Sec. 9-258. Election officials; additional lines of electors.
Sec. 9-258. Election officials; additional lines of electors. For municipalities
with more than one voting district, the election officials of each polling place, including
voting tabulator technicians, shall be electors of the state and shall consist of one moderator, at least one but not more than two official checkers, two assistant registrars of voters
of opposite political parties, each of whom shall be residents of the town, not more than
two challengers if the registrars of voters have appointed challengers pursuant to section
9-232, and at least one and not more than two ballot clerks and at least one but not more
than two voting tabulator tenders for each voting tabulator in use at the polling place.
A known candidate for any office shall not serve as an election official on election day
or serve at the polls in any capacity, except that a municipal clerk or a registrar of voters,
who is a candidate for the same office, may perform his or her official duties. If, in the
opinion of the registrar of voters, the public convenience of the electors in any voting
district so requires, provision shall be made for an additional line or lines of electors at
the polling place and, if more than one line of electors is established, at least one but
not more than two additional official checkers and at least one but not more than two
ballot clerks for each line of electors shall be appointed and, if more than one tabulator
is used in a polling place, at least one and not more than two additional voting tabulator
tenders shall be appointed for each additional machine so used. Head moderators, central
counting moderators, absentee ballot counters and voting tabulator technicians appointed pursuant to law shall also be deemed election officials. For municipalities with
one voting district, the election officials of such polling place, except voting tabulator
technicians, shall be electors of the town and shall consist of: One moderator, at least one,
but not more than two official checkers, not more than two challengers if the registrars of
voters have appointed challengers pursuant to section 9-232, at least one and not more
than two voting tabulator tenders for each voting tabulator in use at the polling place
and at least one but not more than two ballot clerks. Additionally, such election officials
may consist of two registrars of voters of opposite political parties, or two assistant
registrars of voters of opposite political parties, as the case may be, subject to the requirements of sections 9-259 and 9-439, who shall: (1) Be available by telephone and notify
all registrars of voters' offices in the state of such telephone number, (2) be connected
to the state-wide computerized registry list, and (3) have all voter card files in the polling
place for reference. A known candidate for any office shall not serve as an election
official on election day or serve at the polls in any capacity, except that a municipal
clerk or a registrar of voters, who is a candidate for the same office, may perform his
or her official duties. If, in the opinion of the registrar of voters, the public convenience
of the electors in any voting district so requires, provision shall be made for an additional
line or lines of electors at the polling place and, if more than one line of electors is
established, at least one, but not more than two, additional official checkers for each
line of electors shall be appointed and, if more than one tabulator is used in a polling
place, at least one and not more than two additional voting tabulator tenders shall be
appointed for each additional tabulator so used. Head moderators, central counting moderators, absentee ballot counters and voting tabulator technicians appointed pursuant to
law shall be deemed to be election officials. No election official shall perform services
for any party or candidate on election day nor appear at any political party headquarters
prior to eight o'clock p.m. on election day.
(1949 Rev., S. 1058, 1203; 1953, 1955, S. 734d; 1959, P.A. 28, S. 47; 47; P.A. 74-109, S. 7, 11; P.A. 75-488, S. 2, 3;
P.A. 76-24; P.A. 77-245, S. 8; P.A. 80-215, S. 6; P.A. 83-391, S. 17, 24; P.A. 84-546, S. 20, 173; P.A. 88-91; P.A. 07-194, S. 21.)
History: 1959 acts substituted registrars or assistant registrars of voters for deputy registrars and removed reference to
trial justice court which was abolished; P.A. 74-109 removed the exception for office of justice of the peace from prohibition
against candidates serving as election officials effective upon adoption of Senate Joint Resolution No. 22 of the 1973
session as an amendment to the constitution of Connecticut; P.A. 75-488 added "and party checkers" to "additional officers"
to be appointed if more than one line of electors is established; P.A. 76-24 changed "party checkers" to "unofficial checkers";
P.A. 77-245 changed "town" to "municipal" clerk; P.A. 80-215 added qualification that election officials be electors of
the town; P.A. 83-391 amended section to provide that voting machine mechanics need not be electors of town and to
permit use of less than two challengers and two voting machine tenders and added provision to clarify that head moderators,
central counting moderators, absentee ballot counters and voting machine mechanics are election officials and to provide
that election officials shall not perform services for any party or candidate on election day; P.A. 84-546 moved exception
re voting machine mechanics; P.A. 88-91 prohibited a municipal clerk or a registrar of voters who is a candidate for a
different office from serving as an election official on election day or serving at the polls in any capacity; P.A. 07-194
established requirements for municipalities with more than one voting district and requirements for municipalities with
one voting district, replaced "voting machine" with "voting tabulator" and made conforming changes.
To "take part in count" construed. What ballots to be rejected because of participation in count. 62 C. 482.