Substitute Senate Bill No. 1156 seeks to amend the process for state-wide recognition of minor parties concerning nominating petitions in Connecticut. The bill repeals and replaces Section 9-453b of the general statutes, establishing that the Secretary of the State will only issue nominating petition forms starting on the first business day of the election year. The application for these forms must include candidates' names, their consent, and party designation, which can only be included if reserved with the Secretary or if it corresponds to a minor party qualified for other offices on the same ballot. Additionally, the definition of a "minor party" is modified in Section 9-372 to specify that it is a party that is not a major party and has received at least one percent of the votes in the last election for the relevant office.

The bill further streamlines the process for minor parties to gain ballot access by allowing a candidate from a minor party to qualify if they received at least 1% of the votes for any state office in the last election, eliminating the need for a case-by-case assessment. It also repeals Section 9-66 and substitutes it with new language clarifying that election provisions apply statewide for major parties and within the geographical jurisdiction for minor parties. The effective date for these changes is set for January 1, 2026, and the bill is expected to have no fiscal impact on the state or municipalities.

Statutes affected:
Committee Bill: 9-453b, 9-372, 9-66
GAE Joint Favorable: 9-453b, 9-372, 9-66
File No. 667: 9-453b, 9-66