Connecticut General Statutes 9-259 – Duties of election officials before polls open; moderator’s return certificates
(a) The moderator of the election in each municipality, voting district or ward shall appear at the office of the registrar of voters not later than eight o’clock p.m. of the day before the election and there receive from the registrar of voters the sample ballot, all checklists and other supplies necessary to conduct the election that have not been delivered previously. The moderator shall receive keys for each voting tabulator to be used in the polling place and sign a receipt for such.
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 9-259
- Ballot: means paper or other material containing the names of the candidates or a statement of a proposed constitutional amendment or other question or proposition to be voted on. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-1
- Election: means any electors' meeting at which the electors choose public officials by use of voting tabulators or by paper ballots as provided in §. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-1
- Municipality: means any city, borough or town within the state. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-1
- Registrars: means the registrars of voters of the municipality. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-1
- Voters: means those persons qualified to vote under the provisions of §. See Connecticut General Statutes 1-1
- Voting district: means any municipality, or any political subdivision thereof, having not more than one polling place in a regular election. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-1
- Voting tabulator: means a machine, including, but not limited to, a device which operates by electronic means, for the registering and recording of votes cast at elections, primaries and referenda. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-1
(b) On the morning of the election, the election officials shall meet at the room where the election is to be held at least forty-five minutes before the time for opening the polls. The moderator shall then cause the sample ballot and instructions to be posted and everything put in readiness for the commencement of voting at the hour of opening the polls. The moderator and the registrars of voters, or the assistant registrars of voters, as the case may be, shall examine the numbers on the seals of the tabulator.
(c) The moderator’s return which the moderator receives from the registrars of voters for all elections shall be in a form prescribed by the Secretary of the State. The moderator and the registrars of voters, or the assistant registrars of voters, as the case may be, before the polls are opened, shall indicate on the return: (1) The delivery of the tabulator; and (2) the numbers on the seals. Additionally, the moderator and the registrars of voters, or the assistant registrars of voters, as the case may be, shall produce a zero tape indicating that the public counter is set at zero (000). The seal on the tabulator shall remain unbroken. If the seal is broken, the registrars of voters shall be notified immediately and the tabulator tape shall be produced. If the tape does not show all zeros, the registrars of voters shall be notified immediately and the tabulator shall not be used.
(d) In addition to the requirements established in subsection (c) of this section, the return shall include a certificate, which shall be filled out after the polls have been closed and which indicates that the tabulator has been locked against voting and remains sealed and that also indicates the number of electors as shown on the public counter along with the number on all the seals. The moderators’ returns shall show the total number of votes cast for each office, the number of votes cast for each candidate and the number of votes for persons not nominated, which shall be certified by the moderator and registrars of voters, or assistant registrars, as the case may be.