Connecticut HB 5531: AN ACT REQUIRING INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES TO SUPPORT SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5531
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING FAITHFUL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2026) (a) (1) Each candidate for 1
presidential elector who is endorsed for nomination to such office by a 2
political party under section 9-388 of the general statutes, or who files a 3
candidacy for nomination to such office with a political party 4
designation under section 9-453b of the general statutes, shall execute 5
the following pledge: "If chosen for the office of presidential elector, I 6
agree to serve and to mark my electoral college ballots for the nominees 7
for President and Vice President of the political party by which I was 8
nominated.". A copy of such executed pledge shall be included in the 9
filing of the certificate of endorsement or candidacy for nomination, as 10
applicable. 11
(2) If a political party's nominee for President or Vice President dies 12
or withdraws as a candidate in accordance with such political party's 13
rules prior to the meeting of presidential electors under section 9-176 of 14
the general statutes, as amended by this act, the pledge executed under 15
subsection (a) of this section shall apply to such political party's 16
successor nominee. 17
(b) Each candidate for presidential elector who files a candidacy for 18
nomination to such office without a political party designation under 19

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section 9-453b of the general statutes, or who registers a candidacy 20
associated with a write-in candidate for President under subsection (b) 21
of section 9-175 of the general statutes, shall execute the following 22
pledge: "If chosen for the office of presidential elector, I agree to serve 23
and to mark my electoral college ballots for the candidate for President 24
listed on this filing and for such candidate's running mate as Vice 25
President.". A copy of such executed pledge shall be included in the 26
filing of the candidacy for nomination or the registration associated with 27
a write-in candidate for President, as applicable. 28
Sec. 2. Section 9-176 of the general statutes is repealed and the 29
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 30
(a) The presidential electors of the state shall meet at the office of the 31
Secretary of the State at twelve o'clock noon on the first Tuesday after 32
the second Wednesday of the December following their election [and] 33
to cast their electoral college ballots for President and Vice President, as 34
required by the Constitution and laws of the United States. [, shall cast 35
their ballots for President and Vice President. Each such elector shall 36
cast such elector's ballots for the candidates under whose names such 37
elector ran on the official election ballot, as provided in section 9-175] 38
The Secretary of the State shall preside over the casting of such ballots. 39
(b) (1) If any [such] presidential elector is absent or if there is a 40
vacancy in the [electoral college] presidential electors of the state for any 41
cause, the presidential electors present shall [, before voting for 42
President and Vice President, elect] choose by ballot an [elector] eligible 43
person to fill such vacancy, and the person so chosen shall be a 44
presidential elector, shall perform the duties of such office and shall cast 45
his or her electoral college ballots for the candidates to whom the 46
presidential elector that he or she is replacing was pledged. 47
(2) To be eligible to be chosen to fill a vacancy in the presidential 48
electors of the state under subdivision (1) of this subsection, a person 49
shall execute the following pledge: "I agree to serve and to mark my 50
electoral college ballots consistent with the pledge of the presidential 51

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elector who I am replacing.". 52
(c) The Secretary of the State shall provide to each presidential elector 53
the electoral college ballots for President and Vice President. Each 54
presidential elector shall complete such ballots by marking such ballots 55
with his or her votes for President and Vice President, respectively, and 56
affixing his or her signature and legibly printed name to such ballots. 57
(d) Each presidential elector shall present such completed ballots to 58
the Secretary of the State, who shall examine such ballots and accept as 59
cast each such ballot marked consistent with the pledge executed by 60
such presidential elector under section 1 of this act or subdivision (2) of 61
subsection (b) of this section, as applicable. In the case of an electoral 62
college ballot marked inconsistent with the pledge so executed, the 63
Secretary shall not accept as cast such ballot. 64
(e) Any presidential elector who refuses to comply with any 65
provision of subsection (c) or (d) of this section, or marks any electoral 66