A
MAJOR PARTIES
Sec. 9-395. Publication of information concerning municipal primaries. (a)
Forthwith upon the certification provided in section 9-391, the clerk of the municipality
shall publish, in a newspaper having a general circulation in such municipality, the fact
of such certification and that a list of the persons endorsed as candidates is on file in his
office and copies thereof are available for public distribution. If, with respect to any
office or position to be filled, the clerk of the municipality has failed to receive the
certification of the name of any person as a party-endorsed candidate within the time
limited in section 9-391, such fact shall be published by the clerk of the municipality.
Together with such information, the clerk shall publish a notice that a primary will be
held for the nomination by such political party of a candidate for the offices to be filled
or for the election of members of the town committee, as the case may be, if a candidacy
is filed in accordance with the provisions of sections 9-382 to 9-450, inclusive. Such
notice shall specify the final date for the filing of such candidacy and the date of the
primary, shall state where forms for petitions may be obtained and shall generally indicate the method of procedure in the filing of such candidacy. The Secretary of the State
shall prescribe the form of such notice. The clerk shall forthwith publish any change in
the party-endorsed candidates, listing such changes.
(b) In any year in which a state election is to be held, the notice described in subsection (a) of this section shall: (1) Be published not later than the seventy-sixth day preceding the day of the primary, (2) indicate that the certification provided in section 9-391
can be made, and (3) indicate that a list of persons endorsed as candidates will be on
file in the clerk's office, as provided in subsection (a) of this section. The requirement
contained in subsection (a) of this section to publish the fact that the clerk of the municipality has failed to receive the certification of the name of any person as a party-endorsed
candidate within the time limit in section 9-391, shall not apply to the notice required
by this subsection.
(June, 1955, S. 585d; November, 1955, S. N65; 1957, P.A. 518, S. 12; 1958 Rev., S. 9-92; 1963, P.A. 17, S. 23; 636;
P.A. 03-241, S. 25; P.A. 07-194, S. 15.)
History: 1963 acts restated previous provisions, removed requirement of printing names and addresses of candidates
in newspaper and provided for list for public inspection in clerk's office; P.A. 03-241 substituted "section 9-391" for
"sections 9-390 and 9-394" and removed election of convention delegates from application of requirement that clerk
publish notice of primary, effective January 1, 2004, and applicable to primaries and elections held on or after that date;
P.A. 07-194 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (b) re required publication date and contents
of notice in years when state election is to be held, effective July 5, 2007.
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Sec. 9-446. Tie vote. (a) If two or more candidates obtain the same number of votes
at a primary held to nominate candidates for a state or district office, and a tie vote
thereby occurs, any of such candidates, or the state chairman of the political party, may
apply for a recanvass of the returns in the manner provided in section 9-445. If no such
application is made, or if any such recanvass results in a tie vote, such primary shall
stand adjourned for three weeks at the same hour at which the first primary was held.
Ballot labels of the same form and description as described in section 9-437 shall be
used in the primary on such adjourned day, and the primary shall be conducted in the
same manner as on the first day, except that the votes shall be cast for such office
only. Ballot labels for such primary shall be provided forthwith by the clerk of each
municipality wherein such primary stands adjourned, and each such clerk shall furnish
the Secretary of the State with an accurate list of all candidates to be voted for at such
adjourned primary. The clerk of each municipality in the state or the district, whichever
is applicable, wherein such primary so stands adjourned shall, at least three days prior
to the day of such adjourned primary, give notice of the day, hours, place and purpose
thereof by publishing such notice in a newspaper published in such municipality or
having a circulation therein. No such primary shall be held if prior to such primary all
but one of the candidates for such office die, withdraw their names or for any reason
become disqualified to hold such office, and, in such event, the remaining candidate
shall be deemed to be lawfully voted upon as the candidate for such office. No withdrawal
shall be valid until the candidate who has withdrawn has filed a letter of withdrawal
signed by such candidate with the Secretary of the State. When such a primary is required
to be held under the provisions of this section and prior to such primary all but one
of the candidates for such office die, withdraw their names or for any reason become
disqualified to hold such office, the Secretary of the State shall forthwith notify the
municipal clerk of such fact, and shall forthwith direct the clerk that such primary shall
not be held. In the case of a multiple-opening office only the names of those candidates
whose votes are equal shall be placed on the ballot label of the adjourned primary. If
such second primary results in a tie vote, the Secretary of the State, in the presence
of not fewer than three disinterested persons, and after notification to the candidates
obtaining the same number of votes and the chairperson of the state central committee
of the party holding the primary of the time when and the place where such tie vote is
to be dissolved, shall dissolve such tie vote by lot. The Secretary of the State shall
execute a certificate attesting to the result of the dissolution of such tie vote, and the
person so certified or the slate so certified as having been chosen by lot shall be deemed
to have received a plurality of the votes cast and shall be deemed to have been chosen
as the nominee of such party to such office.
(b) If two or more candidates obtain the same number of votes at a primary held to
nominate candidates for a municipal office or to elect members of a town committee,
or if two or more slates of candidates obtain the same number of votes at a primary held
for justices of the peace, and a tie vote thereby occurs, any of such candidates, or the
town chairman of the political party, may apply for a recanvass of the returns in the
manner provided in section 9-445. If no such application is made, or if any such recanvass
results in a tie vote, such primary shall stand adjourned for three weeks at the same hour
at which the first primary was held. Ballot labels of the same form and description as
described in section 9-437 shall be used in the primary on such adjourned day, and the
primary shall be conducted in the same manner as on the first day, except that the votes
shall be cast for such office only. Ballot labels for such primary shall be provided forthwith by the clerk of the municipality wherein such primary stands adjourned, and such
clerk shall furnish the Secretary of the State with an accurate list of all candidates to be
voted for at such adjourned primary. The clerk of the municipality wherein such primary
so stands adjourned shall, at least three days prior to the day of such adjourned primary,
give notice of the day, hours, place and purpose thereof by publishing such notice in a
newspaper published in such municipality or having a circulation therein. No such primary shall be held if prior to such primary all but one of the candidates for such office
die, withdraw their names or for any reason become disqualified to hold such office,
and, in such event, the remaining candidate shall be deemed to be lawfully voted upon
as the candidate for such office. No withdrawal shall be valid until the candidate who
has withdrawn has filed a letter of withdrawal signed by such candidate with the municipal clerk. When such a primary is required to be held under the provisions of this section
and prior to such primary all but one of the candidates for such office die, withdraw
their names or for any reason become disqualified to hold such office, the Secretary of
the State shall forthwith notify the municipal clerk of such fact, and shall forthwith
direct the clerk that such primary shall not be held. In the case of a multiple-opening
office only the names of those candidates whose votes are equal shall be placed on the
ballot label of the adjourned primary. If such second primary results in a tie vote, the
registrar, in the presence of not fewer than three disinterested persons, and after notification to the candidates obtaining the same number of votes and the chairperson of the
town committee of the party holding the primary of the time when and the place where
such tie vote is to be dissolved, shall dissolve such tie vote by lot. The registrar shall
execute a certificate attesting to the result of the dissolution of such tie vote, and the
person so certified or the slate so certified as having been chosen by lot shall be deemed
to have received a plurality of the votes cast and shall be deemed to have been chosen
as the nominee of such party to such office.
(June, 1955, S. 606d; November, 1955, S. N91; 1958 Rev., S. 9-119; 1963, P.A. 17, S. 71; 225, S. 2; P.A. 03-241, S.
50; P.A. 07-194, S. 46.)
History: 1963 acts restated previous provisions and added provisions re recanvass; P.A. 03-241 removed slates of
delegate candidates from application of section and applied tie vote provisions to slates of candidates for "justices of the
peace", effective January 1, 2004, and applicable to primaries and elections held on or after that date; P.A. 07-194 divided
existing provisions into Subsecs. (a) and (b), deleted former provisions re dissolving of tie vote by lot and added provisions
re adjourned primary and re holding of new primary in the event of a tie vote.
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B
MINOR PARTIES
Sec. 9-452. Time for making nominations; certification. All minor parties nominating candidates for any elective office shall make such nominations and certify and
file a list of such nominations, as required by this section, not later than the sixty-second
day prior to the day of the election at which such candidates are to be voted for. A list
of nominees in printed or typewritten form shall be certified by the presiding officer of
the committee, meeting or other authority making such nomination and shall be filed
by such presiding officer with the Secretary of the State, in the case of state or district
office or the municipal office of state representative, state senator or judge of probate,
or with the clerk of the municipality, in the case of municipal office, not later than the
sixty-second day prior to the day of the election. The clerk of such municipality shall
promptly verify and correct the names on any such list filed with him, or the names of
nominees forwarded to him by the Secretary of the State, in accordance with the registry
list of such municipality and endorse the same as having been so verified and corrected.
For purposes of this section, a list of nominations shall be deemed to be filed when it
is received by the secretary or clerk, as appropriate.
(November, 1955, S. N106; 1958 Rev., S. 9-128; 1961, P.A. 202; 1963, P.A. 17, S. 76; P.A. 77-188, S. 1, 2; P.A. 83-475, S. 32, 43; P.A. 07-194, S. 12.)
History: 1961 act provided for filing list with municipal clerk not less than 32, rather than 25, days prior to election;
1963 act entirely replaced prior provisions; P.A. 77-188 changed from five to six weeks time prior to election as deadline
for nominating candidates for municipal office and changed from 32 to 38 days prior to election day as deadline for
delivering a list of nominees to the clerk of the municipality; P.A. 83-475 amended section to require uniform date of
certification of filing, not later than the fifty-fifth day prior to election; P.A. 07-194 changed "fifty-fifth" to "sixty-second"
day prior to day of election and added "the municipal office of state representative, state senator or judge of probate",
effective July 5, 2007.
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Sec. 9-452a. Notice of party meetings. Not later than five days before a minor
party holds a party meeting to nominate a candidate for public office, the presiding
officer of such meeting shall give written notice of the date, time, location and purpose
of the meeting to, in the case of a municipal office, the town clerk of the municipality
served by such office, or in the case of a state office or district office, the Secretary of
the State. Concomitantly, the presiding officer of such meeting shall cause the written
notice of such meeting to be published in a newspaper with a general circulation in the
applicable town for such office. As used in this section, the terms "minor party", "state
office", "district office" and "municipal office" have the meanings assigned to such
terms in section 9-372.
(P.A. 99-276, S. 11, 15; P.A. 07-194, S. 44.)
History: P.A. 99-276 effective January 1, 2000; P.A. 07-194 added requirement to publish notice of meeting in newspaper with a general circulation in the applicable town.
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C
PETITIONING PARTIES
Sec. 9-453n. Date for filing with secretary. Any town clerk receiving any page
of a nominating petition under sections 9-453a to 9-453s, inclusive, or section 9-216
shall complete such certifications as specified herein and shall file each such nominating
petition page with the Secretary of the State within two weeks after it was so submitted
to him. Any such town clerk who fails to so file such petition pages with the Secretary
of the State by the time required shall pay a late filing fee of fifty dollars.
(1971, P.A. 806, S. 15; P.A. 77-537, S. 4, 5; P.A. 85-577, S. 17; P.A. 07-194, S. 10.)
History: P.A. 77-537 changed time for filing of petition pages with the secretary of the state from within "three" to
"two" weeks following submission and added "and not later than seven weeks before the election"; P.A. 85-577 deleted
requirement that nominating petition page be filed "not later than seven weeks before the election"; P.A. 07-194 added
provision re payment of $50 late filing fee for town clerk's failure to timely file petition pages with Secretary of the State,
effective July 5, 2007.
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Sec. 9-453t. Candidate nominated by major or minor party prohibited from
appearing on ballot by nominating petition. Exception. Notwithstanding any other
provision of the general statutes or any special act, the nomination of a candidate by a
major or minor party under this chapter, for any office shall disqualify such candidate
from appearing on the ballot by nominating petition for the same office, unless (1) such
petition is circulated by an existing minor party with the same party designation at the
time of such nomination, and (2) the minor party is otherwise qualified to nominate
candidates on the same ballot. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit any
candidate from appearing on the ballot as the nominee of two or more major or minor
parties for the same office.
(P.A. 81-447, S. 4, 23; P.A. 07-194, S. 16.)
History: P.A. 07-194 added exception if petition is circulated by existing minor party with the same party designation
at the time of nomination and minor party is otherwise qualified to nominate candidates on the same ballot.
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Sec. 9-460. Vacancy in nomination; withdrawal procedure. Certification of
replacement nomination; time limitations. Ballot labels. If any party has nominated
a candidate for office, or, on and after November 4, 1981, if a candidate has qualified
to appear on any ballot by nominating petition under a reserved party designation, in
accordance with the provisions of this chapter, and such nominee thereafter, but prior
to twenty-four days before the opening of the polls on the day of the election for which
such nomination has been made, dies, withdraws such nominee's name or for any reason
becomes disqualified to hold the office for which such nominee has been nominated (1)
such party or, on and after November 4, 1981, the party designation committee may
make a nomination to fill such vacancy or provide for the making of such nomination
as its rules prescribe, and (2) if another party that is qualified to nominate a candidate
for such office does not have a nominee for such office, such party may also nominate
a candidate for such office as its rules prescribe. No withdrawal, and no nomination to
replace a candidate who has withdrawn, under this section shall be valid unless the
candidate who has withdrawn has filed a letter of withdrawal signed by such candidate
with the Secretary of the State in the case of a state or district office or the office of state
senator or state representative from any district, or with the municipal clerk in the case
of a municipal office other than state senator or state representative. A copy of such
candidate's letter of withdrawal to the municipal clerk shall also be filed with the Secretary of the State. No nomination to fill a vacancy under this section shall be valid unless
it is certified to the Secretary of the State in the case of a state or district office or the
office of state senator or state representative from any district, or to the municipal clerk
in the case of a municipal office other than state senator or state representative, by the
organization or committee making such nomination, at least twenty-one days before the
opening of the polls on the day of the election, except as otherwise provided by this
section. If a nominee dies within twenty-four days, but prior to twenty-four hours before
the opening of the polls on the day of the election for which such nomination has been
made, the vacancy may be filled in the manner prescribed in this section by two o'clock
p.m. of the day before the election with the municipal clerk or the Secretary of the State,
as the case may be. If a nominee dies within twenty-four hours before the opening of
the polls and prior to the close of the polls on the day of the election for which such
nomination has been made, such nominee shall not be replaced and the votes cast for
such nominee shall be canvassed and counted, and if such nominee receives a plurality
of the votes cast, a vacancy shall exist in the office for which the nomination was made.
The vacancy shall then be filled in a manner prescribed by law. A copy of such certification to the municipal clerk shall also be filed with the Secretary of the State. Such
nomination to fill a vacancy due to death or disqualification shall include a statement
setting forth the reason for such vacancy. If at the time such nomination is certified to
the Secretary of the State or to the municipal clerk, as the case may be, the ballot labels
have already been printed, the Secretary of the State shall direct the municipal clerk in
each municipality affected to (A) have the ballot labels reprinted with the nomination
thus made included thereon, (B) cause printed stickers to be affixed to the ballot labels
so that the name of any candidate who has died, withdrawn or been disqualified is deleted
and the name of any candidate chosen to fill such vacancy appears in the same position
as that in which the vacated candidacy appeared, or (C) cause blank stickers to be so
affixed if the vacancy is not filled.
(1953, S. 617d, 618d; November, 1955, S. N109; 1957, P.A. 518, S. 38; 1958 Rev., S. 9-132; 1963, P.A. 17, S. 83;
P.A. 81-447, S. 15; P.A. 82-247, S. 11; P.A. 83-475, S. 35, 43; P.A. 94-203, S. 6, 12; P.A. 03-216, S. 1; P.A. 07-194, S. 13.)
History: 1963 act restated previous provisions; P.A. 81-447 amended section to include candidates qualifying by nominating petition under a reserved party designation; P.A. 82-247 amended section to clarify procedure for filing withdrawal
of candidacy by nominee; P.A. 83-475 amended section to create ten-day period before election or primary during which
vacancies are not to be filled except in case of death of candidate; P.A. 94-203 added Subdiv. (2) re stickers, replacing
former provision requiring stickers if nomination certified less than 96 hours before polls open, and added Subdiv. (3) re
blank stickers, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 03-216 designated existing provision re filling vacancy as Subdiv. (1), added
Subdiv. (2) authorizing another party that does not have a nominee to also nominate a candidate for the office for which
there is a vacancy in nomination and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2003; P.A. 07-194 changed "ten days" to
"twenty-four days" and "seven days" to "twenty-one" days, effective July 5, 2007.
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