Connecticut governor signs bill authorizing early voting

(The Center Square) — Connecticut has become the latest state to authorize early voting in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic under a bill signed into law by Gov. Ned Lamont on Thursday.

The measure, which cleared the state Legislature last week, authorizes a 14-day early voting period for general elections, a seven-day period for primaries, and a four-day early voting period for special elections and presidential primaries.

Lamont said expanding the hours voters can cast a ballot "will give more people an opportunity to get to their polling place and vote" and that early voting options are a "priority for any functioning democracy."

"In today’s economy, it is not realistic to expect every eligible voter to travel in person to one specific location during a limited set of hours on a Tuesday to cast their ballot," he said in a statement. "Nearly every other state in our country has early voting, and I am glad that Connecticut is finally joining them."

Under the plan, Connecticut cities and towns must designate at least one early voting location and communities with more than 20,000 residents could establish more sites. Early voting sites must be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., except the last Tuesday and Thursday before elections, when sites would be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Republicans, many of whom voted against the measure, argued local governments lack the resources to implement early voting, such as technology upgrades and paying poll workers.

Backers say Connecticut had become an outlier, with at least 46 states authorizing some form of early voting, many in response to the public health challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The state's election laws are viewed as among the most restrictive in the nation, which advocates say has restricted access to the ballot box.

In the 2022 elections, the state's voters overwhelmingly approved a measure authorizing early voting for state and local elections, but left details of implementing the law up to the Legislature.

The advent of early voting is expected to come with a hefty price tag for the state, with cost estimates ranging from $6.9 million to $9.2 million over several years.

Good government groups have praised the approval of the early voting legislation but have complained lawmakers didn't provide funding for public education campaigns to inform voters about the changes.

"Because of the inadequate funding, much-needed public education on how to vote early will not happen," Cheri Quickmire, executive director of Common Cause in Connecticut, said in a recent statement. "The lack of funding means municipalities will only be able to open one early voting site, which will disproportionately impact voters in large urban areas and sparsely populated rural towns."

The recently approved state budget includes $1.3 million for the Secretary of State's office and around $1.8 million for Connecticut towns to implement the new early voting policy.

But Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas, whose office oversees the election, said that money wouldn't be enough to implement the new policy and has accused legislative leaders of "short-changing" voters and saddling cities and towns with early voting costs.