Connecticut SB 226: AN ACT CONCERNING VARIOUS REVISIONS RELATED TO ELECTION PROCESSES.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 226
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 1561

Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
AND ELECTIONS

Introduced by:
(GAE)

AN ACT CONCERNING VARIOUS REVISIONS RELATED TO
ELECTION PROCESSES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 9-163aa of the 2026 supplement to the general 1
statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 2
(Effective July 1, 2026): 3
(a) (1) (A) Any eligible elector may vote prior to the day of a regular 4
election, in accordance with the provisions of this section, during a 5
period of early voting at each regular election held on or after April 1, 6
2024. 7
(B) The period of early voting under subparagraph (A) of this 8
subdivision shall (i) notwithstanding the provisions of section 9-2, 9
commence on the fifteenth day prior to and conclude on the second day 10
prior to such regular election, and (ii) consist of such days between and 11
inclusive of such commencement and conclusion, except any legal 12
holiday designated, appointed or recommended under section 1-4, and 13
at such times as provided in subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of section 14
9-174. 15

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(2) (A) Subject to the provisions of subdivision (4) of this subsection, 16
any eligible elector may vote prior to the day of a primary, other than a 17
presidential preference primary, in accordance with the provisions of 18
this section, during a period of early voting at each primary, other than 19
a presidential preference primary, held on or after April 1, 2024. 20
(B) The period of early voting under subparagraph (A) of this 21
subdivision shall (i) notwithstanding the provisions of section 9-2, 22
commence on the eighth day prior to and conclude on the second day 23
prior to such primary, other than a presidential preference primary, and 24
(ii) consist of such days between and inclusive of such commencement 25
and conclusion, except any legal holiday designated, appointed or 26
recommended under section 1-4, and at such times as provided in 27
subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of section 9-174. 28
(3) (A) Any eligible elector may vote prior to the day of a special 29
election, in accordance with the provisions of this section, during a 30
period of early voting at each special election held on or after April 1, 31
2024. 32
(B) Subject to the provisions of subdivision (4) of this subsection, any 33
eligible elector may vote prior to the day of a presidential preference 34
primary, in accordance with the provisions of this section, during a 35
period of early voting at each presidential preference primary held on 36
or after April 1, 2024. 37
(C) The period of early voting under subparagraph (A) or (B) of this 38
subdivision shall (i) notwithstanding the provisions of section 9-2, 39
commence on the fifth day prior to and conclude on the second day 40
prior to such special election or such presidential preference primary, 41
except that such commencing and concluding days shall be adjusted to 42
exclude from such period April 20, 2025, and any legal holiday 43
designated, appointed or recommended under section 1-4, and (ii) 44
consist of four total days between and inclusive of such commencement 45
and conclusion, as may be adjusted pursuant to subparagraph (C)(i) of 46

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this subdivision, and at such times as provided in subdivision (2) of 47
subsection (c) of section 9-174. 48
(4) (A) Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 9-19e, 9-23a, 9-26, 49
9-31a, 9-55, 9-56, as amended by this act, and 9-57: 50
(i) In the case of an unaffiliated elector who wishes to vote during the 51
period of early voting at a primary, such elector shall be eligible to so 52
vote if such elector's application for enrollment with the political party 53
holding such primary is filed with the registrars of voters by twelve 54
o'clock noon on the business day immediately preceding the day on 55
which such period of early voting commences. 56
(ii) In the case of a person who is not admitted as an elector and who 57
wishes to vote during the period of early voting at a primary, such 58
person shall be eligible to so vote if such person's application for 59
admission as an elector and enrollment with the political party holding 60
such primary is filed with the registrars of voters by twelve o'clock noon 61
on the business day immediately preceding the day during such period 62
of early voting on which such person offers to vote at such primary. 63
(B) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent an individual 64
who enrolls in a political party during a period of early voting at a 65
primary from voting by absentee ballot, if eligible, or in person on the 66
day of such primary. 67
(b) (1) (A) The registrars of voters of each municipality shall designate 68
a location for the conduct of early voting [, which] b