HARTFORD, Conn. (WTIC Radio) - Secretary of the State Denise Merrill is gearing up for Election Day with a proposal that tackles election and voter registration issues seen in Connecticut through regulation, codification and expansion.
In the State Capitol Thursday, Merrill announced An Act Concerning Elections, a legislative proposal for lawmakers this general session. According to Merrill, the proposal focuses on the expansion of voter registration eligibility for people on parole, the streamlining and regulation of Election Day registration and the codification of Automatic Voter Registration.
The proposal would, according to Merrill, restore the voting rights of people on parole to vote. Currently, Connecticut law only allows people on probation to vote. This distinction causes confusion which can lead to eligible voters not voting out of fear, Merrill said. She also said Connecticut should focus on rehabilitation with those who are in prison which means all who have been released from prison should be able to vote.
With long lines being a problem last Election Day and a big turn out expected for this year, Merrill said she aims to improve Election Day registration in Connecticut with her proposal. The proposal would implement new changes to streamline the process, Merrill said.
First, towns would be required to submit Election Day registration location plans to her office for approval at least 30 days in advance, Merrill said. Second, towns would be able to apply for a second Election Day registration site, she said. Third, the proposal would ensure those who registered on Election Day would be able to vote when they get in line by 8 p.m., Merrill said. According to Merrill, currently, only those who were already registered who get in line at 8 p.m. are able to vote. The proposal would eliminate the problem of those who register on Election Day from getting turned away, she said.
The proposal would also codify Automatic Voter Registration (AVR), Merrill said, which would enshrine the current program and ease its implementation in other Voter Registration Agencies. AVR was implemented in August of 2016. According to Merrill, since then, more than 400,000 new Connecticut voters have used AVR at the DMV to register and more than 550,000 voters have made changes to their registrations. It is expected to be fully implemented before the 2020 election, Merrill said.
"Taken together, these reforms will make it easier for eligible Connecticut citizens to participate in our democracy and to choose the people who will represent them in government. Each of these proposals will help ensure that every eligible Connecticut resident easily register, and every registered voter can conveniently vote," Merrill said.
The proposal is a new version of a similar proposal made last year that never got passed. While at the Capitol with Merrill, Senator Mae Flexer said last year, the proposal passed with strong support through the Government Administration and Elections (GAE) Committee and then passed through the House of Representatives with minor changes. However, she said, it was never taken up by the State Senate.
Flexer is Senator Chair of the GAE Committee. She said, "The GAE Committee is committed to working on this legislation as quickly as possible, holding a public hearing, and passing this legislation along to the House and Senate for votes as quickly as possible. It's critical that we do this in an election year."