Connecticut § 9-153c - (Formerly Sec. 9-136b). Procedure in case of omission or error in printing or issuing of ballot.

§ 9-153c. (Formerly Sec. 9-136b). Procedure in case of omission or error in printing or issuing of ballot.

Sec. 9-153c. (Formerly Sec. 9-136b). Procedure in case of omission or error in printing or issuing of ballot. (a) If a municipal clerk has omitted the name of a candidate, party or office designation, inserted an incorrect or misspelled name of a candidate, party or office designation, provided an absentee ballot applicant with a ballot which is not the correct ballot for his voting district, or incorrectly imprinted or failed to imprint the designation of a state or local question on an absentee ballot in the appropriate space, and if any such omission or error is likely to mislead any voter, he shall, as soon as he becomes aware of such omission or error, promptly mail to each applicant to whom such an absentee ballot has been issued, a correct absentee ballot, envelopes for its return and instructions, a statement explaining the error or omission including the correct name or question and a copy of this section. The municipal clerk shall inform the Secretary of the State when he proceeds under this subsection.

(b) Any additional absentee voting sets issued to applicants under this section shall be issued in consecutive ascending numerical order based upon the serial number appearing on the outer envelope for return of ballots to the municipal clerk, and the clerk shall keep a record of such numbers by making a notation on, or attaching a memorandum to, the applicant's original application for an absentee ballot.

(c) The municipal clerk shall keep a list containing the name, address and voting district of each absentee ballot applicant who has been issued more than one absentee ballot under this section and the serial number appearing on the outer envelope of each absentee voting set so issued. The list shall be kept with the list required under section 9-140.

(d) If more than one ballot is received from an applicant who has been sent a correct ballot under subsection (a) of this section, the ballot last received by the municipal clerk shall be counted if no ballot of such applicant has already been counted. For all ballots of such applicant that are not counted, the municipal clerk shall inscribe the word “rejected” and note the reasons for rejection on the outer envelope and shall seal them, unopened, in a package and retain them in a safe place until delivered in accordance with section 9-140c.

(P.A. 73-376; P.A. 76-50, S. 3, 7; P.A. 77-303, S. 1, 3; P.A. 82-426, S. 3, 14; P.A. 84-319, S. 12, 49; P.A. 86-179, S. 24, 53; P.A. 24-148, S. 4.)

History: P.A. 76-50 substituted municipal clerk for town clerk and deleted requirement that copy of question be mailed to applicants for absentee ballot; P.A. 77-303 added new Subsecs. (b) and (c) detailing procedures to be followed in correcting omissions or errors; P.A. 82-426 amended section to require corrective action by municipal clerk only if ballot omission or error is likely to be misleading; P.A. 84-319 revised procedure for correction when applicant provided with incorrect or defective ballot; P.A. 86-179 deleted provision re secretary's examination and correction of ballots and made technical changes; Sec. 9-136b transferred to Sec. 9-153c in 1987; P.A. 24-148 amended Subsec. (d) by replacing “the ballot bearing the latest serial number” with “the ballot last received by the municipal clerk”, adding “For all ballots of such applicant that are not counted” and deleting “of each of such applicant's other ballots not so counted” and made a technical change, effective June 6, 2024.