2005 Connecticut Code - Sec. 9-264. Assistance to elector who is blind, has disability or is unable to write or to read the ballot. Paper ballots available for electors with disabilities.

      Sec. 9-264. Assistance to elector who is blind, has disability or is unable to write or to read the ballot. Paper ballots available for electors with disabilities. (a) An elector who requires assistance to vote, by reason of blindness, disability or inability to write or to read the ballot, may be given assistance by a person of the elector's choice, other than (1) the elector's employer, (2) an agent of such employer or (3) an officer or agent of the elector's union. The person assisting the elector may accompany the elector into the voting machine booth. Such person shall register such elector's vote upon the machine as such elector directs. Any person accompanying an elector into the voting machine booth who deceives any elector in registering his vote under this section or seeks to influence any elector while in the act of voting, or who registers any vote for any elector or on any question other than as requested by such elector, or who gives information to any person as to what person or persons such elector voted for, or how he voted on any question, shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than five years or both.

      (b) Paper ballots provided by the municipal clerk to the moderator pursuant to section 9-259 shall be made available for electors with disabilities in polling places in which a voting machine cannot be adjusted to allow all necessary parts to be reached from a chair. Such paper ballots shall be used at the option of the elector with disabilities. The elector shall announce the elector's name to the checkers who shall cross the elector's name off the registry list and add it with the elector's address to the end of the official checklist where it shall be designated "paper ballot for persons with disabilities" or "PBD" and serially numbered. After the elector has so announced the elector's name, the moderator shall deliver to the elector an absentee ballot and a serially-numbered envelope. The elector shall forthwith mark the ballot in the presence of the moderator in such manner that the moderator shall not know how the ballot is marked. The elector shall fold the ballot in the presence of the moderator so as to conceal the markings and deposit and seal it in the serially-numbered envelope. The elector shall deliver the envelope to the moderator who shall place it in a specially-designated depository envelope. The paper ballots thus received shall be counted at the next scheduled absentee ballot count in the same manner as other absentee ballots. Such ballots so counted shall be preserved by placing them in the depository envelopes with the regular absentee ballots, and such serially-numbered envelopes shall be placed in the depository envelopes with the regular absentee ballot envelopes.

      (1949 Rev., S. 1210; 1953, S. 740d; 1961, P.A. 431; P.A. 75-133; P.A. 87-382, S. 29, 55; P.A. 93-384, S. 10, 28; P.A. 00-79, S. 3.)

      History: 1961 act made special provision for blind electors and made other technical changes; P.A. 75-133 deleted provision for physically disabled voter to be accompanied into voting machine booth by two election officials of opposite parties, substituting therefor a person of his choice who is a Connecticut elector and providing for such person to register disabled voter's vote on machine as he directs; P.A. 87-382 amended provisions to clarify who qualifies for assistance and to indicate who may provide assistance to an elector and deleted a reference to voting for a "ticket"; P.A. 93-384 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (b) requiring paper ballots to be made available to electors with disabilities who are unable to reach all necessary parts of voting machine, effective June 29, 1993; P.A. 00-79 amended Subsec. (b) to specify paper ballots "provided by the municipal clerk to the moderator pursuant to section 9-259" and to make technical changes.

      See Sec. 9-297 re prohibition against interference with elector in vicinity of ballot box or stub box, and re assistance to physically disabled elector in preparation of ballot.