2023 Connecticut General Statutes › Title 9 - Elections › Chapter 148 - Election Canvass and Returns › Section 9-314. - Return of preliminary and duplicate lists of votes by moderator; exceptions for certain elections held in 2020 and 2021.

(a) As used in this subsection, “moderator” means the moderator of each state election in each town not divided into voting districts and the head moderator in each town divided into voting districts. The moderator shall make a preliminary list of the votes given for each of the following officers: Presidential electors, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of the State, Treasurer, Comptroller, Attorney General, United States senator, representative in Congress, state senator, judge of probate, state representative and registrars of voters when said officers are to be chosen, as reported solely by the tabulator, as provided in section 9-309, in the moderator's town and shall immediately transmit such preliminary list to the Secretary of the State not later than midnight on election day. Once the preliminary list has been transmitted to the Secretary of the State, the moderator shall make a duplicate list of the votes given in the moderator's town for each of the following officers: Presidential electors, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of the State, Treasurer, Comptroller, Attorney General, United States senator, representative in Congress, state senator, judge of probate, state representative and registrars of voters when said officers are to be chosen. Such duplicate list shall indicate the total number of names on the official check list of such town and the total number of names checked as having voted. The moderator shall transmit such duplicate list to the Secretary of the State by electronic means as prescribed by the Secretary of the State not later than forty-eight hours after the close of the polls on election day. The moderator shall also seal and deliver one of such duplicate lists to the Secretary of the State not later than the third day after the election. Any such moderator who fails to so transmit or deliver such duplicate list to the Secretary of the State by the time required shall pay a late filing fee of fifty dollars. The moderator shall also deliver one of such duplicate lists to the clerk of such town. The Secretary of the State shall enter the returns in tabular form in books kept by the Secretary for that purpose and present a printed report of the same, with the name of, and the total number of votes received by, each of the candidates for said offices, to the General Assembly at its next session.
(b) As used in this subsection, “moderator” means the moderator of each municipal election in each town not divided into voting districts, and the head moderator in each town divided into voting districts. The moderator shall make a preliminary list of the votes given for each municipal office elected at such municipal election, as reported solely by the tabulator, as provided in section 9-309, in the moderator's town and shall immediately transmit such preliminary list to the Secretary of the State not later than midnight on election day. Once the preliminary list has been transmitted to the Secretary of the State, the moderator shall make a duplicate list of the votes given in the moderator's town for each municipal office elected at such municipal election. Such duplicate list shall indicate the total number of names on the official check list of such town and the total number of names checked as having voted and shall be on a form prescribed by the Secretary of the State. The moderator shall transmit such duplicate list to the Secretary of the State by electronic means as prescribed by the Secretary of the State not later than forty-eight hours after the close of the polls on election day. The moderator shall also seal and deliver one of such duplicate lists to the Secretary of the State not later than the third day after the election. Any such moderator who fails to so transmit or deliver such duplicate list to the Secretary of the State by the time required shall pay a late filing fee of fifty dollars. The moderator shall also deliver one of such duplicate lists to the clerk of such town.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section, for the state election in 2020, and any election held on or after June 23, 2021, but prior to November 3, 2021, (1) the duplicate list required under said subsections to be transmitted by electronic means to the Secretary by such moderator shall be so transmitted not later than ninety-six hours after the close of the polls on such election day, and (2) the duplicate list required under said subsections to be sealed and delivered to the Secretary shall be so delivered not later than the fifth day after such election.
(1949 Rev., S. 1080, 1081; 1953, S. 792d; 1963, P.A. 311, S. 2; April, 1964, P.A. 2, S. 4; 1971, P.A. 542, S. 3; 836, S. 4; P.A. 77-196, S. 2; P.A. 85-577, S. 7; P.A. 88-89; P.A. 93-384, S. 3; P.A. 95-171, S. 10, 14; P.A. 00-99, S. 30, 154; P.A. 03-112, S. 1; P.A. 15-224, S. 26; P.A. 16-14, S. 1; July Sp. Sess. P.A. 20-3, S. 14; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 142.)
History: 1963 act reduced the number of lists of votes to be sent to secretary from two to one; 1964 act deleted representative-at-large; 1971 acts deleted provision for mailing of list and substituted immediate hand delivery to the secretary of the state or to the state police who are required to deliver it by hand to the secretary of the state before four o'clock p.m. the day following the election, changed provision for delivery of list to the town clerk “within two days” to “on or before the day after the election”, changed “moderator of first voting district” to “head moderator” and deleted “unless otherwise provided by law”; P.A. 77-196 added registrars of voters to the other offices on the list and added new Subsec. (b) providing for a report from moderator of municipal election on each contested office; P.A. 85-577 changed time frame of delivery, imposed $50 fee for late filing and required immediate transmittal of the vote for each office contested at such election; P.A. 88-89 amended Subsec. (b) to require results of municipal elections to be delivered to secretary of the state in same manner and time as provided under Subsec. (a), instead of being transmitted forthwith; P.A. 93-384 substituted “official check list” for “registry list” and amended Subsec. (b) to require moderator or head moderator to “forthwith transmit” instead of “deliver” voting results to secretary; P.A. 95-171 amended Subsec. (a) to conditionally authorize transmitting list by facsimile machine, effective October 1, 1995, and applicable to elections held on or after that date; P.A. 00-99 deleted reference to sheriff in Subsec. (a), effective December 1, 2000; P.A. 03-112 amended Subsec. (a) by defining “moderator”, authorizing moderator to transmit list of votes by “other electronic means” and making conforming and technical changes, and amended Subsec. (b) by defining “moderator”, requiring moderator to transmit list of votes by “facsimile machine or other electronic means”, adding procedure for delivering list by hand, adding penalty for any moderator failing to deliver list by time required and making conforming changes, effective June 18, 2003; P.A. 15-224 amended Subsec. (a) to require that moderator make out preliminary list of votes, transmit such preliminary list to Secretary of the State by midnight on election day, make out duplicate list after transmission of preliminary list and transmit, within 48 hours of close of polls, duplicate list of votes to Secretary of the State by electronic means, to delete provision re use of state police for delivery of sealed duplicate list and to delete requirement that moderator deliver duplicate list to town clerk on or before day after election, and amended Subsec. (b) to require that moderator transmit, within 48 hours of close of polls, result of vote for each contested office to Secretary of the State by electronic means and to delete provision re use of state police for delivery of sealed list, effective July 7, 2015; P.A. 16-14 amended Subsec. (b) to add provisions re moderator to make and transmit preliminary list of votes and make and transmit duplicate list, and to replace provision re statement to include in return with provision re moderator to deliver duplicate list to town clerk, and made technical and conforming changes, effective May 6, 2016; July Sp. Sess. P.A. 20-3 added Subsec. (c) re state election in 2020, effective July 31, 2020; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 amended Subsec. (c) to add provisions re certain elections held prior to November 3, 2021, effective June 23, 2021.