Connecticut General Statutes 9-236 – Activities prohibited in and near polling place; distance markers; entry restricted; exceptions
(a) On the day of any primary, referendum or election, no person shall solicit on behalf of or in opposition to the candidacy of another or himself or on behalf of or in opposition to any question being submitted at the election or referendum, or loiter or peddle or offer any advertising matter, ballot or circular to another person within a radius of seventy-five feet of any outside entrance in use as an entry to any polling place or in any corridor, passageway or other approach leading from any such outside entrance to such polling place or in any room opening upon any such corridor, passageway or approach. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit (1) parent-teacher associations or parent-teacher organizations from holding bake sales or other fund-raising activities on the day of any primary, referendum or election in any school used as a polling place, provided such sales or activities shall not be held in the room in which the election booths are located, (2) the registrars of voters from directing the officials at a primary, referendum or election to distribute, within the restricted area, adhesive labels on which are imprinted the words “I Voted Today”, or (3) the registrars of voters in a primary, election or referendum from jointly permitting nonpartisan activities to be conducted in a room other than the room in which the election booths are located. The registrars may jointly impose such conditions and limitations on such nonpartisan activity as deemed necessary to ensure the orderly process of voting. The moderator shall evict any person who in any way interferes with the orderly process of voting.
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 C misdemeanor | up to 3 months | up to $500 |
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 9-236
- another: may extend and be applied to communities, companies, corporations, public or private, limited liability companies, societies and associations. See Connecticut General Statutes 1-1
- Election: means any electors' meeting at which the electors choose public officials by use of voting tabulators or by paper ballots as provided in section 9-272. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-1
- 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
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- Municipal clerk: means the clerk of a municipality. See Connecticut General Statutes 9-1
- Referendum: means (1) a question or proposal which is submitted to a vote of the electors or voters of a municipality at any regular or special state or municipal election, as defined in this section, (2) a question or proposal which is submitted to a vote of the electors or voters, as the case may be, of a municipality at a meeting of such electors or voters, which meeting is not an election, as defined in subsection (d) of this section, and is not a town meeting, or (3) a question or proposal which is submitted to a vote of the electors or voters, as the case may be, of a municipality at a meeting of such electors or voters pursuant to section 7-7 or pursuant to charter or special act. 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 section 7-6. 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
(b) (1) The selectmen shall provide suitable markers to indicate the seventy-five-foot distance from such entrance. Such markers shall consist of a board resting on an iron rod, which board shall be not less than twelve inches square and painted a bright color and shall bear the figures and letters “75 feet” and the following words: “On the day of any primary, referendum or election no person shall solicit in behalf of or in opposition to another or himself or peddle or offer any ballot, advertising matter or circular to another person or loiter within a radius of seventy-five feet of any outside entrance in use as an entry to any polling place or in any corridor, passageway or other approach leading from any such outside entrance to such polling place or in any room opening upon any such corridor, passageway or approach.”
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection, the selectmen may provide the markers required by the provisions of this subsection in effect prior to October 1, 1983, except that in the case of a referendum which is not held in conjunction with an election or a primary, the selectmen shall provide the markers required by subdivision (1) of this subsection.
(3) The moderator and the moderator’s assistants shall meet at least twenty minutes before the opening of a primary, referendum or an election in the voting district, and shall cause to be placed by a police officer or constable, or such other primary or election official as they select, a suitable number of distance markers. Such moderator or any police officer or constable shall prohibit loitering and peddling of tickets within that distance.
(c) No person shall be allowed within any polling place for any purpose other than casting his or her vote, except (1) those permitted or exempt under this section or section 9-236a, (2) primary officials under section 9-436, (3) election officials under section 9-258, including (A) a municipal clerk or registrar of voters, who is a candidate for the same office, performing his or her official duties, and (B) a deputy registrar of voters, who is a candidate for the office of registrar of voters, performing his or her official duties, or (4) party checkers under section 9-235. Representatives of the news media shall be allowed to enter, remain within and leave any polling place or restricted area surrounding any polling place to observe the election, provided any such representative who in any way interferes with the orderly process of voting shall be evicted by the moderator. A number of students in grades four to twelve, inclusive, not to exceed four at any one time in any one polling place, may enter any polling place between twelve o’clock noon and three o’clock p.m. for the purpose of observing the activities taking place in the polling place, provided there is proper parental or teacher supervision present, and provided further, any such student who in any way interferes with the orderly process of voting shall be evicted by the moderator. An elector may be accompanied into any polling place by one or more children who are fifteen years of age or younger and supervised by the elector if the elector is the parent or legal guardian of such children.
(d) Any person who violates any provision of this section or, while the polls are open for voting, removes or injures any such distance marker, shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor.