Connecticut General Statutes/Title 9/Chapter 151/Section 9-364a

CGS § 9-364a. (Formerly Sec. 9-344). Acts prohibited in elections, primaries, referenda, caucuses and conventions. Public disclosure of election worker personally identifying information. Criminal penalties, civil cause of action.

(a) As used in this section, “election worker” means any municipal clerk, registrar of voters, deputy registrar of voters, election official described in section 9-258, primary official described in section 9-436 or recanvass official described in section 9-311, and “personal identifying information” has the same meaning as provided in section 53a-129a.

(b) Any person who influences or attempts to influence by force or threat the vote, or by force, threat, bribery or corrupt means, the speech, of any other person at a primary, caucus, referendum, convention or election; any person who influences or attempts to influence by force, threat or harassment any election worker in the performance of any duty under the provisions of this title related to election administration at a primary, referendum, election or recanvass; any person who wilfully and fraudulently suppresses or destroys any vote or ballot properly given or cast, whether so given or cast by mail, by deposit in a secure drop box or in person at a polling place or designated early voting or same-day election registration location, or, in counting such votes or ballots, wilfully miscounts or misrepresents the number thereof; and any presiding or other officer of a primary, caucus or convention who wilfully announces the result of a ballot or vote of such primary, caucus or convention, untruly and wrongfully, shall be guilty of a class C felony.

(c) Any person who, with intent to harass, terrorize or alarm any election worker, or to improperly influence any election worker in the performance of any duty under this title related to election administration at a primary, referendum, election or recanvass, publicly discloses the personal identifying information of such election worker shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

(d) Any election worker described in subsection (b) or (c) of this section, as applicable, shall have a civil cause of action against the person who, with respect to such election worker, violated said subsection.

Short History

(1949 Rev., S. 1162; 1953, S. 821d; P.A. 74-189, S. 10, 24; P.A. 81-467, S. 7, 8; P.A. 82-176, S. 2, 3; P.A. 12-193, S. 3; P.A. 24-148, S. 7.)

Long History

History: P.A. 74-189 added “referendum” to subject matter of prohibited influences or attempts, changed penalty from a fine between $25 and $100 to a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than one year of both; in 1977 Sec. 9-344 transferred to Sec. 9-364a; P.A. 81-467 deleted reference to voting more than once or casting more than one ballot at a time; P.A. 82-176 added words “or election”; P.A. 12-193 changed penalty from a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment of not more than 1 year or both to a class C felony, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 24-148 added Subsec. (a) defining “election worker” and “personal identifying information”, designated existing provisions as Subsec. (b) and amended same by adding provision re influence or attempt to influence election worker in performance of duty and adding “, whether so given or cast by mail, by deposit in a secure drop box or in person at a polling place or designated early voting or same-day election registration location,”, added Subsec. (c) re class A misdemeanor for public disclosure of election worker personally identifying information, added Subsec. (d) re civil cause of action for election worker and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2024.

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