National and Statewide Voting Rights Coalition Sends Letter to CT Appropriations Committee

Re: Funding voting rights, early voting, and no-excuse absentee voting

February 14, 2025

Dear Chairs Anwar and Ryan, Ranking Members Somers and Ackert, and members of the General Government A Appropriations Subcommittee:

We deeply appreciate your time and dedication to ensuring that Connecticut’s voting systems remain a model of accessibility, security, and efficiency. We are also dismayed by the inadequate funding proposition for the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act, early voting, and no-excuse absentee voting from the Governor.

The Connecticut Voting Rights Act is the most forward-thinking and comprehensive state voting rights act in the country. This is not the time to play dice with democratic tentpoles and institutions, and voting is the cornerstone of our democracy. We need not be speaking in terms of restrictions, cutbacks, and only providing early voting access when it’s convenient.

The exhaustion of American Rescue Plan Act funds is not an excuse to deprioritize healthy and accessible voting practices in the United States.

Despite Connecticut’s progressive reputation, there are still discriminatory barriers to equal participation in our democracy for Black voters and voters of color, and people whose first language is not English, particularly at the local level. The Center for Public Integrity observed that Connecticut voters still “face some of the biggest obstacles outside of the south.”

Conditions that can foster voting discrimination — such as unfairly drawn districts that weaken Black and Brown voting power, inaccessible polling locations, insufficient language assistance for voters who don’t speak English, and even outright voter intimidation — endure throughout Connecticut. Connecticut’s towns and cities use at-large election structures or district maps, some of which may impair the ability of Black voters and voters of color to elect candidates of their choice or influence the outcome of elections.

We are writing history in the present tense, and positioning Connecticut as a prime defender of the basic tenets of democracy is necessary in the national climate. It is also necessary to enact the will of the people in the Constitution State, and not properly funding voting at every opportunity and in full force is tantamount to weakening the protections and voting access required to be a state that truly believes in democracy and the will of the people.

We expect:

• Full funding for all facets of the CTVRA.
• Full funding and resources for the Office of the Secretary of State to address challenges implementing CTVRA and no-excuse absentee voting proactively and to maintain the highest standards of voter accessibility and confidence.
• Full funding to implement a no-excuse absentee voting system by the 2026 gubernatorial election, ensuring a secure and accessible rollout without cutting early voting days or funding for other voting methods.

We are committed to supporting and overcoming any hurdles through evidence-based research, advocacy, resource mobilization, and technical assistance. We understand the constraints that the legislature is navigating this session, but we know these are possible to overcome with political will and principled communication and action. We are ready to provide any necessary support to ensure that voting remains feasible and manageable in all facets, including with early voting and absentee voting.

We welcome the opportunity to hear your thoughts on these recommendations and explore how we can support you bringing them to fruition. Thank you again for all that you have done to expand and protect the freedom to vote in Connecticut.

Sincerely,