CHAPTER 154
PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE PRIMARY

      Sec. 9-464. Primary date. On the last Tuesday in April of each year in which the President of the United States is to be elected, each party shall conduct a primary in each town if the names of two or more candidates are to be placed on such party's ballot in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

      (P.A. 77-535, S. 2; P.A. 79-481, S. 2; P.A. 83-475, S. 37, 43; P.A. 90-156, S. 8; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-3, S. 50, 168; P.A. 95-95, S. 1; P.A. 07-132, S. 1; P.A. 11-143, S. 1.)

      History: P.A. 79-481 changed the day for the primary to the Tuesday after the fourth Monday instead of the first Monday in March if the name of one or more candidates is to be placed on the ballot and further provided for the costs of conducting primary to be paid as prescribed in new Subsecs. (b) and (c); P.A. 83-475 amended section to require primary only if there are at least two qualifying candidates and to refer to number of voting districts used by towns in last preceding state election; P.A. 90-156 repealed former Subsec. (b) re limitations on reimbursement, relettered Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (b) and amended new Subsec. (b) by basing reimbursement on town's 1984 or 1988 reimbursement, whichever is applicable, plus 3% annually; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-3 removed Subsecs. (a) and (b) designators, deleted provision in Subsec. (a) requiring costs of conducting primary in each town to be paid by state in the manner and to the extent prescribed in Subsec. (b), and deleted Subsec. (b) in its entirety; P.A. 95-95 changed primary date from the Tuesday after the fourth Monday in March to first Tuesday in March; P.A. 07-132 changed presidential primary month from March to February, effective June 25, 2007; P.A. 11-143 changed primary date from the first Tuesday in February to the last Tuesday in April, effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 9-466. Announcement of candidate list. The Secretary shall, at ten o'clock a.m. on the seventy-fourth day preceding the day of the primary, publicly announce a list of candidates whose names are to be placed on the ballot of each party at such primary pursuant to subsection (a) of section 9-465. Forthwith upon announcing such list, said Secretary shall notify each such candidate, by registered mail with return receipt requested, that his name will be included on the ballot unless he files with the Secretary, not later than twelve o'clock p.m. of the thirty-sixth day before the primary, a written request, signed by the candidate, to the following effect: "I request that my name be omitted from the ballot at Connecticut's forthcoming .... (name of party) presidential preference primary". The name of any candidate who files a request as provided by this section, within the time specified, shall be omitted from the ballot, but no such withdrawal shall be honored if it is received later than the time specified by this section.

      (P.A. 77-535, S. 4; P.A. 79-481, S. 4; P.A. 94-209, S. 1; P.A. 07-132, S. 2; P.A. 11-143, S. 2.)

      History: P.A. 79-481 deleted provision for announcement of additional candidates to be placed on the ballot prior to four o'clock p.m. of the forty-sixth day before the primary; P.A. 94-209 changed day of announcement from sixtieth to seventy-fourth day preceding the primary; P.A. 07-132 changed "seventy-fourth day" to "seventy-eighth day", "four o'clock" to "twelve o'clock", and "thirty-sixth day" to "fortieth day", effective June 25, 2007; P.A. 11-143 changed "seventy-eighth day" to "seventy-fourth day" and "fortieth day" to "thirty-sixth day", effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 9-467. Issuance of petition. On or after twelve o'clock noon of the seventy-fourth day preceding the day of the primary, any person seeking the nomination of a party for President, whose name is not included in the list of candidates announced by the Secretary pursuant to section 9-466, or any person advocating the nomination of such person, by such party, may obtain petition pages from the Secretary in the manner provided by this section. Such pages shall be in a form prescribed by the Secretary and shall conform, as nearly as may be, to the requirements for primary petition forms provided in section 9-410. Any person requesting the petition pages shall give to the Secretary, in writing, his name and address, the name and address of the candidate for whom the petition is to be circulated and the party holding the primary, and shall also file, or cause to be filed, with said Secretary a written statement, signed by such candidate, to the effect that he consents to the inclusion of his name on the primary ballot of such party. Upon completion of these requirements, the Secretary shall give to the person so requesting such petition pages one petition page, suitable for duplication. If the person is requesting the form on behalf of an indigent candidate, the Secretary shall give the person the number of original pages that such person requests or the number of original pages that the Secretary deems to be sufficient. The Secretary shall also fill in on each petition page the name and address of the candidate, the words "nomination for President of the United States" as the designation of the office sought, and the name of the party conducting the primary.

      (P.A. 77-535, S. 5; P.A. 79-481, S. 5; P.A. 83-475, S. 38, 43; P.A. 94-209, S. 2; P.A. 07-132, S. 3; P.A. 11-143, S. 3.)

      History: P.A. 79-481 added to the information to be furnished the secretary of the state, "the party holding the primary"; P.A. 83-475 amended section to reduce number of petition pages given by secretary from three times to twice the number necessary; P.A. 94-209 changed first day of issuing petitions from sixtieth to seventy-fourth day preceding the primary; P.A. 07-132 changed "seventy-fourth day" to "seventy-eighth day" and changed number of petition pages given to a person from a sufficient number of pages to one page, suitable for duplication, unless requested on behalf of an indigent candidate, effective June 25, 2007; P.A. 11-143 changed "seventy-eighth day" to "seventy-fourth day", effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 9-468. Circulation, filing and verification of petition. Except as hereinafter provided, such petitions shall be circulated, filed with the registrars of voters, and verified by said registrars, as nearly as may be, in accordance with the provisions of sections 9-410 and 9-412. Each page of such a petition shall be filed with the registrar of voters of the party holding the primary in the town of voting residence of the signers thereof, not later than four o'clock p.m. of the fifty-third day preceding the day of the primary; and such registrar shall verify the signatures on each such page and forward it to the Secretary not later than four o'clock p.m. of the forty-ninth day preceding the day of the primary. If, prior to such last day for filing such pages with the registrar, such a petition was issued under section 9-467, the office or office facilities of each registrar of such party in each town shall open not later than one o'clock p.m. and remain open until at least four o'clock p.m., and each such registrar or his deputy assistant registrar shall be present therein.

      (P.A. 77-535, S. 6; P.A. 79-481, S. 6; P.A. 83-475, S. 39, 43; P.A. 85-577, S. 19; P.A. 07-132, S. 4; P.A. 11-143, S. 4.)

      History: P.A. 79-481 rephrased provisions but made no substantive changes; P.A. 83-475 amended section to refer to Secs. 9-410 and 9-412 instead of Secs. 9-402 and 9-403; P.A. 85-577 amended section to provide open office hours at the registrar of voters, if prior to the last day for filing petition pages, a petition was issued under Sec. 9-467; P.A. 07-132 changed "forty-sixth day" to "fiftieth day" and "forty-second day" to "forty-sixth day", effective June 25, 2007; P.A. 11-143 changed "fiftieth day" to "fifty-third day" and "forty-sixth day" to "forty-ninth day", effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 9-469. Tabulation of signatures. The Secretary shall complete tabulation of the signatures on such petitions not later than the forty-sixth day preceding the day of the primary. The Secretary shall place on the ballot of each party at the primary the name of each candidate whose petition has been signed by a number of enrolled members of such party equal to at least one per cent of the total number of enrolled members of such party in the state, according to the most recent enrollment records on file in the office of the Secretary. No candidate who has filed a statement of consent pursuant to the provisions of section 9-467 and whose name is placed on the ballot pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be permitted to withdraw his name from such ballot.

      (P.A. 77-535, S. 7; P.A. 79-481, S. 7; P.A. 11-143, S. 5.)

      History: P.A. 79-481 rephrased provisions but made no substantive changes; ; P.A. 11-143 changed "thirty-sixth day" to "forty-sixth day", effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 9-470. Order of candidate names on ballot. The Secretary shall determine by lot, in a public ceremony held on the thirty-fifth day preceding the day of the primary, the order in which the names of the candidates will appear on the ballot of each party at such primary; provided that the category "uncommitted" shall appear last on such ballots. Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes to the contrary, no candidate shall be designated on the ballot as the party-endorsed candidate. The names of such candidates shall appear, in the order so determined by the Secretary, in the first vertical column of the ballot. Such column shall be designated "Nomination for President of the United States"; provided if the number of candidates is such that there is an insufficient number of places in such column, the Secretary shall determine whether the names of the candidates shall also extend, in the order so determined, to the second and succeeding columns as may be necessary, or shall appear on the first and succeeding horizontal rows as may be necessary. Such columns or rows shall be designated as hereinabove provided. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the form of the ballot shall be prescribed by the Secretary and shall conform, as nearly as may be, to the provisions of section 9-437.

      (P.A. 77-535, S. 8; P.A. 79-481, S. 8; P.A. 11-20, S. 33.)

      History: P.A. 79-481 substituted "uncommitted" for the category "none of those listed", deleted provisions concerning delegate slates and further deleted provision concerning ballot label when primary for town committee is held on the same day; P.A. 11-20 replaced "voting machine" with "ballot", effective May 24, 2011.

      Sec. 9-476. Conduct of primary. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the provisions of chapter 145 and chapter 153 concerning absentee voting at primaries, conduct of primaries and return and tabulation of the vote at such primaries shall apply as nearly as practicable and in the manner prescribed by the Secretary of the State, to a presidential preference primary. The primary officials of each party for each polling place shall be as specified in section 9-436, except that (1) the appointment of assistant registrars of voters and absentee ballot counters shall be permitted but not required, (2) the minimum number of official checkers shall be one, (3) the minimum number of voting tabulator tenders shall be one for each two voting tabulators in use, (4) if two parties are holding primaries and the registrars of voters of such parties so agree, such registrars of voters may jointly appoint (A) one moderator of both primaries and (B) one enrolled member of either party to serve as head moderator of both primaries, (5) notwithstanding any reduction in the number of primary officials as permitted by this section, any duty required of primary officials by the general statutes may be performed by one or more primary officials, at the direction of the registrar of voters of the party of such officials, and (6) the registrar of voters shall have the sole power to appoint such officials. In making such appointments the registrar shall attempt, to the extent practicable, to provide representation for each candidate at each polling place. The provisions of section 9-436a shall apply to each candidate whose name appears on the ballot, except that each such candidate, through such candidate's authorized or known representative, may submit to the registrar of voters the name of one designee as candidate checker for each polling place, and the registrar of voters shall appoint such designee as candidate checker for such candidate. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 9-438, the polls shall be open for voting at the primary between the hours of six o'clock a.m. and eight o'clock p.m. The moderator or head moderator of the primary in each town shall prepare duplicate head moderator returns in the manner provided by section 9-440, but notwithstanding the provisions of said section, the moderator or head moderator may electronically transmit such returns not later than eleven fifty-nine o'clock p.m. on primary day, provided a hard copy is mailed to the Secretary of the State not later than two o'clock p.m. of the day following the primary or shall hand deliver one of such returns to either the Secretary or the state police by two o'clock p.m. of the day following the primary. Any moderator or head moderator, as the case may be, who fails to deliver such returns to either the Secretary or the state police by such time shall pay a late filing fee of fifty dollars.

      (P.A. 77-535, S. 14; P.A. 79-481, S. 12; P.A. 85-577, S. 20; P.A. 86-179, S. 50, 53; P.A. 92-1, S. 1, 8; P.A. 11-20, S. 1; 11-173, S. 52.)

      History: P.A. 79-481 provided for exceptions to Sec. 9-436 in application to presidential preference primary in that appointment of challengers is not required and that registrar of voters shall have sole power to appoint the primary officials and shall attempt to provide representation for each candidate at each polling place, provided for appointment of unofficial checker, as designation by each candidate and further provided that the moderator or head moderator deliver one of lists prepared pursuant to Sec. 9-440, by his own hand, to either the secretary or the state police by noon of the day following the primary; P.A. 85-577 changed delivery time to the secretary of the state or state police from noon to two o'clock p.m. and established late filing fee; P.A. 86-179 made technical changes; P.A. 92-1 inserted new Subdivs. (1) to (5) re number and duties of polling place officials and deleted former Subdiv. (1) re optional appointment of challengers, renumbering former Subdiv. (2) as (6) and substituted "candidate checker" for "unofficial checker"; P.A. 11-173 replaced references to machines with references to tabulators, deleted requirement that moderator be an enrolled member of either party in Subdiv. (4)(A), added language re electronic transmission of returns, replaced references to lists with references to returns and made technical changes, effective July 13, 2011.