Tell the Judiciary Committee to Remove Section 2 of HB 5448

Last week, the Government Administration and Elections (GAE) Committee voted out HB 5448 AN ACT CONCERNING SECURITY OF CERTAIN ELECTION WORKERS AND ELECTIONS-RELATED LOCATIONS. Now the bill will head to the Judiciary Committee and you must contact your state Representative and Senator and ask that they advocate for Section 2 to be removed from the bill today.

Section 2 makes possession of a weapon near an elections site a Class D felony, conviction of which can result in a state prison sentence ranging from one to five years and additional fines up to $5,000, if a person is lawfully carrying a firearm (or weapon) within 250 feet of elections locations, including drop boxes, and any area where votes are being administered or counted.

Those who testified in support of the provision claim it will protect election workers feel safe from fear or intimidation. However, Connecticut only allows concealed carry, eliminating any concern that a gun is used for intimidation. Furthermore, how can an election worker feel intimidated by a law-abiding gun owner concealed carrying a firearm 100 feet from a dropbox?

Section 2 of HB 5448 is another gratuitous attack on law abiding gun owners in the State, intended only to make gun ownership more cumbersome and legally risky.

CT2024HB 5448

AN ACT CONCERNING SECURITY OF CERTAIN ELECTION WORKERS. To (1) allow certain election workers to request that their residential addresses be exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, (2) establish a criminal prohibition on the possession of a firearm or deadly weapon within one thousand feet of certain election-related locations, and (3) establish a criminal prohibition on, and a civil cause of action for, threatening or harassing conduct toward election workers performing election-related duties.

Last Action

File Number 627 (LCO)

House • Apr 30, 2024

Latest Version

File No. 627

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Your Message to the legislators

Dear (name and title inserted automatically),

I am writing to ask that you ask the Judiciary Committee to remove Section 2 from HB 5448 AN ACT CONCERNING SECURITY OF CERTAIN ELECTION WORKERS AND ELECTIONS-RELATED LOCATIONS. Section 2 of the bill will create a Class D felony, a law abiding gun-owner carrying a firearm within 250 feet of election locations and infrastructure, which include drop boxes. A Class D felony conviction can result in a state prison sentence ranging from one to five years and additional fines up to $5,000.

While the bill purportedly intends to make election workers "feel safe," it is illogical that an election worker would feel intimidated by a firearm they cannot see - open carry is already illegal in Connecticut. Furthermore, whether or not a law-abiding gun owner walks within 250 feet of a drop box or a location where votes are being counted is an arbitrary pretext - at best - to charge a felony. Threatening or acting violently toward anyone with a weapon, including election workers, is already a crime. Brandishing a firearm is already a crime. It begs the question what the point of the Section is if not just to make legal and responsible gun ownership unnecessarily burdensome.

I respectfully urge you to ask your colleagues to on the Judiciary Committee to vote to remove Section 2 from HB 5448.