HARTFORD, Conn. — The process is underway to implement early voting in Connecticut.
Thursday, Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas presented the legislature with recommendations and a new report studying early voting.
“The legislature and the people of Connecticut want a program that is implemented in a way that is very safe and secure, and that they can trust,” Thomas said.
Connecticut is one of only four states without early voting, but that will soon change.
Voters passed an amendment in November, changing the state constitution to allow the legislature to pass laws implementing early in-person voting.
Lawmakers are now deciding what that will actually look like in Connecticut.
“There's this thought out there that early voting looks like Election Day, where every polling place is open, but no one does it that way,” said Thomas.
The big question mark for legislators is just how many days early people will be allowed to start voting in Connecticut.
The report from the Center for Election Innovation & Research outlines four early in-person voting models of six, nine, 10 or 14 days.
Thomas is recommending the 10-day period.
“That enables us to include two weekends and based on all of my conversations with voters, the weekend accessibility is what they want the most,” she continued.
Multiple early-voting bills have already been proposed and sent to the Government Administration and Elections Committee.
“They varied from as little as two days all the way up to 30 days, I think, is the biggest proposal we've seen so far,” said Sen. Mae Flexer, co-chair of the committee.
It’s not just about the number of days, though. Thomas is also urging the legislature to provide enough funding for municipalities to implement the program.
“There's a lot to think about,” Rep. Gale Mastrofrancesco, ranking member on the elections committee, said. “It's certainly a process that we have to do a deep dive into.”
There’s a bit of a ticking clock, too. Thomas is asking the legislature to pass a bill no later than March 31.
She wants enough time for towns to prepare ahead of the November 2023 elections, but the committee is yet to have a substantive meeting.
Lawmakers said they should have bill proposals ready for public hearings in February.
Emma Wulfhorst is a political reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at ewulfhorst@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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