Government Administration and Elections Committee
JOINT FAVORABLE REPORT
Bill No.: HB-6464
AN ACT EXTENDING TO MAY 31, 2021, SEVERAL CHANGES IMPLEMENTED
Title: FOR THE 2020 STATE ELECTION AS A RESULT OF COVID-19.
Vote Date: 3/5/2021
Vote Action: Joint Favorable
PH Date: 2/22/2021
File No.: 46
Disclaimer: The following JOINT FAVORABLE Report is prepared for the benefit of the
members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and
explanation and does not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber
thereof for any purpose.
SPONSORS OF BILL:
The Government Administration and Elections Committee
REASONS FOR BILL:
HB-6464 allows for the extension of temporary changes made to Connecticuts election
administration laws due to the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis. The bill would extend
the emergency provisions until May 31st, 2021.
RESPONSE FROM ADMINISTRATION/AGENCY:
Denise W. Merrill, Secretary of the State: Secretary Merrill voiced support for the bill,
noting that the pandemic is still an ongoing public health crisis, which means that voters
should be given the option to vote absentee without the need for a statutorily defined excuse.
She identified the upcoming municipal elections in May as well as any special elections that
could occur in the coming months as reasons for extending the measures.
NATURE AND SOURCES OF SUPPORT:
Paula Bacolini, Founder and Leader of Make Voting Easy CT: Ms. Bacolini expressed her
support for the temporary measures, which allowed her to vote absentee using the COVID-19
excuse. She writes about the convenience of the absentee ballot tracker that could be found
on the Secretary of the States website. Seeing that the reforms were temporary and not
permanent, she hopes the legislature will rewrite the law and make voting easier. Until then,
she hopes the measures persist, especially as COVID-19 continues to mutate and spread.
Mary Breton: Ms. Breton testified in support of continuing the temporary measures, with the
hope of expanding them to become permanent. In our society full of convenience, Ms.
Bretton questions why voting in Connecticut is currently so inconvenient. With so many
people trying to maintain their career, family life, social activities and caretaking
responsibilities, it can be extremely challenging to find time to vote. In addition to
convenience, she writes that allowing the measures to continue would reduce congestion at
polling places on election day, ultimately relieving the pressure on poll workers.
Elizabeth Donovan: Ms. Donovan recognized the significance of installing ballot drop boxes,
given the postal delays experienced nationwide in the months leading up to the election. In
her testimony, she identified several potential scenarios that might make in-person voting
impossible, including the contraction of a sickness on Election Day, preventing one from
appearing in person. That being said, extending the measures and providing voters with a
COVID-19 excuse for absentee voting gives a sense of reassurance and a safety net to
citizens of Connecticut wishing to have their voice heard.
John Erlingheuser, Advocacy and Community Outreach Director for AARP
Connecticut: Referring to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance,
which states that people over 65 years of age and those with serious health conditions are at
highest risk for severe disease or death from COVID-19, Mr. Erlingheuser sees no reason not
to continue common sense public health measures that protect the health and safety of
voters.
Zachary Hayden: Mr. Hayden, a teacher and a father of two, testified on the difficulties of
finding time to vote. Mr. Haydens testimony identified the barriers posed by long commute
times, finding adequate childcare, the demands of a work schedule, obscurely located
precincts and even long lines at polling places.
Beth Heller, Woodbridge First Selectman: First Selectman Heller acknowledged
Woodbridges municipal election set to take place on May 3rd, 2021. She writes that these
elections typically have a very low turnout, and she fears that without an extension of the
measures, many voters will stay home as the pandemic is still ongoing. Along with protecting
the health of the voters, First Selectman Heller emphasized the importance of protecting the
health of poll workers and office staff. She urged the committee to consider adding a
provision allowing for the continued use of drop boxes outside town halls for voters to use as
a depository for their absentee ballots.
Jeff Leake, President of the Connecticut Education Association: On behalf of the
Connecticut Education Association, Mr. Leake supports the continuation of the temporary
changes, as he finds that there is a clear correlation between the measures and the dramatic
increase in voter participation. In addition to increasing participation, Mr. Leake contends that
the measures were also instrumental in ensuring integrity of our elections. With over 1.8
million ballots cast alone in Connecticut, he states that any incidents of fraud or mishandling
of ballots have been few and inconsequential.
Kelly McConney Moore, Interim Senior Policy Counsel for the American Civil Liberties
Union of Connecticut (ACLU-CT): Ms. McConney Moore applauded Connecticuts
successful effort in facilitating the election this past November, all in the midst of the
pandemic. She attributed the success to the emergency measures passed by the legislature
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that expanded absentee ballot access and eligibility. Recognizing the slow inoculation pace,
she identified COVID-19 as a threat that could persist well into the near future, therefore
requiring the extension of the temporary measures. On behalf of the ACLU-CT, she urged the
committee to explore additional accommodations, including early review of absentee ballots
to check for issues and allow for curing, as well as extending the return timeframe so that all
ballots postmarked by the election day are deemed timely and thus counted.
Phyllis Nauts: Ms. Nauts is an 86-year-old with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In
her testimony, she expressed her initial reluctance to vote last year out of a fear for her own
safety. After the emergency measures extending absentee voting, she was able to cast her
vote safely and easily without having to worry that she was putting her health was at risk.
Anna M. Posniak, Windsor Town Clerk and President of the Connecticut Town Clerks
Association (CTCA): On behalf of the CTCA, Ms. Posniak identified the public health
emergency posed by COVID-19 and testified in favor of an amendment to HB 6464. Ms.
Posniak would like to see the elimination of the requirement for clerks to have a police escort
when retrieving absentee ballots from a drop box not located outside the municipal clerks
office. She stated that this requirement created delays and strained local police departments.
In order to ensure integrity, Ms. Posniak proposed that a second individual be present, just
not necessarily a police officer.
The following individuals submitted testimony in support of HB-6464. They cited
reasons similar to those stated in the aforementioned testimonies:
Ethel Berger
Robert Bibbiani
Susan Bouregy
Lori Clymas
Marta Daniels, Member of Safe Vote CT and Voter Choice CT:
Emelia DeMusis
Amy Ewing
Eleanor Fischer
Pua Ford
Charlie Galliher
Kate Gilstad-Hayden
Lauren Gister
Jan Hochadel, President of the American Federation of Teachers, Connecticut
Annie & Neil Hornish
Steve Jones
Kris Kuhn
Shannon Lane, LMSW
Sue W. Larsen, South Windsor Registrar of Voters and President of the Registrars of Voters
Association of Connecticut (ROVAC)
Carol LeWitt
Cynthia Lignar
Claire Matthews
Kimberly L. Megrath
Hillary Poole
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Cheri Quickmire, Executive Director of Common Cause Connecticut
Tanya Smith Rhodes, Director of the Nancy A Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work,
Instructor in Residence at the UConn School of Social Work
Connor Riordan
Isaac Ruiz
Claire Sauer
Yvonne Senturia, Election Law Specialist, League of Women Voters of Connecticut
Jessie Stratton
Theodore Taigen
Erica Udoff
Rosann Ventimiglia
NATURE AND SOURCES OF OPPOSITION:
Robert Dewey: Mr. Dewey is against the continuance of the temporary measures, as
widespread absentee ballot distribution via mail takes the voting process out of the view of
the public. Acknowledging the potential for corruption, Mr. Dewey believes that the right to
vote is a privilege, and in order to exercise that privilege, the voter must be able to prove their
identity. He reasons that one must have a form of identification to board aircraft or enter
government facilities but finds it contradictory and troubling that one can vote without
identification.
Arnold Goldman, Chairman of the Canton Republican Town Committee: Mr. Goldman
highlighted the obligation citizens have to show up and vote at ones designated polling place
and proving their identity as a means to ensure integrity and transparency. Mr. Goldman
believes that loosening election restrictions invites malfeasance and ultimately diminishes the
confidence of the electorate in our democratic process.
Victoria Morton: Ms. Morton states that voting by mail is subject to a greater potential for
fraud. Ms. Morton said that Connecticuts electoral system is full of errors in terms of
registration data, which ultimately would diminish the integrity of absentee voting by mail.
Maryellen Nilson: Ms. Nilson testified that there is no need for an extension of the changes
made to absentee voting because the COVID-19 pandemic will soon be in the rearview
mirror. She cites Connecticuts recent vaccination efforts and the lowered infections,
hospitalizations and death rates in the state.
Kathy Samodel: Ms. Samodel opposes the use of ballot drop boxes, believing that they can
be used for fraud as well as deliberate destruction and theft of ballots. She holds that the
temporary changes are at odds with the United States Constitution, which mandates federal
elections be held on the first Tuesday in November.
Lynda Szynkowicz, Founder and CEO of Fight Voter Fraud Inc.: Ms. Szynkowicz
expressed opposition to the temporary measures by underscoring the need to clean and
maintain the states voter rolls so that they accurately reflect eligible voters in Connecticut.
Szynkowicz claims that the state voter rolls include 101,923 people born in the year 1800,
2,650 people who voted absentee and in person this past election, and approximately 11,900
individuals who are now deceased.
Page 4 of 6 HB-6464
Anne Manusky, President of the Connecticut Republican Assembly: Ms. Manusky stated
that the extension of absentee voting privileges and using COVID-19 as an excuse was a
violation of the rights of Connecticut residents. Ms. Manusky referred to Connecticut General
Statute 9-135, which outlines the statutorily defined excuses that would allow for a voter to
obtain and fill out an absentee ballot. Seeing that COVID-19 is not listed in the statute, Ms.
Manusky sees this as a violation.
Isabelle Hargrove: Ms. Hargrove is opposed to the use of no-excuse absentee ballots or
early voting. Hargrove contends that voter turnout is not increased by these measures.
Additionally, Hargrove emphasized the need to clean up the Connecticut voter rolls.
Peter Herger: Mr. Herger expressed his belief that the bill excludes safeguards and an audit
process to ensure the integrity of the absentee ballots being cast. Herger contends that the
bill should include language to ensure that absentee ballots are only distributed to register
voters on the voter rolls.
Beverly Hanna: Ms. Hanna believes that the extension of the changes made for the 2020
election are unnecessary. She cites the fact that the current COVID-19 infection rates in
Connecticut are under 3%. In an effort to return to normalcy, Beverly believes that our
elections should return to what they used to be.
The following individuals submitted testimony in opposition of HB-6464. They cited
reasons similar to those stated in the aforementioned testimonies:
Rick Aiello
Alan Barnett
Maureen Blum
Linda Czaplinski
Michael Del Santo
Erin Domenech
Valerie Gesualdi
Ann Hartford
Jeffrey Hogan
Cherie Juhnke
Ray Lecours
Michelle Lynn
Matthew Massi
Michael Massi
Richard Mayhew
Crystal McKeever
Mike Ninteau
Lisa Pojano
Michael Riley
Henry Ruddy
Kristen Schlim
Berrin Snyder
Christoper Sullivan
Jim Townsley
Doretta Wildes
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Roberet Wnek
Dori Wollen
Reported by: Trevor Hoffman Date: 3-5-21
Page 6 of 6 HB-6464


Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 9-135, 9-137, 9-139b, 9-159r
GAE Joint Favorable: 9-135, 9-137, 9-139b, 9-159r
File No. 46: 9-135, 9-137, 9-139b, 9-159r