Tomorrow: National Voter Registration Day is Tuesday, Sept. 17
Common Cause in Connecticut encourages all eligible and current voters to either register or update their registration on National Voter Registration Day, Tuesday, Sept. 17.
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Senate advances proposal to allow those on parole to vote
A provision in the 837-page special session bill implementing the state budget would allow people on parole to vote, completing a decade-long effort to end felony disenfranchisement in Connecticut.
Lawmakers attempted to restore access to the ballot box for people on parole during the regular legislative session that ended last week, but the omnibus bill failed to come up for a vote in the House. Instead, the bill — a wide-ranging proposal intended to broaden the state’s voting rules, allowing different state agencies to...
Common Cause in Connecticut Urges Governor Lamont to Sign Bill Easing the Burden of Costly Phone Calls on Families of People in Prison
Connecticut made history as the first state in the country whose legislature voted to make prison phone calls free, with the passage of SB 972. Common Cause in Connecticut urges Governor Lamont to sign the legislation without delay.
The promise of a special session offers a potential lifeline for any number of bills that do not pass before the deadline of midnight tonight. For instance, [Speaker of the House] Ritter said SB 5 would be included in the eventual implementer bill. That proposal, a host of updates to Connecticut voting laws, passed the Senate but was never raised by the House.
Ritter said that might not be the only thing that comes back. “We’ll be going over the list of things that both chambers want,” [Senate President] Looney said of...
CT shuffles toward referendum on no-excuse absentee voting
The Senate voted 27-9 Thursday night for final passage of a resolution that opens a multi-year process for voters to decide if the state Constitution should be amended to increase the General Assembly’s discretion over the use of absentee ballots.
At issue is a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the legislature to authorize no-excuse absentee voting. Connecticut’s rules for absentee voting are among the most restrictive in the U.S. and they are enshrined in its constitution.
Early Voting Constitutional Amendment Heads to Voters
The Connecticut Senate has approved HJ 59, a constitutional amendment to allow early in-person voting. It will now be placed on the 2022 General Election ballot. If a majority of voters approve the amendment, Connecticut will allow early voting.
While some state legislatures are trying to limit voter participation, our General Assembly is working to reduce barriers and improve voting access. The bill passed today is an important part of that effort, and we urge the House to approve it quickly.
The shameful 230-year-old practice called “prison gerrymandering” has meant that power has been redistributed unfairly. Communities where prisons are built have gotten an outsize say in Connecticut elections at the expense of other areas.
Voting Rights Advocates Applaud Passage of Historic No-Excuse Absentee Ballot Legislation; Call for Immediate Action on Senate Bill 5
The Connecticut House voted 104-44 in favor of House Joint Resolution 58 - to allow for no-excuse absentee ballot voting in Connecticut. The resolution now heads to the Senate. The legislature will have to pass the resolution again next session for it to appear on the ballot in 2024.
Resolution to allow expanded absentee voting clears House
(...) The legislation passed the House on a 103 to 44 vote, with nine Republicans joining the Democrats in support. In order for the question to have appeared on the November 2022 ballot, the resolution needed 75% of the chamber’s support.
The resolution now awaits action in the Senate. (...) “It’s time to make this commonsense measure permanent. If the legislature doesn’t pass the no-excuse absentee ballot resolution this session, voters will quickly lose the rights they gained just months ago,” Cheri Quickmire,...
House approves early voting question for statewide decision in 2022
HARTFORD — The often-emotional nationwide political battle over ballot access reached the state Capitol on Thursday, but the House of Representatives, in a bipartisan vote, approved legislation that could change the Connecticut Constitution and create procedures for early voting.
Common Cause in Connecticut Applauds House for Passing Historic Early Voting Resolution; Calls for Swift Action on Absentee Ballot Voting & Senate Bill 5
