[September 25, 2020] URGENT UPDATE to Expedite Processing (but not counting) of Absentee Ballots prior to Election Day

[Sept 15, 2020] Call to Action for Expedited Processing of Absentee Votes to Provide Election Integrity and Fairness to Persons who vote by Absentee Ballot and Persons who vote in-person at the Polls

Here are the people to contact without delay:

1. Senator Mae Flexer (http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/flexer-contact). She is Co- Chair of the Government, Administration, and Elections Committee.
2. Representative Dan Fox (Dan.Fox [at] cga.ct.gov). He is Co-Chair of the Government, Administration, and Elections Committee.
3. Your Town's highest elected official - Mayor or First Selectperson.
4. Your State Senator (one of the 36 Senators elected to represent you in Hartford).  Use the Find Your Legislator Tool to find your State Senator.
5. Your State Representative (one of the 151 Representatives elected to represent you in Hartford). Use the Find Your Legislator Tool to find your State Rep.
6. Governor Ned Lamont. https://portal.ct.gov/Office-of-the-Governor/Contact/Mailing-Address-and-Phone-Numbers

Urge them to support and/or to pass a bill (still in draft form) during the special legislative session on Sept. 29th and 30th that would permit/encourage Town Clerks and staff to:

1)     Open absentee ballot outer envelopes as early as one week before Election Day. This would permit Town Clerks to contact voters whose Absentee Ballots have been rejected for reasons like not signing or sealing the inner envelope. Those voters could either submit a new absentee ballot or vote in person.

Following the above procedure would make the safeguards and opportunities afforded to in-person voters available to persons who vote by absentee ballot, many for the first time. Those who have worked the polls know that when a voter’s ballot gets rejected by the tabulator machine at the polls, that voter is entitled to turn in her or his spoiled ballot and receive a new one. And the spoiled ballot is kept and inventoried as “spoiled”.

2)     Open absentee ballot inner envelopes for additional processing closer to Election Day to expedite vote counting on Election Day.

Implementing 1) and 2) above would help:

• Avoid lengthy delays in reporting results and maintain trust in the integrity of the election
• Ensure that every vote is counted
• Provide equal protection to those who vote by absentee ballot with those who vote in person
• Spread out the workload of the Town Clerks and their staff

Here are the people to contact without delay:

1. Senator Mae Flexer (http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/flexer-contact). She is Co- Chair of the Government, Administration, and Elections Committee.
2. Representative Dan Fox (Dan.Fox [at] cga.ct.gov). He is Co-Chair of the Government, Administration, and Elections Committee.
3. Your Town's highest elected official - Mayor or First Selectperson.
4. Your State Senator (one of the 36 Senators elected to represent you in Hartford).  Use the Find Your Legislator Tool to find your State Senator.
5. Your State Representative (one of the 151 Representatives elected to represent you in Hartford). Use the Find Your Legislator Tool to find your State Rep.
6. Governor Ned Lamont. https://portal.ct.gov/Office-of-the-Governor/Contact/Mailing-Address-and-Phone-Numbers

Thank you for all you do to Defend Democracy and Empower Voters.