Connecticut HB 5344: AN ACT CONCERNING SUPERIOR COURT VENUE FOR ELECTION CASES.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5344
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING SUPERIOR COURT VENUE FOR ELECTION
CASES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 9-324 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026, and 2
applicable to complaints brought on or after July 1, 2026): 3
(a) Any elector or candidate who claims that such elector or candidate 4
is aggrieved by any ruling of any election official in connection with any 5
election for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of the State, State 6
Treasurer, Attorney General, State Comptroller or judge of probate, held 7
in such elector's or candidate's town, or that there has been a mistake in 8
the count of the votes cast at such election for candidates for said offices 9
or any of them, at any voting district in such elector's or candidate's 10
town, or any candidate for such an office who claims that such candidate 11
is aggrieved by a violation of any provision of [section] sections 9-355, 12
9-357 to 9-361, inclusive, or section 9-364, 9-364a or 9-365 in the casting 13
of absentee ballots at such election or any candidate for the office of 14
Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of the State, State Treasurer, 15
Attorney General or State Comptroller, who claims that such candidate 16
is aggrieved by a violation of any provision of sections 9-700 to 9-716, 17
inclusive, may bring such elector's or candidate's complaint [to any 18
judge of the Superior Court, in which such] in the superior court for the 19
judicial district of Hartford or for the judicial district of Bridgeport. Such 20

Substitute Bill No. 5344

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elector or candidate shall set out in the complaint the claimed errors of 21
such election official, the claimed errors in the count or the claimed 22
violations of said sections. In any action brought pursuant to the 23
provisions of this section, the complainant shall send a copy of the 24
complaint by first-class mail, or deliver a copy of the complaint by hand, 25
to the State Elections Enforcement Commission. If such complaint is 26
made prior to such election, [such judge] the court shall proceed 27
expeditiously to render judgment on the complaint and shall cause 28
notice of the hearing to be given to the Secretary of the State and the 29
State Elections Enforcement Commission. If such complaint is made 30
subsequent to the election, it shall be brought not later than fourteen 31
days after the election or, if such complaint is brought in response to the 32
manual tabulation of paper ballots authorized pursuant to section 9-33
320f, such complaint shall be brought not later than seven days after the 34
close of any such manual tabulation. [and, in either such circumstance, 35
such judge] 36
(b) The court shall forthwith order a hearing to be [had] held upon 37
[such] a complaint filed under subsection (a) of this section, upon a day 38
not more than five nor less than three days from the making of such 39
order, and shall cause notice of not less than three nor more than five 40
days to be given to any candidate or candidates whose election may be 41
affected by the decision upon such hearing, to such election official, the 42
Secretary of the State, the State Elections Enforcement Commission and 43
to any other party or parties whom [such judge] the court deems proper 44
parties thereto, of the time and place for the hearing upon such 45
complaint. [Such judge] The court shall, on the day fixed for such 46
hearing and without unnecessary delay, proceed to hear the parties. If 47
sufficient reason is shown, [such judge] the court may order any voting 48
tabulators to be unlocked or any ballot boxes to be opened and a recount 49
of the votes cast, including absentee ballots, to be made. [Such judge] 50
The court shall thereupon, in case [such judge] the court finds any error 51
in the rulings of the election official, any mistake in the count of the votes 52
or any violation of [said sections] any provision of sections 9-355, 9-357 53
to 9-361, inclusive, section 9-364, 9-364a or 9-365 or sections 9-700 to 9-54

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716, inclusive, certify the result of [such judge's] the court's finding or 55
decision to the Secretary of the State before the fifteenth day of the next 56
succeeding December. [Such judge] The court may order a new election 57
or a change in the existing election schedule. [Such certificate of such 58
judge of such judge's] 59
(c) The certificate of the court's finding or decision pursuant to 60
subsection (b) of this section shall be final and conclusive upon all 61
questions relating to errors in the rulings of such election officials, to the 62
correctness of such count, and, for the purposes of this section only, such 63
claimed violations, and shall operate to correct the returns of the 64
moderators or presiding of