Connecticut

Articles about voting issues in Connecticut.

Same-day registration hailed by supporters, criticized by some registrars | Record Journal

May 102012

Both chambers of the state legislature have endorsed a bill to allow voters to register on Election Day, but some local registrars of voters are concerned about the proposal. The state Senate passed the bill 19-16 last week and the House of Representatives approved the measure on April 30 by a vote of 83-59. Both votes fell largely along party lines in the Democratic-controlled General Assembly. The law will take effect in 2013. Republican lawmakers and some registrars have raised concerns about potential fraud and possible problems at the polls. Aleta Looker, the Democratic registrar in Cheshire, said allowing same-day registration also presents added costs. “Most towns are facing severe budgetary problems,” she said in testimony before the House of Representatives. “We are concerned about the cost of having this extra registering/polling place, which would have to be manned at nearly the same level as an actual polling place and have computer and telephone installations.” Read More »

Senate passes Election Day registration | WTNH

May 072012

Connecticut moved closer Saturday toward allowing people to register to vote and cast a ballot on Election Day. By a largely party line vote, 19-16, the Democratic controlled state Senate gave final legislative approval to the bill, which already passed the House of Representatives. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, a Democrat, applauded the bill’s passage, predicting it will increase participation in elections and improve voter access to the ballot box. ”Today is a great day in Connecticut,” he said in a written statement. “Despite the pervasive climate across the U.S. to restrict voting rights, Connecticut has moved in the opposite direction — one that ensures the integrity of our electoral process is fair, accessible elections.” Read More »

House Debates Controversial Same-Day Voter Registration | Hartford Courant

May 022012

After more than five hours of debate, the state House of Representatives voted Monday night for the controversial Election Day voter registration bill that has a long history in the state legislature. By a vote of 83-59, the House voted allow the same-day registration, despite complaints by opponents about potential fraud. Nine conservative Democrats broke with their party and voted against the bill. Only one Republican, Livvy Floren of Greenwich, voted in favor. Lawmakers have been clashing for more than a decade as the issue has been blocked by a veto by then-Gov. John G. Rowland in 2003 and a federal court ruling in 2005 in Connecticut that rejected same-day registration. Read More »

Connecticut House Debates Controversial Same-Day Voter Registration | Courant.com

May 012012

After more than five hours of debate, the state House of Representatives voted Monday night for the controversial Election Day voter registration bill that has a long history in the state legislature. By a vote of 83-59, the House voted allow the same-day registration, despite complaints by opponents about potential fraud. Nine conservative Democrats broke with their party and voted against the bill. Only one Republican, Livvy Floren of Greenwich, voted in favor. Lawmakers have been clashing for more than a decade as the issue has been blocked by a veto by then-Gov.John G. Rowlandin 2003 and a federal court ruling in 2005 in Connecticut that rejected same-day registration. Read More »

Constitutional Amendment on No Excuse Absentee Ballots Goes To Voters Now | Courant.com

Apr 202012

The Senate on Wednesday approved a rare Constitutional amendment that would make it much easier to vote by absentee ballot, requiring no reason or excuse at all. The measure, if passed by voters in a statewide referendum in November 2014, would remove all restrictions on obtaining absentee ballots, which are currently granted under certain circumstances such as being away at college or being disabled. The House has already approved the measure. The Senate voted 21-14 in favor of the amendment on a party-line vote. One Democratic senator, Edith Prague of Columbia, was absent. Sen. Gayle Slossberg, a Milford Democrat who co-chairs the legislative committee that oversees elections, said the move would open up voting for more citizens who arrive home too late to cast a ballot by the time the polls close at 8 p.m. ”This is important to commuters,” Slossberg said. Read More »

Bill Allowing Same-Day Voter Registration Advances | Courant.com

Mar 232012

A key committee voted Wednesday for a bill that allows same-day voter registration, a controversial issue that for more than a decade has prompted sharp debates about potential voter fraud. The bill passed 11-4 on a largely party-line vote. Republicans charged that registering and then voting on the same day provides too many opportunities for last-minute fraud that might not be detected until after the election. One Republican joined with 10 Democrats to pass the measure. Sen. Gayle Slossberg, a Democrat and the committee co-chairwoman, spoke strongly in favor of the bill, saying it would boost voter turnout at a time when the state needs it. She said there was no evidence of voter fraud in Connecticut, adding that a statewide voter registration database would prevent voters from casting ballots by driving to two different towns on Election Day. ”I do think that we take ballot integrity very seriously,” said Slossberg. “One of the great tools at our fingertips and at our registrars’ fingertips is our electronic database.” Read More »

Changes in voting laws designed to boost turnout | Stratford Star

Mar 082012

Bridgeport’s “ran-out-of-ballots” fiasco got Secretary of the State Denise Merrill’s attention. “People were turned away at the polls and not allowed to vote!” she told a League of Women Voters meeting in Ridgefield recently. “We don’t need one more thing to cause people to lose faith in the system.” Just elected in November 2010, Merrill wouldn’t take office as Secretary of the State until January 2011. But she followed all that unfolded. The 2010 election’s signature foul-up became motivation for electoral reform. And it provides much of the context for a series of proposals Merrill and Governor Dannel Malloy have put before the Legislature this year. Read More »

Secretary of State Merrill voices call for new tech, laws to get people voting | Greenwich Post

Feb 112012

The ability to use more technology, Election Day registration and increased outreach are what Connecticut Secretary of State Denise Merrill called “modest first steps” to addressing the crisis of poor voter turnout numbers. In an appearance at Town Hall last Thursday, Feb. 2, Ms. Merrill discussed election issues and looked ahead to what can be done to get more people educated and motivated to vote. The Greenwich League of Women Voters invited Ms. Merrill to speak so residents could hear about the latest initiatives coming out of her office. She discussed the impacts of technology and where she sees voting trends going in years to come. Read More »

Malloy Proposes Voter Registration Changes | NBC Connecticut

Jan 172012

You might be able to register to vote on Election Day, as well as register online to vote under some legislation the governor is proposing. Gov. Dannel Malloy, Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill and Common Cause Board Chair Dr. Bilal Sekou announced the plan on Monday, in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Read More »

Weston Officials Blast State's Election Audit | The Daily Weston

Dec 032011

Weston has been randomly picked by Secretary of the State Denise Merrill as one of the 73 polling precincts to be audited from the Nov. 8 election — and no one in Town Hall is happy about it. “Am I happy about this? Of course I am not happy about it. This is ridiculous, it’s an unfunded mandate,” said First Selectman Gayle Weinstein.

The audit, which is a hand counting of votes, is required under Connecticut General Statutes and is done at random. A total of 726 polling precincts were open across the state election night, and 10 percent of those places were chosen for the audit. Read More »

Connecticut Voters Elect Incumbent's Son After Ballot Typo | Mason County Daily News

Nov 282011

James J. Butler just won his first election, but he wasn’t even running for office. Because of a typo on the Derby, Conn., ballot, Butler was unwittingly elected to the city’s Board of Apportionment and Taxation, knocking out the incumbent, his father James R. Butler, who was actually campaigning for the seat.

“I understand that mistakes are made but this one is especially unfortunate,” Derby Republican Town Committee Chairman Tony Szewczy said in a letter to the county clerk pointing out the error. “We will be in violation of State Election law if we allow a person who wasn’t on the ballot and received no votes to be sworn in. This would also be a huge disservice to our voters.” Read More »

Typo blamed for wrong candidate’s election to local finance board in Connecticut town | The Washington Post

Nov 252011

A typo has led to the election of the wrong man to a finance board in Derby, Conn. James J. Butler was the highest vote-getter, winning 1,526 votes for the 10-member Board of Apportionment and Taxation, which monitors the town’s finances.

However, his father, 72-year-old James R. Butler, was the candidate nominated by Democrats. The News Times of Danbury and New Haven Register report that he said he wants the job and that his son is not interested in public office.

14-vote difference forces recount | The Middletown Press

Nov 102011

A 14-vote difference between Republican Common Council members Deborah Kleckowski and David Bauer has caused the city to recount all of the ballots from Tuesday’s election, city officials said Wednesday. Kleckowski has unofficially won a seat on the council over Bauer, with 3,828 votes, to Bauer’s 3,814.

Kleckowski said she feels that she did a good job during her first term as a council member and she is disappointed that her numbers weren’t higher. Kleckowski said she is confident that she will win the recount, but if she doesn’t, she said she will support Bauer just as she thinks he will support her. Read More »

Online voting on minds of lawmakers | The Republican-American

Nov 082011

Lawmakers came close to requiring that state election officials implement online voting this year, with an eye toward allowing military personnel overseas easier access to the ballot box. A Watertown lawmaker plans to make a fresh attempt in the next regular session.

Computer scientists who took part in an Oct. 27 panel discussion organized by Secretary of the State Denise Merrill said, unanimously, such a system cannot possibly be secured. ”Secure Internet voting is a bit like the phrase ‘safe cigarettes,’” said Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Ron Rivest. “It’s just an oxymoron. It’s just not possible to do this securely.” Read More »

Absentees: Early ballots bring victories, sometimes fraud | Connecticut Post

Oct 252011

“Goal: 1,200 absentee applications,” read a sign hanging in Mayor Bill Finch’s campaign headquarters last month. By the time polls opened at 6 a.m. on Sept. 27, that goal had been surpassed — more than 1,300 applications were turned in and nearly 900 ballots returned. Before the first paper ballot was marked, Finch already had a 420-vote lead over Democratic challenger Mary-Jane Foster on Primary Day, the fruits of a well-organized absentee ballot operation.

“We, the politicians, we will do whatever we can to get that vote,” said Lydia Martinez, an East Side city councilwoman who for years has led the most successful absentee ballot operations in the city. “You can give transportation to people. You can call people to ask if they got their absentee ballot. I do have a record of who votes by absentee every year. I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I know who the people are.” Read More »

Secretary of State's office selects precincts for post-primaries audit | NorwalkPlus.com

Sep 302011

Deputy Secretary of the State James Spallone today joined Connecticut voting rights advocates from CT Voters Count and Common Cause for a public drawing to randomly select 12 precincts that will have election results audited following the September 13, 2011 municipal primaries that took place in 21 Connecticut communities. A complete list of the precincts selected is below. Precincts from Bridgeport, where municipal primaries were held on September 27th, will be drawn at random for a post election audit at a later date.

“On September 13th voters went to the polls across Connecticut to choose nominees to run in November’s general election to fill very important roles in local government,” said Deputy Secretary of the State James Spallone. “Our audit law exists to hold our election process accountable and reassure the public to have continued confidence that all votes were recorded accurately. We will repeat this process again in the near future for the city of Bridgeport, whose primary was held two weeks after other cities and towns.” Read More »

Bridgeport absentee ballots becoming focus of election complaints | Connecticut Post

Sep 262011

More than 1,000 absentee ballot forms have been requested for the Democratic mayoral primary between Mary Jane Foster and Mayor Bill Finch and some have become the focus of elections complaints. The Mary Jane Foster for Mayor campaign has unleashed a pack of charges against the supporters of Mayor Bill Finch, charging that there is fraud and other illegal activities regarding absentee ballots.

Jason Bartlett, Foster’s campaign manager, said that Councilwoman Lydia N. Martinez, D-137, illegally assisted several elderly residents of Harborview Towers in filling out their absentee ballots. Martinez could not be reached for comment. Read More »

Secretary of the State Merrill pitches ideas for election changes | The Bulletin

Sep 232011

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill on Wednesday detailed her ideas for election changes that would include greater use of technology and support for a constitutional amendment allowing early voting. Speaking during a Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments meeting in Norwich, Merrill said she wants a more “centralized” system that would cut costs and encourage greater participation by young people.

“I’m worried about where we’re going to get our next generation of voters,” she said. “We need new technology to communicate with people where they are.” Read More »

Absentee ballot issues cast doubt on primary | Connecticut Post

Sep 222011

It takes persistence, patience and a bit of luck to get into Elizabeth Hendricks’ apartment house in Bridgeport. Both the front and back doors of the tall brick building are locked. A sign inside the vestibule warns residents not to let people coming up behind them into the building. So it takes a while for me to work my way into the building. Eventually someone who listens to my broken Spanish takes pity on me or, perhaps, thinks I’m visiting someone who’s expecting me. So I’m allowed inside.

Between the two glass doors at the entrance there’s a security panel with a code connected to phone each apartment. I dial the two-digit code for Hendricks and listen to the phone ring and ring and ring. It never gets answered.

Hendricks is the voter who filed an affidavit claiming state Rep. Ezequiel Santiago showed up on her doorstep last Thursday asking if she was voting by absentee ballot. When Hendricks informed him that her vote in next Tuesday’s primary would be cast by absentee ballot, Santiago made her an offer. ”He told me that he would take the ballot from me,” Hendricks says in a sworn statement, “to turn in if I hadn’t sent it already.” Read More »

Voting laws up for change to allow early voting and no excuse absentee | Yale Daily News

Sep 072011

The secretary of the state is pushing for a constitutional amendment to open the floor for voting law reforms that will allow early voting and absentee voting in any situation.

As part of a broad initiative to modernize Connecticut’s voting system that started in February, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill is pushing for a constitutional amendment to allow the legislature to change the absentee voting rules or enact early voting.

Currently, the Connecticut state constitution allows absentee voting in only six very specific cases, such as physical incapability to travel to the polls or a religious prohibition on voting in person, and bans early voting. Both Republican and Democratic state legislative leaders have expressed support for the amendment, but are divided on whether early voting or absentee voting is a better reform to pursue after the constitution is changed. Read More »

Judge orders Mary-Jane Foster on Bridgeport mayoral primary ballot | Connecticut Post

Sep 032011

Mary-Jane Foster is back in the running for mayor after a Superior Court judge Friday overturned the rejection of her slate for the primary, the latest twist in what has been a tumultuous Democratic primary campaign. In a 34-page decision, Judge Barbara Bellis threw out Foster’s candidates for the Board of Education based on the state’s takeover of the city’s school system.

The judge then ordered that the Sept. 13 Democratic primary be postponed to Sept. 27 so that Foster can restart her campaign against Mayor Bill Finch.

Bellis found that the interplay of state and city statutes that Democratic Registrar of Voters Santa Ayala had relied on to deny Foster a ballot spot was confusing and ambiguous and that the Foster campaign had made every reasonable effort to follow the law. Read More »

Secretary of the State Merrill convenes Election Performance Task Force | West Hartford News

Jul 212011

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill today convened an Election Performance Task Force to review Connecticut’s election system and recommend improvements.

“The mission of this task force is to review our current election system, evaluate its effectiveness and recommend changes to improve and modernize the system,” says Merrill, Connecticut’s top elections official. “We need to look at our system from the perspective of the average voter. For example, is there a way to improve their experience at the polls? Do voters want more convenience? We also plan to look at new, innovative technologies that could make life easier for our local officials.”

“We need to imagine what the voting experience can be like five or ten years from now if we make the right decisions today,” Merrill said. Read More »

Audit Report: Flawed by lack of transparency, incomplete data, and assumed accuracy | CTVotersCount.org

Jul 062011

Last week, the University of Connecticut released its official post-election audit report on the November 2010 election, just short of seven months after the election: Statistical Analysis of the Post-Election Audit Data, 2010 November Election (pdf)

Like previous reports, this official report fails to provide confidence in the post-election audit process and in the accuracy of the election itself. Read More »

Changes should improve election confidence in Connecticut | The Day

Jul 012011

There is nothing more important to representative government than fair elections. It frustrates this newspaper that so many individuals fail to exercise their right to vote. Yet it was encouraging to see the legislature, prodded by new Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, approve election reforms aimed at improving the electoral process.

Connecticut came perilously close to a disputed election for governor last November. The Democrat, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, defeated Republican challenger Tom Foley by just 6,404 votes, a margin equal to about 0.56 percent of all votes cast. Mr. Foley did not concede for nearly a week, with good reason. Election Day in Bridgeport proved a fiasco, with registrars running out of ballots, voters turned away from the polls, confusion about procedures and a court order extending voting hours. Read More »

Secretary of State Merrill announces awarding of nearly $1.2 million grant for voting technology in CT | ConnecticutPlus.com

Jun 142011

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill today announced that Connecticut has successfully won a federal grant of $1,184,441 from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, a federal body established as a result of the 2002 Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

The federal grant was attained through Secretary Merrill committing a state match of $62,000 and was awarded June 8th through federal HAVA funds available to states. The new funds can be used for a variety of functions used to enhance voting technology, such as maintaining or enhancing Connecticut’s optical scan voting machines, testing or investing in new voting systems for disabled voters, and making improvements to the state Centralized Voter Registration database. Read More »

Ballot Reform Bill Gets Final Approval In Connecticut House; Malloy To Sign It | Courant.com

May 272011

The House of Representatives gave final legislative approval Wednesday to a bill that would establish standards to ensure that local voting officials buy enough paper ballots, a response to last November’s Election Day problems in municipalities like Bridgeport, where a ballot shortage helped delay the declaration of a new governor.

The 117-26 vote — with only Republicans voting against it after expressing concerns about interference with local voting officials — came 12 days after the Senate’s 34-0 approval of the bill. It now goes to Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who intends to sign it. Read More »

Connecticut Senate Approves Election Reform Bill | Courant.com

May 132011

Responding to last November’s highly publicized Election Day problems in municipalities including Bridgeport, where a shortage of paper ballots contributed to a days-long delay in the declaration of a new governor, the Senate has approved a bill establishing standards to ensure local registrars buy enough ballots. The 34-0 vote Thursday sent the bill to the House for action in coming weeks.

The bill says local voter registrars must certify to the secretary of the state that they have ordered enough ballots for each polling place. They also would need to show that they have considered all relevant factors in determining how many they need. Unless registrars clear their plans with the secretary of the state, they would have to order one ballot for each registered voter. Read More »

Merrill selects precincts for Connecticut audit | ConnecticutPlus.com

May 112011

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill today joined Connecticut voting rights advocates for a public drawing to randomly select three precincts that will have election results audited following the May 2, 2011 municipal elections that took place in 14 Connecticut communities. The three precincts selected are West Side Middle School District 2 and William Seely School district 4 in Groton and the Stonington Fire House in Stonington. Two alternate precincts were also chosen to be ready to audit results if necessary: Center School district 3 in Woodbridge and Griswold Town Hall in Griswold.

“On May 2nd voters went to the polls across Connecticut to choose public servants to fill very important roles in local government,” said Secretary Merrill. “No matter how big or small the election, our audit law exists to hold our election process accountable and reassure the public to have continued confidence that all votes were recorded accurately.” Read More »

Luther Weeks: Democracy Theater - Online Voting is Risky and Expensive

Apr 302011

Online voting is an appealing option to speed voting for military and overseas voters. Yet it is actually “Democracy Theater”, providing an expensive, risky illusion of supporting our troops. Technologists warn of the unsolved technical challenges, while experience shows that the risks are tangible and pervasive. There are safer, less expensive solutions available.

This year, the Government Administration and Elections Committee held hearings on a bill for online voting for military voters. Later they approved a “technical bill”, S.B. 939. Tucked at the end was a paragraph requiring that the Secretary of the State “shall, within available appropriations, establish a method to allow for on-line voting by military personnel stationed out of state.”

In 2008, over thirty computer scientists, security experts and technicians signed the “Computer Technologists’ Statement on Internet Voting,” listing five unsolved technical challenges and concluding: “[W]e believe it is necessary to warn policymakers and the public that secure internet voting is a very hard technical problem, and that we should proceed with internet voting schemes only after thorough consideration of the technical and non-technical issues in doing so.”

Read the full article at the Verified Voting Blog

Connecticut Lawmakers want to eviscerate clean-elections program | Courant.com

Apr 272011

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy used the Citizens’ Election Program to great advantage in his winning race for governor last year. Strange, then, that he would preside over the destruction of the landmark program and its host agency, the venerable state Elections Enforcement Commission. That’s what will happen if the state budget as currently written becomes law.

Mr. Malloy had been a strong supporter of Connecticut’s voluntary program to publicly finance state elections since it was created by statute in 2005. Read More »

Connecticut Election reform legislation endorsed by Secretary of State | Norwalk Plus

Mar 312011

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill today praised the Connecticut General Assembly’s Government Administration and Elections committee for unanimously endorsing Senate Bill 942 “An Act Concerning the Integrity of Elections.” Secretary Merrill proposed the bill in February to strengthen the integrity of Connecticut’s elections by requiring more communication and accountability between local Registrars of Voters, charged with the responsibility of running all elections, and the Secretary of the State’s office.

Under the proposed legislation, every municipality in the state would be required to either purchase enough ballots to cover 100% of registered voters, or report to the Secretary of the State’s office how many ballots they purchase for upcoming elections, certifying that the number of ballots ordered has taken into account factors such as tight races that may augment voter turnout. The Secretary of the State’s office would have the authority to review and in some cases reject these purchases if an insufficient number of ballots were ordered. Every town would also be required to have an emergency plan to address issues such as power outages and ballot shortages on Election Day. Read More »

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