State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Connecticut > Title9 > Chap147 > Sec9-249

      Sec. 9-249. Instruction of election officials. (a) Before each election, the registrars of voters, certified moderator and certified mechanic shall instruct the election officials. Any provision of the general statutes or of any special act to the contrary notwithstanding, election officials shall be appointed at least twenty days before the election except as provided in section 9-229. The registrars, certified moderator and certified mechanic shall instruct each election official who is to serve in a voting district in which a voting machine is to be used in the use of the machine and his duties in connection therewith, and for the purpose of giving such instruction, such instructors shall call such meeting or meetings of the election officials as are necessary. Such instructors shall, without delay, file a report in the office of the municipal clerk and with the Secretary of the State, (1) stating that they have instructed the election officials named in the report and the time and place where such instruction was given, and (2) containing a signed statement from each such election official acknowledging that the official has received such instruction.

      (b) The election officials of such voting districts shall attend the elections training program developed under subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of section 9-192a and any other meeting or meetings as are called for the purpose of receiving such instructions concerning their duties as are necessary for the proper conduct of the election.

      (c) Each election official who qualifies for and serves in the election shall be paid not less than one dollar for the time spent in receiving such instruction, in the same manner and at the same time as the official is paid for the official's services on election day.

      (d) No election official shall serve in any election unless the official has received such instruction and is fully qualified to perform the official's duties in connection with the election, but this shall not prevent the appointment of an election official to fill a vacancy in an emergency.

      (1949 Rev., S. 1202; 1953, S. 726d; 1957, P.A. 561, S. 11; 1959, P.A. 551; 1963, P.A. 318, S. 3; P.A. 77-245, S. 6; P.A. 81-467, S. 5, 8; P.A. 05-235, S. 21; P.A. 06-137, S. 8.)

      History: 1959 act placed responsibility for instructing election officials in municipal clerk, registrars, and mechanic rather than in board of selectmen; 1963 act eliminated the requirement of giving a certificate to qualified election officials and provided for filing a report re the instructions in the town clerk's office; P.A. 77-245 changed "town clerk" to "municipal clerk"; P.A. 81-467 added reference to "certified" moderators and mechanics and required that election officials be appointed at least 20, rather than 10, days before election except as provided in Sec. 9-229; P.A. 05-235 divided section into subsecs. (a) to (d), amended Subsec. (a) to require instructors to file report with Secretary of the State and to require that report contain signed statements from election officials acknowledging receipt of instruction, amended Subsec. (b) to require election officials to attend training program developed under Sec. 9-192a(c)(1), made technical changes in Subsec. (c) and amended Subsec. (d) by substituting "unless the official" for "at which a voting machine is used unless he" and making technical changes, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 06-137 amended Subsec. (a) to eliminate requirement that the municipal clerk instruct election officials, effective June 6, 2006.