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, 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 machine
tenders shall be one for each two voting machines in use, (4) if two parties are holding
primaries and the registrars of voters of such parties so agree, such registrars may jointly
appoint (A) one enrolled member of either party to serve as 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 his authorized or known representative, may submit to the registrar the name of one designee as candidate checker for each
polling place, and the registrar 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 lists
of returns in the manner provided by section 9-440, but notwithstanding the provisions
of said section, he shall hand deliver one of such lists 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 list 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.)
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".
Secs. 9-477 to 9-481. Tabulation of votes. Delegate affidavit. Convention certification. Vacancy in delegate slate prior to primary. Vacancy in delegate slate following primary. Sections 9-477 to 9-481, inclusive, are repealed.
(P.A. 77-535, S. 15-19; P.A. 79-481, S. 18.)
Sec. 9-482. "Candidate" includes "uncommitted". Determination of total
votes cast. As used in this section and in sections 9-483, 9-484 and 9-485, "candidate"
includes the category "uncommitted". The secretary shall determine the number of votes
cast for each candidate and the total number of votes cast for all candidates at each
party's primary. If delegates are to be selected to represent districts, the secretary shall
also make such determination for each such district.
(P.A. 79-481, S. 13.)
Sec. 9-483. Allocation of delegates pursuant to party formula. If a party's chairman has certified a formula in accordance with the provisions of section 9-473, the
secretary shall calculate the number of delegates allocated to each of such party's candidates, pursuant to such formula, except as provided in section 9-484.
(P.A. 79-481, S. 14.)
Sec. 9-484. Allocation of delegates pursuant to state formula. (a) If a party's
chairman did not certify (1) a formula pursuant to section 9-473, or (2) a requirement
that all delegates shall be allocated to the candidate receiving the greatest number of
votes notwithstanding such candidate's percentage of the total votes cast for all candidates, the secretary shall determine the number of delegates to be so allocated to each
candidate of each such party in accordance with the provisions of this section.
(b) Such determination shall be made separately for delegates to be selected at large
and delegates to be selected from each district. Any percentage required to be determined, in accordance with the provisions of this section, shall be rounded off to the
nearest one-tenth of one per cent. As used in this section, "minimum percentage" means
the ratio, expressed as a percentage, that the number one bears to the total number
of delegates to be selected, but in no event shall such percentage exceed twenty-five
per cent.
(c) The secretary shall calculate the minimum percentage, as defined in subsection
(b) of this section, using the number of delegates to be selected at large and, if applicable,
the number of delegates to be selected from each district respectively. Except as provided
in this subsection, a candidate's percentage of the total votes cast for all candidates in
the state or in a district must equal or exceed such minimum percentage in order for
such candidate to be allocated any at large delegates or any delegates from such district,
as the case may be. The secretary shall determine each candidate's percentage of the
total votes cast for all candidates in the state and in each district. In the event two or
more candidates have received a percentage of such total votes cast equal to or greater
than the minimum percentage, the secretary shall calculate an adjusted percentage,
which shall be each such candidate's percentage of the total votes cast for all such
candidates, excluding the votes cast for all other candidates. The secretary shall then
calculate the product of each such candidate's adjusted percentage and the total number
of delegates to be selected, rounding off such product to the nearest integer. Such product
shall be the number of delegates allocated to each such candidate except as hereinafter
provided. (1) If the rounding off of such products to the nearest integers causes the sum
of all delegates so allocated to be greater than the total number of delegates to be selected
at large or from the district, then one delegate shall be subtracted from the number
allocated to the candidate who received the greatest mathematical gain from such
rounding off, and if necessary one delegate shall also be subtracted from the number
allocated to the candidate who received the next greatest gain, and so on until the sum
of all delegates allocated to candidates equals the total number of delegates to be so
selected. (2) If the rounding off of such products to the nearest integers causes the sum
of all delegates so allocated to be fewer than the total number of delegates to be selected
at large or from the district, then one delegate shall be added to the number allocated
to the candidate who suffered the greatest mathematical loss from such rounding off,
and if necessary one delegate shall also be added to the number allocated to the candidate
who suffered the next greatest such loss, and so on until the sum of all delegates allocated
to candidates equals the total number of delegates to be so selected.
(d) In the event one or no candidate has received a percentage of the total number
of votes cast for all candidates equal to or greater than the minimum percentage, the
secretary shall calculate an adjusted percentage for each of the candidates receiving
the greatest and second greatest number of votes cast for all candidates. The adjusted
percentage shall be such candidate's percentage of the total number of votes cast for
both such candidates, excluding the total number of votes cast for all other candidates.
The secretary shall determine the number of delegates allocated to each candidate by
using the same procedure as prescribed in subsection (c) of this section.
(P.A. 79-481, S. 15; P.A. 83-475, S. 40, 43; P.A. 95-95, S. 3.)
History: P.A. 83-475 amended Subsec. (c) to establish new method for allocation of delegates among districts; P.A.
95-95 inserted Subdiv. indicators in Subsec. (a) and revised wording; (Revisor's note: In 1999 the words "did not certify
(1)" were substituted for the words "did not (1) certify" in Subsec. (a) to conform text to P.A. 95-95).
Sec. 9-485. Certification of delegates. Release of delegates. (a) Forthwith upon
completion of the procedures prescribed by section 9-483 or 9-484, as the case may be,
the secretary shall certify to the chairman, each candidate and the national committee
of the party, the number of such party's at large and district delegates allocated to each
candidate in accordance with the provisions of said sections. Each party shall select a
number of delegates, both at large and from each district, pursuant to its rules and in
accordance with such certification, provided it shall select a number of delegates committed to support each candidate which is not less than the number so allocated to such
candidate. If, prior to a party's selection of delegates, a candidate to whom one or more
of such party's delegates are allocated files with the secretary a written statement, by
him signed, to the effect that he has released all Connecticut delegates allocated to him,
delegates committed to such candidate shall not be selected by such party. Forthwith
upon the selection of delegates, the chairman shall certify to the secretary the name and
address of each delegate, the district from which he was selected or that he was selected
at large, and the name of the candidate to whom he is committed or that he is uncommitted, as the case may be. If, as a consequence of any such candidate's release of delegates,
the number of delegates differs from the number so allocated in accordance with the
secretary's certification, the chairman shall include in his certification a statement to
such effect and an accounting of the differences.
(b) The secretary shall forward a copy of such certification to the national committee
of the party and to each candidate to whom at least one delegate is committed. If such
certification indicates that the party has not complied with the provisions of this section
in its selection of delegates, the secretary shall so inform the chairman, each such candidate and the national committee of the party. If any such candidate files with the secretary
a written objection to any delegate committed to him according to the chairman's certification, the secretary shall inform the chairman and the national committee of the party
of such objection. Any dispute over the selection of delegates by a party shall be resolved
in such manner as its rules may prescribe.
(c) If, subsequent to the primary, a candidate to whom one or more of such party's
delegates are allocated either dies or files with the secretary a written statement, by him
signed, to the effect that he has released all Connecticut delegates committed to him,
the commitment of any such delegate to the candidate shall be deemed to have been
released.
(P.A. 79-481, S. 16.)