SB 1049 - Modern Elections Summary

• Secretary of the State shall develop a system allowing electronic signatures for forms and applications related to elections (chapters 141-154 of general statutes), with electronic signatures deemed equivalent to original signatures.

• Persons distributing 5 or more absentee ballot applications must register with the municipal clerk before distribution; Secretary of the State shall establish an online registration system providing unique identifiers for distributors.

• Election dispute procedures modified to direct all complaints to the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford (rather than any Superior Court), with expedited timelines of 3-5 days for hearings and 14 days post-election for filing complaints.

• Election day voter registration established, allowing eligible applicants to register and vote on election day at designated locations with access to state-wide centralized voter registration system.

• Multiple candidate certification and nomination procedures updated to allow 19-day correction windows for errors in party endorsement and candidacy certificates deemed harmless, with Secretary of State permitted to amend certificates for harmless errors.