Connecticut General Statutes 9-396 – Ballot vote at caucus; eligibility to vote
At any caucus of the enrolled members of any party in any municipality or in any voting district of any municipality, the chairman of such caucus shall, upon the receipt of a written motion from any person lawfully participating in such caucus calling for a vote by ballot upon such matter as such motion designates, submit such motion to a rising vote; and, if fifteen electors present and legally entitled to participate in such caucus vote in favor of such motion, the vote on the matter specified in such motion shall be by ballot. The presiding officer shall thereupon appoint two tellers; and, upon the written application of fifteen electors legally entitled to participate in such caucus, he shall appoint a teller from the persons whose names appear on such application. Before any ballot is deposited, the name of the elector offering to vote shall be given to the clerk or secretary of such caucus, and such name shall be checked on the enrollment list of such party. No person shall vote or participate or attempt to vote or participate in any caucus of a party in any voting district unless he is enrolled on the last-completed enrollment list of such party in such voting district; provided, if the party rules of such party provide for a joint caucus for two or more voting districts of a municipality, a person may vote in such joint caucus if the voting district in which he is enrolled is participating in such joint caucus. Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a class D misdemeanor.
Attorney's Note
Under the Connecticut General Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class D misdemeanor | up to 30 days | up to $250 |
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 9-396
- 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
- Caucus: means any meeting, at a designated hour and place, or at designated hours and places, of the enrolled members of a political party within a municipality or political subdivision thereof for the purpose of selecting party-endorsed candidates for a primary to be held by such party or for the purpose of transacting other business of such party. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-372
- Caucus: From the Algonquian Indian language, a caucus meant "to meet together." An informal organization of members of the legislature that exists to discuss issues of mutual concern and possibly to perform legislative research and policy planning for its members. There are regional, political or ideological, ethnic, and economic-based caucuses.
- District: means any geographic portion of the state which crosses the boundary or boundaries between two or more towns. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-372
- Elector: means any person possessing the qualifications prescribed by the Constitution and duly admitted to, and entitled to exercise, the privileges of an elector in a town. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-1
- Municipality: means any city, borough or town within the state. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-1
- Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
- 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