a candidate for the same office, may perform his or her official duties, and (B) a deputy registrar of voters, who is a candidate for the office of registrar of voters, may perform his or her official duties. If, in the opinion of the registrar of voters, the public convenience of the electors in any voting district so requires, provision shall be made for an additional line or lines of electors at the polling place and, if more than one line of electors is established, at least one but not more than two additional official checkers and at least one but not more than two ballot clerks for each line of electors shall be appointed and, if more than one tabulator is used in a polling place, at least one but not more than two additional voting tabulator tenders shall be appointed for each additional machine so used. Head moderators, central counting moderators and absentee ballot counters appointed pursuant to law shall also be deemed election officials. (b) For municipalities with one voting district, the election officials of such polling place shall be electors of the state and shall consist of (1) one moderator, (2) at least one but not more than two official checkers, (3) at least one but not more than two voting tabulator tenders for each voting tabulator in use at the polling place, and (4) at least one but not more than two ballot clerks. Additionally, such election officials may consist of two registrars of voters of opposite political parties, or two assistant registrars of voters of opposite political parties, as the case may be, subject to the requirements of sections 9-259 and 9-439 , provided if the registrars of voters are present in the polling place, they shall appoint at least one designee to be present in their office. A known candidate for any office shall not serve as an election official on election day or serve at the polls in any capacity, except that (A) a municipal clerk or a registrar of voters, who is a candidate for the same office, may perform his or her official duties, and (B) a deputy registrar of voters, who is a candidate for the office of registrar of voters, may perform his or her official duties. If, in the opinion of the registrar of voters, the public convenience of the electors in any voting district so requires, provision shall be made for an additional line or lines of electors at the polling place and, if more than one line of electors is established, at least one but not more than two additional official checkers for each line of electors shall be appointed and, if more than one tabulator is used in a polling place, at least one but not more than two additional voting tabulator tenders shall be appointed for each additional tabulator so used. Head moderators, central counting moderators and absentee ballot counters appointed pursuant to law shall be deemed to be election officials. (c) No election official shall perform services for any party or candidate on election day nor appear at any political party headquarters prior to eight o'clock p.m. on election day.

Legislative History

(1949 Rev., S. 1058, 1203; 1953, 1955, S. 734d; 1959, P.A. 28, S. 47; 47; P.A. 74-109, S. 7, 11; P.A. 75-488, S. 2, 3; P.A. 76-24; P.A. 77-245, S. 8; P.A. 80-215, S. 6; P.A. 83-391, S. 17, 24; P.A. 84-546, S. 20, 173; P.A. 88-91; P.A. 07-194, S. 21; P.A. 11-173, S. 17; P.A. 18-120, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 113.) History: 1959 acts substituted registrars or assistant registrars of voters for deputy registrars and removed reference to trial justice court which was abolished; P.A. 74-109 removed the exception for office of justice of the peace from prohibition against candidates serving as election officials effective upon adoption of Senate Joint Resolution No. 22 of the 1973 session as an amendment to the constitution of Connecticut; P.A. 75-488 added “and party checkers” to “additional officers” to be appointed if more than one line of electors is established; P.A. 76-24 changed “party checkers” to “unofficial checkers”; P.A. 77-245 changed “town” to “municipal” clerk; P.A. 80-215 added qualification that election officials be electors of the town; P.A. 83-391 amended section to provide that voting machine mechanics need not be electors of town and to permit use of less than two challengers and two voting machine tenders and added provision to clarify that head moderators, central counting moderators, absentee ballot counters and voting machine mechanics are election officials and to provide that election officials shall not perform services for any party or candidate on election day; P.A. 84-546 moved exception re voting machine mechanics; P.A. 88-91 prohibited a municipal clerk or a registrar of voters who is a candidate for a different office from serving as an election official on election day or serving at the polls in any capacity; P.A. 07-194 established requirements for municipalities with more than one voting district and requirements for municipalities with one voting district, replaced “voting machine” with “voting tabulator” and made conforming changes; P.A. 11-173 designated existing provisions as Subsecs. (a) to (c), amended Subsec. (b) to provide that election officials be electors of the state rather than the town, eliminate former Subdivs. (1) to (3) re requirements of registrars of voters and add proviso re appointment of designee to be present in office, and deleted references to voting tabulator technicians and made technical changes, effective July 13, 2011; P.A. 18-120 amended Subsec. (a) to add Subdiv. (1) to (6) designators and Subpara. (A) and (B) designators, and add provision re deputy registrar of voters in Subpara. (B), amended Subdiv. (b) to add Subdiv. (1) to (5) designators and Subpara. (A) and (B) designators, and add provision re deputy registrar of voters in Subpara. (B), and made technical changes, effective June 7, 2018; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 amended Subsec. (a) to delete existing Subdiv. (4) re registrar-appointed challengers, redesignate existing Subdiv. (5) re ballot clerks as Subdiv. (4) and redesignate existing Subdiv. (6) re tabulator tenders as Subdiv. (5) and amended Subsec. (b) to delete existing Subdiv. (3) re registrar-appointed challengers, redesignate existing Subdiv. (4) re tabulator tenders as Subdiv. (3) and redesignate existing Subdiv. (5) re ballot clerks as Subdiv. (4), effective June 23, 2021. To “take part in count” construed; what ballots to be rejected because of participation in count. 62 C. 482.