Resolution to allow expanded absentee voting clears House
SUSAN HAIGH, Associated Press
FacebookTwitterEmail
The state House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a resolution that could ultimately end Connecticut s long-standing, tight restrictions on when residents are allowed to vote by absentee ballot.
However, the proposal fell short of passing with enough support so voters can make that decision in 2022. Instead, if the Senate passes the same measure, 2024 is the soonest that a question could appear on the general election ballot as to whether Connecticut s constitution should be changed to allow no-excuses absentee voting.
Democratic Secretary of the State Denise Merrill called the House vote “an important first step to bringing Connecticut in line with rest of the country by making voting more convenient through universal access to absentee ballots.” But she said in a statement that it was “disappointing” and “a shame” that more Republicans didn t back the re
12 May 2021
Connecticut Republicans in the state House were successful Tuesday in blocking a 2022 referendum on a constitutional amendment that would permit no-excuse absentee voting in the state.
While the measure passed 104-44, state House Democrats failed to secure enough Republican votes to obtain the 75 percent supermajority needed to put a constitutional amendment to a referendum in the next statewide election in 2022.
Republicans had offered some amendments to the measure, including one that would have required voter identification at the polls and signature verification on the outer envelopes of absentee ballots. Democrats rejected all of these amendments, CT Mirror reported.
“Make no mistake, this will be decided by the voters at the ballot box in 2024,” said Secretary of State Denise Merrill (D), a champion of no-excuse absentee voting and early voting. “It is a shame that most Republicans have chosen to delay the voters’ ability to make their voices heard by tw
Resolution to allow expanded absentee voting clears House
By SUSAN HAIGHMay 12, 2021 GMT
The state House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a resolution that could ultimately end Connecticut’s long-standing, tight restrictions on when residents are allowed to vote by absentee ballot.
However, the proposal fell short of passing with enough support so voters can make that decision in 2022. Instead, if the Senate passes the same measure, 2024 is the soonest that a question could appear on the general election ballot as to whether Connecticut’s constitution should be changed to allow no-excuses absentee voting.
Democratic Secretary of the State Denise Merrill called the House vote “an important first step to bringing Connecticut in line with rest of the country by making voting more convenient through universal access to absentee ballots.” But she said in a statement that it was “disappointing” and “a shame” that more Republicans didn’t back the resolution.
By Paul Hughes, Republican-American
HARTFORD Naugatuck Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess and state legislators from the Naugatuck Valley made another pitch March 3 to expand service on the Waterbury branch line of Metro-North Railroad.
The request again received support from members of the legislature’s Transportation Committee during a hearing on one of the bills proposing to increase the number and frequency of trains running on the Waterbury line.
The legislation from Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly, R-Stratford, also proposed to add stops in Seymour, Derby and Shelton on the commuter rail line connecting Waterbury and Bridgeport.
The years-long effort to expand service on the Waterbury line got a big boost from Gov. Ned Lamont this year. He proposed funding in his two-year budget plan to increase the number of trains servicing the Waterbury line from 15 to 22 cars, starting in the 2023 fiscal year.