§ 9-374 — Party rules to be filed.

Connecticut § 9-374

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 9: Elections
• Ch. 153: Nominations and Political Parties

Text

No authority of the state or any political subdivision thereof having jurisdiction over the conduct of any primary shall permit the name of a party-endorsed candidate for an office or position to be printed on the official ballot to be used at any such primary unless a copy of the party rules regulating such party and its method of selecting party-endorsed candidates for nomination to such office or for election as town committee members, as the case may be, has been filed in the office of the Secretary of the State at least sixty days before such candidate is selected under such method of endorsement. The selection of delegates to conventions shall not be valid unless at least one copy of the party rules regulating the manner of making such selection has been filed in the office of the Secretary of the State at least sixty days before such selection is made. A duplicate copy of such rules shall also be filed with the state central committee of such party. A copy of the local party rules, relating to a party in a municipality, shall be filed forthwith by the town chairman or the secretary of the town committee of such party in such municipality with the Secretary of the State. The state party rules shall be filed by the state chairman or the secretary of the state central committee of such party. In the case of a minor party, no authority of the state or any subdivision thereof having jurisdiction over the conduct of any election shall permit the name of a candidate of such party for any office to be printed on the official ballot unless at least one copy of the party rules regulating the manner of nominating a candidate for such office has been filed in the office of the Secretary of the State at least one hundred eighty days before the nomination of such candidate. In the case of a minor party, the selection of town committee members and delegates to conventions shall not be valid unless at least one copy of the party rules regulating the manner of making such selection has been filed in the office of the Secretary of the State at least sixty days before such selection is made. A copy of local party rules shall forthwith be also filed with the town clerk of the municipality to which they relate. Party rules shall not be effective until sixty days after the filing of the same with the Secretary of the State. A party in any municipality for which local party rules with respect to any office or position have not been filed as provided in this section shall, as to such office or position, be subject to the provisions of the effective state rules of such party applicable in municipalities which do not have local party rules, until such time as local party rules therefor are filed and become effective as provided in this section. The town chairman of a party in any municipality for which local party rules have not been adopted and filed as provided in this section shall forthwith file a statement with the Secretary of the State to the effect that such party in such municipality does not have local party rules. The term “party rules” as used in this section includes any amendment to such party rules. When any amendment is to be filed as required by this section, complete party rules incorporating such amendment shall be filed, together with a separate copy of such amendment. See Sec. 3-99a re fees for filing, recording and processing copies of documents in Secretary of the State's office.

Legislative History

(1949 Rev., S. 1045; 1953, S. 570d; 1957, P.A. 518, S. 41; 1958 Rev., S. 9-71; 1961, P.A. 148; 1963, P.A. 17, S. 3; 375; P.A. 79-363, S. 29, 38; P.A. 03-241, S. 18; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 124.) History: 1961 act added provisions re failure to file local rules; 1963 acts entirely replaced previous provisions and further provided for filing two copies of party rules, rather than one, with the secretary, one to be forwarded to the state central committee and further provided where amendment(s) are filed, complete copies of the rules incorporating amendment(s) as well as separate copies of the amendment(s) are to be filed; P.A. 79-363 provided that one copy of rules be filed with the secretary and one copy sent direct to the state central committee; P.A. 03-241 specified applicability to “political” subdivisions of state, deleted delegates from application of provision re ballot requirement, added provision requiring party rules to be filed in office of Secretary of the State for delegate selection to be valid, and made technical changes, effective January 1, 2004, and applicable to primaries and elections held on or after that date; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 replaced 60 days with 180 days re minor parties' filing of rules regulating the manner of nominating candidates with the Secretary of the State, effective June 23, 2021. A minor party does not exist for purposes of election laws until its candidate receives 1 per cent of the vote, thus triggering an obligation to file party rules and creating a party line on the ballot for the next election, and any party rules filed prior thereto have no effect with respect to the obligations of the Secretary of the State. 330 C. 681. Cited. 30 CS 34.