S.B. 470, An Act Concerning the Secretary of the State and Other Election Administrators Regarding Certain Voter Registration Information and Rejected Absentee Ballots

The ACLU-CT believes that every voter should have the right to protect their privacy while also exercising their right to vote. We view these two rights as equally important to the people of Connecticut. The exercise of a person’s right to vote does not, and should not, waive their right to privacy. Section 1 of this bill would at once expand the information on a voter registration record that can be disclosed while keeping unique identifing information, like driver’s license numbers, identity card numbers, and Social Security numbers confidential. To that end, we support Section 1 of this bill.

Voting is the foundation of democracy, the right through which all our other rights are protected and preserved. For that reason, the ACLU-CT supports extending voting rights to the greatest number of people, with the only permissible restrictions being those essential to making elections secure and fair. Absentee voting in this state is notoriously difficult, and Section 2 of this bill would provide notice to people whos absentee ballots were rejected and the option to remedy the rejected absentee ballot through voting in-person the day of the election. Section 3 of this bill also takes aim at our outdated absentee ballot system by providing that absentee ballots can be counted throughout the election day, rather than potentially all at once. We support these provisions wholeheartedly.

Senate Bill 470 is a step toward making Connecticut’s antiquated voting systems more accessible to all who are eligible to vote. As such, the ACLU-CT supports Senate Bill 470, and urges this Committee to do the same.