House Bill 5310 (sHB5310 File No. 408) proposes amendments to the general statutes concerning the duties of presidential electors and the certification of election results. The bill changes the meeting time of presidential electors to the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December, replacing gender-specific language with gender-neutral terms. It also establishes consequences for "faithless electors," who fail to vote as pledged, by nullifying their votes, removing them from office, and barring them from future service as electors. Additionally, the bill specifies that if the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is enacted, the provisions regarding electors will no longer be effective. The bill also outlines the process for electors or candidates to file complaints about election rulings, vote counts, or absentee ballot violations, and sets the effective date of these changes as October 1, 2024.

Furthermore, the bill revises the procedures for counting votes for federal and state offices, clarifying that certain duties are ministerial and not discretionary. It allows any state resident to bring an action against officials who fail to perform their election-related duties, with the Supreme Court having the authority to refer such actions to the Superior Court for fact-finding. Successful plaintiffs are entitled to recover court costs and reasonable attorney's fees. The bill has been given a Joint Favorable Substitute recommendation by the Government Administration and Elections Committee with a vote of 15 Yea to 4 Nay on March 22, 2024.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 9-176, 9-315, 9-316, 9-317, 9-318, 9-319
GAE Joint Favorable Substitute: 9-176, 9-323, 9-315, 9-316, 9-317, 9-318, 9-319
File No. 408: 9-176, 9-323, 9-315, 9-316, 9-317, 9-318, 9-319