Sec. 9-431. Eligibility to vote at primary. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 9-431. Eligibility to vote at primary. (a) No person shall be permitted to vote at a primary of a party unless (1) he is on the last-completed enrollment list of such party in the municipality or voting district, as the case may be, or (2) if authorized by the state rules of such party filed pursuant to section 9-374, he is an unaffiliated elector in the municipality or voting district, as the case may be, provided if two or more such parties are holding primaries on the same day in such municipality or voting district, whether for the same offices or different offices, such unaffiliated elector may vote in the primary of only one such party. Such state party rules may authorize unaffiliated electors to vote for some or all offices to be contested at its primaries.

      (b) Any such person offering to vote and being challenged as to his identity or residence shall, before he votes, prove by the testimony, under oath, of at least one other elector qualified to vote in such primary or by such other evidence acceptable to the moderator either of the following which are applicable: (1) His identity with the person on whose name he offers to vote or (2) his bona fide residence in the municipality or political subdivision holding the primary, as the case may be. The rules of each party in each municipality shall prescribe whether members of the town committee shall be elected from the municipality at large, in which case any person on the last-completed enrollment list of such party in such municipality shall be eligible to vote in a primary for the election of such committee members, or whether such committee members shall be elected from political subdivisions of such municipality, in which case only persons on the last-completed list of such party in such a political subdivision shall be eligible to vote in a primary for the election of such committee members from such political subdivision; provided no town committee in any municipality shall be elected both at large and from political subdivisions.

      (November, 1955, S. N86; 1957, P.A. 518, S. 31; 1958 Rev., S. 9-114; 1961, P.A. 119; 1963, P.A. 17, S. 57; February, 1965, P.A. 351, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 756, S. 3; P.A. 73-630, S. 16, 19; P.A. 75-348, S. 10, 11; P.A. 87-509, S. 1, 24.)

      History: 1961 act added provisions re proof of identity on challenge; 1963 act restated previous provisions; 1965 act provided clarifying language in requirement for proof of continued residence both with reference to registry lists and enrollment lists; 1971 act added clarifying language with respect to state-wide primaries or primaries for district office where person has moved within the district, and in both cases has requested continuance; P.A. 73-630 deleted previous amendment; P.A. 75-348 provided for proof "or by such other evidence acceptable to the moderator", further provided for substitution of "bona fide residence" for the language pertaining to continued residence; P.A. 87-509 divided section into Subsecs. and, in Subsec. (a) added Subdiv. (2), permitting unaffiliated electors to vote in primary of a party if authorized by state rules of such party, and in Subsec. (b), substituted "political subdivision holding the primary" for "voting district" and deleted provision that person not required to prove residence in former voting district or ward when moving from one voting district or ward to another within a municipality.