2019 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 9 - Elections
Chapter 149 - Elections and Primaries: Contested
Section 9-328 - Contests and complaints in election of municipal officers and nomination of justices of the peace.

Any elector or candidate claiming to have been aggrieved by any ruling of any election official in connection with an election for any municipal office or a primary for justice of the peace, or any elector or candidate claiming that there has been a mistake in the count of votes cast for any such office at such election or primary, or any candidate in such an election or primary claiming that he is aggrieved by a violation of any provision of sections 9-355, 9-357 to 9-361, inclusive, 9-364, 9-364a or 9-365 in the casting of absentee ballots at such election or primary, may bring a complaint to any judge of the Superior Court for relief therefrom. In any action brought pursuant to the provisions of this section, the complainant shall send a copy of the complaint by first-class mail, or deliver a copy of the complaint by hand, to the State Elections Enforcement Commission. If such complaint is made prior to such election or primary, such judge shall proceed expeditiously to render judgment on the complaint and shall cause notice of the hearing to be given to the Secretary of the State and the State Elections Enforcement Commission. If such complaint is made subsequent to such election or primary, it shall be brought not later than fourteen days after such election or primary, except that if such complaint is brought in response to the manual tabulation of paper ballots, authorized pursuant to section 9-320f, such complaint shall be brought not later than seven days after the close of any such manual tabulation, to any judge of the Superior Court, in which he shall set out the claimed errors of the election official, the claimed errors in the count or the claimed violations of said sections. Such judge shall forthwith order a hearing to be had upon such complaint, upon a day not more than five nor less than three days from the making of such order, and shall cause notice of not less than three nor more than five days to be given to any candidate or candidates whose election or nomination may be affected by the decision upon such hearing, to such election official, the Secretary of the State, the State Elections Enforcement Commission and to any other party or parties whom such judge deems proper parties thereto, of the time and place for the hearing upon such complaint. Such judge shall, on the day fixed for such hearing and without unnecessary delay, proceed to hear the parties. If sufficient reason is shown, he may order any voting tabulators to be unlocked or any ballot boxes to be opened and a recount of the votes cast, including absentee ballots, to be made. Such judge shall thereupon, if he finds any error in the rulings of the election official or any mistake in the count of the votes, certify the result of his finding or decision to the Secretary of the State before the tenth day succeeding the conclusion of the hearing. Such judge may order a new election or primary or a change in the existing election schedule. Such certificate of such judge of his finding or decision shall be final and conclusive upon all questions relating to errors in the ruling of such election officials, to the correctness of such count, and, for the purposes of this section only, such claimed violations, and shall operate to correct the returns of the moderators or presiding officers, so as to conform to such finding or decision, except that this section shall not affect the right of appeal to the Supreme Court and it shall not prevent such judge from reserving such questions of law for the advice of the Supreme Court as provided in section 9-325. Such judge may, if necessary, issue his writ of mandamus, requiring the adverse party and those under him to deliver to the complainant the appurtenances of such office, and shall cause his finding and decree to be entered on the records of the Superior Court in the proper judicial district.

(1949 Rev., S. 527; 1953, S. 806d; 1957, P.A. 526, S. 7; 1963, P.A. 163; P.A. 74-109, S. 8, 11; P.A. 78-125, S. 9; P.A. 83-583, S. 4, 6; P.A. 84-511, S. 6, 15; P.A. 87-545, S. 3; P.A. 95-88, S. 6; P.A. 07-194, S. 5; P.A. 11-20, S. 1.)

History: 1963 act reduced time within which a complaint may be brought from 60 to 10 days after the election and conformed procedure to be followed to that for contests in state offices; P.A. 74-109 changed reference to “election” to the office of justice of the peace to “nominated of a primary” and conformed the other references to that office accordingly, effective upon adoption of Senate Joint Resolution No. 22 of the 1973 session as an amendment to the constitution of Connecticut; P.A. 78-125 clarified application of section to “elector or candidate claiming to have been aggrieved by any ruling of any election official in connection with an election”, provided for expeditious handling of complaint made prior to election or primary and where complaint is made subsequent to election or primary, for notice to election official, further provided that judge may order a new election or primary or a change in the existing election schedule, deleted qualification of “for the reservation of questions arising therefrom” to the right of appeal to the supreme court and also deleted the qualification “by consent of all parties” from “reserving such questions of law” and cross referenced Sec. 9-325, and deleted provision for substitution in case judge unable to serve; P.A. 83-583 required a complainant to send or deliver a copy of the complaint to the state elections commission and required a judge to give notice of a hearing to the secretary of the state and the state elections commission; P.A. 84-511 changed name of elections commission to elections enforcement commission; P.A. 87-545 allowed candidate to bring complaint under this section if he claims that he is aggrieved by violation of any provision of Secs. 9-355, 9-357 to 9-361, inclusive, 9-364, 9-364a or 9-365 in casting of absentee ballots; P.A. 95-88 changed time within which a complaint shall be brought from 10 to 14 days; P.A. 07-194 added deadline for filing of complaint if complaint is brought in response to manual tabulation of paper ballots authorized pursuant to Sec. 9-320f and made technical changes, effective July 5, 2007; pursuant to P.A. 11-20, “machines” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “tabulators”, effective May 24, 2011.

Information should show relator's election; alleged errors must appear to be injurious; certificate of judge is conclusive. 51 C. 113. Provision is constitutional. Id.; 102 C. 588. Appeal to Supreme Court carries stay of execution. 62 C. 488. Quo warranto is a means to oust an illegal incumbent, but not to induct the rightful person. 66 C. 294; 102 C. 595. Facts held to justify order of judge that ballot boxes be opened; mere irregularities in arrangement of polling places not enough to invalidate election. 75 C. 50. Pleading; after ballots recounted, errors in interlocutory rulings immaterial. 85 C. 396; 102 C. 587. Petition fails in case of first selectman if vote is found to be a tie. 91 C. 371. Cited. 101 C. 735. Judge should embody decision in judgment file. 104 C. 398. Cited. 124 C. 276. Defendant, not being a member of one of two parties polling largest and next largest vote, was not eligible for office. 136 C. 632. Proper procedure to question validity of form of absentee ballot used. 145 C. 648. Section held to confer right of judicial appeal from moderator's rulings or recanvass; prior invoking of Sec. 9-311a no bar. 155 C. 68, 73, 74. In case brought by minority representatives under Sec. 9-167a, held Supreme Court had no jurisdiction over November, 1967, election of New Haven board of aldermen ordered by the U.S. district court as election was a creature of the district court and it was that court's prerogative to determine what candidates were elected. 156 C. 253. Cited. 175 C. 545. The bare existence in statute of authority to order a new election does not require the court to proceed as if that remedy were to be implemented; since a new election was not sought by the parties or contemplated by the court, it was not necessary to include as parties candidates whose election was not affected by the suit. 182 C. 111. Cited. 186 C. 125. Constitutional claims not included in provisions for expedited judicial procedures. 205 C. 495. Cited. 225 C. 378; 231 C. 602. Court should exercise caution and restraint in deciding whether to order new election; two-part standard established for such decisions; plenary scope of review of trial court decision is appropriate, no special need for speed and finality for trial court decision under circumstances of this case; “rulings of the election official” defined, and “mistake in the count of the votes” interpreted and applied. 250 C. 241. Municipality is not indispensable to court's subject matter jurisdiction over challenge to a municipal election. 277 C. 829.

Cited. 8 CS 234; 10 CS 258. Statutory petition does not preclude plaintiff from seeking to have writ of mandamus issued. 18 CS 72. Cited. 21 CS 482.