Substitute House Bill No. 5531 introduces significant changes to the responsibilities and requirements for presidential electors in Connecticut, effective October 1, 2026. The bill mandates that candidates for presidential elector must execute a pledge to vote for the nominees of their political party or, in the case of independents, for their associated candidate. This pledge must be included in their filing documents, and if a party's nominee withdraws or dies, the pledge will apply to the successor nominee. The bill also establishes procedures for filling vacancies among electors and emphasizes that electors must mark their ballots in accordance with their pledges. Notably, the bill repeals and replaces Sections 9-176 and 9-315 of the general statutes, detailing the meeting of electors, the casting of electoral college ballots, and the counting of votes.

Key insertions in the bill include provisions that require the Secretary of the State to assist electors in preparing and transmitting certificates of votes, and it stipulates that any elector who fails to comply with their pledge will be permanently ineligible to serve as a presidential elector in the future. The bill also outlines that ballots cast for candidates other than the pledged ones will be rejected, thereby eliminating the previous law's leniency regarding non-compliance. Overall, these changes aim to ensure that electoral college votes accurately reflect the intended nominees of political parties while streamlining the electoral process and maintaining compliance with federal regulations. The bill is projected to have no fiscal impact on the state or municipalities.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 9-176, 9-315
GAE Joint Favorable Substitute: 9-176, 9-315
File No. 522: 9-176, 9-315