Sec. 9-19k. Online voter registration system.

(a) The Secretary of the State shall establish and maintain a system for online voter registration. Such system shall also permit a registered elector to apply for changes to such elector's registration. An applicant may register to vote through this system, provided the applicant's (1) registration information is verifiable in the manner described in subsection (b) of this section, and (2) signature is in a database described in said subsection (b) and such signature may be imported into such system for online voter registration.

(b) A state agency, upon the request of the Secretary of the State, shall provide any information to the Secretary that the Secretary deems necessary to maintain the system for online voter registration. The Secretary may cross reference the information input into the system by applicants with data or information contained in any state agency's database or a database administered by the federal government, or any voter registration database of another state, in order to verify the information submitted by applicants. The Secretary shall not use the information obtained from any such database except to verify information submitted by the applicant, provided the applicant's signature, if part of data contained in the state agency's database, shall be included as part of the applicant's information contained in the system for online voter registration.

(c) The submission of an online application shall contain all of the information that is required for an application under section 9-23h, except that a signature shall be obtained from another state agency's database pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.

(d) In order for an applicant's registration or change in registration to be approved, the applicant shall mark the box associated with the following statement included as part of the online application:

“By clicking on the box below, I swear or affirm all of the following under penalty of perjury:

(1) I am the person whose name and identifying information is provided on this form, and I desire to register to vote in the State of Connecticut.

(2) All of the information I have provided on this form is true and correct as of the date I am submitting this form.

(3) I authorize the Department of Motor Vehicles or other Connecticut state agency to transmit to the Connecticut Secretary of the State or my town's registrars of voters my signature that is on file with such agency and understand that such signature will be used by the Secretary of the State or my town's registrars of voters on this online application for admission as an elector as if I had signed this form personally.”

(e) Upon approval of such application, the registrars of voters shall send a notice of approval pursuant to section 9-19b to the applicant.

(f) If an applicant registers to vote pursuant to the provisions of this section after the seventh day before an election or after the fifth day before a primary, the privileges of an elector shall not attach until the day after such election or primary, as the case may be. In such event, the registrars of voters may contact such applicant, either by telephone or mail, in order to inform such applicant of the effect of such late received application and any applicable deadline for applying for admission in person.

(g) Nothing in this section shall prevent the registrars of voters or any election official appointed by such registrars of voters to admit any applicant as an elector from utilizing the online voter registration system established pursuant to this section for the purpose of admitting such applicant on election day pursuant to section 9-19j.

(P.A. 12-56, S. 10; P.A. 15-224, S. 9; P.A. 16-53, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 12-56 effective January 1, 2014; P.A. 15-224 added Subsec. (g) re use of online voter registration system on election day, effective July 7, 2015; P.A. 16-53 amended Subsec. (f) to change “fourteenth day” to “seventh day”, effective May 31, 2016.