Connecticut HB 5434: AN ACT CONCERNING STATE-WIDE RECOGNITION OF MINOR PARTIES FOR PURPOSES OF NOMINATING PETITIONS.

Bill Text

LCO 1928 1 of 6

General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5434
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 1928

Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT
ADMINISTRATION AND ELECTIONS

Introduced by:
(GAE)

AN ACT CONCERNING STATE-WIDE RECOGNITION OF MINOR
PARTIES FOR PURPOSES OF NOMINATING PETITIONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 9-453b of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2027): 2
The Secretary of the State shall not issue any nominating petition 3
forms for a candidate for an office to be filled at a regular election to be 4
held in any year prior to the first business day of such year. The 5
Secretary shall not issue any nominating petition forms unless the 6
person requesting the nominating petition forms makes a written 7
application for such forms, which application shall contain the 8
following: (1) The name or names of the candidates to appear on such 9
nominating petition, compared by the town clerk of the town of 10
residence of each candidate with the candidate's name as it appears on 11
the last-completed registry list of such town, and verified and corrected 12
by such town clerk or in the case of a newly admitted elector whose 13
name does not appear on the last-completed registry list, the town clerk 14

Raised Bill No. 5434

LCO 1928 2 of 6

shall compare the candidate's name as it appears on the candidate's 15
application for admission and verify and correct it accordingly; (2) a 16
signed statement by each such candidate that the candidate consents to 17
the placing of the candidate's name on such petition; and (3) the party 18
designation, if any. An applicant for petition forms who does not wish 19
to specify a party designation shall so indicate on the application for 20
such forms and the application, if so marked, shall not be amended in 21
this respect. No application made after November 3, 1981, shall contain 22
any party designation unless a reservation of such party designation 23
with the Secretary is in effect for all of the offices included in the 24
application or unless the party designation is the same as the name of a 25
minor party [which] that is qualified for a different office or offices on 26
the same ballot as the office or offices included in the application or that 27
is described in subparagraph (B) of subdivision (6) of section 9-372, as 28
amended by this act. The Secretary shall not issue such forms (A) unless 29
the application for forms on behalf of a candidate for the office of 30
presidential elector is accompanied by the names of the candidates for 31
President and Vice-President whom the candidate for the office of 32
presidential elector represents and includes the consent of such 33
candidates for President and Vice-President; (B) unless the application 34
for forms on behalf of Governor or Lieutenant Governor is accompanied 35
by the name of the candidate for the other office and includes the 36
consent of both such candidates; (C) if petition forms have previously 37
been issued on behalf of the same candidate for the same office unless 38
the candidate files a written statement of withdrawal of the candidate's 39
previous candidacy with the Secretary; and (D) unless the application 40
meets the requirements of this section. A candidacy for nomination by 41
nominating petition to a district or municipal office may be filed on 42
behalf of any person whose name appears on the last-completed registry 43
list of the district or municipality represented by such office, as the case 44
may be. A candidacy for nomination by nominating petition to a state 45
office may be filed on behalf of any person whose name appears on the 46
last-completed registry list of the state. 47
Sec. 2. Section 9-372 of the general statutes is repealed and the 48

Raised Bill No. 5434

LCO 1928 3 of 6

following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2027): 49
The following terms, as used in this chapter, chapter 157 and sections 50
9-51 to 9-67, inclusive, 9-169e, 9-217, 9-236 and 9-361, shall have the 51
following meanings: 52
(1) "Caucus" means any meeting, at a designated hour and place, or 53
at designated hours and places, of the enrolled members of a political 54
party within a municipality or political subdivision thereof for the 55
purpose of selecting party-endorsed candidates for a primary to be held 56
by such party or for the purpose of transacting other business of such 57
party; 58
(2) "Convention" means a meeting of delegates of a political party 59
held for the purpose of designating the candidate or candidates to be 60
endorsed by such party in a primary of such party for state or district 61
office or for the purpose of transacting other business of such party; 62
(3) "District" means any geographic portion of the state which crosses 63
the boundary or boundaries between two or more towns; 64
(4) "District office" means an elec