§ 9-368k — State-wide database. Office of the Secretary to manage. Data, information and estimates to be maintained. Rebuttable presumption that data, information and estimates are valid.

Connecticut § 9-368k

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 9: Elections
• Ch. 151a: State Voting Rights Act

Text

(a) The Secretary of the State shall establish a state-wide database of information necessary to assist the state and any municipality in (1) evaluating whether and to what extent current laws and practices related to election administration are consistent with the provisions of sections 9-368j to 9-368q, inclusive, (2) implementing best practices in election administration to further the purposes of said sections, and (3) investigating any potential infringement upon the right to vote. The Secretary may enter into an agreement with The University of Connecticut or a member of the Connecticut State University System to perform or assist in performing the functions described in this section. (b) The Secretary of the State shall designate an employee of the office of the Secretary of the State to serve as manager of the state-wide database. Such employee shall possess an advanced degree from an accredited college or university, or equivalent experience, and have expertise in demography, statistical analysis and electoral systems. Such employee shall be responsible for the operation of such state-wide database and shall manage such staff as is necessary to implement and maintain such state-wide database. (c) The state-wide database shall maintain in electronic format the following data and records, at a minimum, for no fewer than the prior twelve years: (1) Estimates of total population, voting age population and citizen voting age population by race, color and language minority group, broken down annually to the voting district level for each municipality, based on information from the United States Census Bureau, including from the American Community Survey, or information of comparable quality collected by a similar governmental agency, and accounting for population adjustments pursuant to section 9-169h , as applicable; (2) Election results at the district level for each state-wide election and each election in each municipality; (3) Regularly updated registry lists, geocoded locations for each elector and elector history files for each election in each municipality; (4) Contemporaneous maps, descriptions of boundaries and other similar items, which shall be provided as shapefiles or in a comparable electronic format if an electronic format is available; (5) Geocoded locations of polling places and absentee ballot drop boxes for each election in each municipality, and a list or description of the voting districts or geographic areas served by each such location; and (6) Any other information the Secretary of the State deems advisable to maintain in furtherance of the purposes of sections 9-368j to 9-368q , inclusive. (d) Except for any data, information or estimates that identify individual electors, the data, information or estimates maintained in the state-wide database shall be published on the Internet web site of the office of the Secretary of the State and made publicly available in electronic format at no cost. (e) Any estimates prepared pursuant to this section, including estimates of eligible electors, shall be prepared using the most advanced, peer-reviewed and validated methodologies. (f) At the time the Secretary of the State is prepared to commence administration of the state-wide database established under this section, the Secretary shall submit a report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to elections, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a , certifying such fact. (g) Upon the certification of election results and the completion of the elector history file after each election, the officials responsible for administering elections in each municipality shall transmit to the Secretary of the State, in electronic format, copies of (1) such election results at the voting district level, (2) updated registry lists, (3) elector history files, (4) maps, descriptions of boundaries and other similar items, and (5) lists of polling place and absentee ballot drop box locations and lists or descriptions of the voting districts or geographic areas served by such locations. (h) At least annually or upon the request by the Secretary of the State, the Criminal Justice Information Systems Governing Board established under section 54-142q , or any other state entity identified by the Secretary as possessing data, statistics or other information that the office of the Secretary of the State requires to carry out its duties and responsibilities under this title, shall provide to the Secretary such data, statistics or information. (i) The office of the Secretary of the State may provide nonpartisan technical assistance to municipalities, researchers and members of the public seeking to use the resources of the state-wide database. (j) In each action filed pursuant to section 9-368j , there shall be a rebuttable presumption that the data, estimates or other information maintained in the state-wide database is valid.

Legislative History

(P.A. 23-204, S. 412.) History: P.A. 23-204 effective January 1, 2024.