2023 Connecticut General Statutes › Title 9 - Elections › Chapter 146 - Elections › Section 9-188. - First selectman and selectmen. Election procedure. Dual candidacy prohibited. Minority representation; restricted voting. Tie vote.

Unless otherwise provided by law each town shall, at its regular municipal election, elect a first selectman, who shall be town agent unless otherwise provided by law, and two other selectmen or, in the case of any town having a population of ten thousand or more, not more than six other selectmen. The selectmen so elected shall constitute the board of selectmen for such town. Unless otherwise provided by special act, charter or ordinance the votes cast, including any valid write-in votes, for an unsuccessful candidate for first selectman shall be counted as votes for him as a member of such board, provided no elector may be a candidate for both the office of first selectman and that of selectman by virtue of nomination by a major or minor party or a nominating petition or registration of write-in candidacy, or any combination thereof. The provisions of section 9-167a shall apply to the election of selectmen, except that when the total membership of such board is five, the maximum number who may be members of the same political party shall be three, and provided that for the purpose of determining minority representation, the total membership of such board shall be deemed to include the first selectman, unless otherwise provided by special act or charter. Unless otherwise provided by special act, charter or ordinance, an elector shall not vote for more candidates for the office of selectman than a political party can elect pursuant to section 9-167a, provided that the number of such candidates that an elector can vote for shall be deemed to include the first selectman. If the electors fail to elect a first selectman at any election by reason of an equality of votes, such election for the office of first selectman and the election for selectmen shall stand adjourned and such adjourned election shall be held as provided in section 9-332. The ballots used in such adjourned election shall contain only the names of the candidates for the offices of first selectman and selectman which appeared on the ballot used in the election at which the tie vote resulted for the office of first selectman.
(1949 Rev., S. 510, 515; 1949, S. 106b; 1953, 1955, S. 669d; P.A. 75-249; P.A. 76-173, S. 4; 76-363; P.A. 77-99; 77-578, S. 2, 3, 4; P.A. 79-484; P.A. 80-281, S. 12, 31; P.A. 83-475, S. 18, 43; P.A. 84-319, S. 27, 49; P.A. 11-20, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 75-249 provided an exception for charter provisions adopted pursuant to chapter 99; P.A. 76-173 deleted reference to charter provisions adopted pursuant to chapter 99 and substituted “law” therefor, added “unless otherwise provided by law” to prescription that each town elect selectmen etc.; P.A. 76-363 deleted provisions concerning voting for either half or bare majorities of number to be elected and also provision that no more than bare majority shall be members of same political party and substituted “the provisions of section 9-167a shall apply to the election of selectmen”; P.A. 77-99 added exception that if total membership is five, maximum number from same party to be three, including the first selectman in counting total membership, unless otherwise provided by special act or charter; P.A. 77-578 added that elector cannot vote for more candidates than a political party can elect pursuant to Sec. 9-167a and provided number is deemed to include the first selectman; P.A. 79-484 changed “law” to “special act, charter or ordinance” in sentence “unless otherwise provided by ...” and provided that votes cast for the unsuccessful candidate for first selectman shall be counted as votes for him as a member of such board; P.A. 80-281 added proviso concerning counting of votes for unsuccessful candidate for first selectman as votes for board membership where he has also received write-in votes as candidate for board member; P.A. 83-475 amended section to permit full voting for board of selectmen at town option; P.A. 84-319 amended section to provide uniformity in statutes re adjourned elections and write-in votes; pursuant to P.A. 11-20, “ballot label” and “ballot labels” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “ballot” and “ballots”, respectively, effective May 24, 2011.
Annotations to former statutes:
Whether under Art. 10, Sec. 2, of the constitution, the election of one selectman, only, is lawful. 32 C. 108. The plurality is of the ballots as actually cast, not as originally printed. 60 C. 352. Office of first selectman was created by Rev. St., 1875, Ch. 3, Sec. 2. 46 C. 549; 42 C. 463. History of section and of office of first selectman. 75 C. 460. Application to previous form of ballot. 91 C. 365; 102 C. 589; 104 C. 398; 105 C. 259. Cited. 130 C. 714. Election officials justified in refusing to permit plaintiff to vote for two candidates for first selectman. 135 C. 147. The clearly expressed intent of the legislature was that the principal of minority representation should control the results of special elections as well as those of regular elections. 143 C. 679.
Annotation to present section:
Statute clearly states that unsuccessful candidate for office of first selectman may vie for place on the board; successful candidate for first selectman does not determine political affiliation of majority of board. 21 CS 482.