CT SB00491

Eliminates all existing eligibility requirements for absentee voting, allowing any eligible elector to vote by absentee ballot without providing a reason such as illness, disability, religious observance, or absence from town

Replaces the two-envelope system (inner and outer envelopes) with a single return envelope system that includes a unique ballot identification number displayed both as text and a scannable barcode

Requires the Secretary of State to develop integrated ballot-tracking software by January 1, 2027, enabling voters to track their absentee ballot application status, mailing, delivery, and acceptance or rejection

Allows voters whose absentee ballots are rejected due to unsigned return envelopes to cure their ballots in person at the municipal clerk's office until polls close on election day, with clerks required to contact affected voters within 24 hours of rejection notification

Permits any voter to request permanent absentee ballot status on their application, automatically receiving ballots for all future elections until removed from the registry, transferred out of municipality, or upon request to end the status