KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Connecticut

HB05530 • 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING A STUDY OF ABSENTEE BALLOT ACCESS IN UNCONSOLIDATED CITIES AND BOROUGHS WITHIN A TOWN.

AN ACT CONCERNING A STUDY OF ABSENTEE BALLOT ACCESS IN UNCONSOLIDATED CITIES AND BOROUGHS WITHIN A TOWN.

Elections
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Government Administration and Elections Committee
Last action
2026-04-08
Official status
File Number 521
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text does not specify if online access will be granted after the study; it only mandates a report on feasibility and obstacles.

Study on Absentee Ballot Access for Unconsolidated Cities

This law creates a task force to study the obstacles and feasibility of letting voters in unconsolidated cities or boroughs apply for absentee ballots using the state's online system.

What This Bill Does

  • Establishes a task force to examine if it is possible, and what barriers exist, for these specific voters to use the Secretary of State's online application system.
  • Sets rules for who sits on the task force, including members appointed by legislative leaders, town clerks, registrars of voters, an election law attorney, and representatives from the University of Connecticut.
  • Requires all initial appointments to be made within 30 days after the law takes effect.
  • Mandates that the first meeting must happen within 60 days after the law takes effect.
  • Requires a final report with findings and recommendations to be submitted by January 1, 2027.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Voters living in unconsolidated cities or boroughs located inside towns who want to apply for absentee ballots online.
  • The Secretary of the State, who chairs the task force and maintains the online system.
  • Town clerks, registrars of voters, and other officials appointed to serve on the study group.

Terms To Know

Unconsolidated city or borough
A small incorporated area with its own government that is located inside a larger town but not merged into it.
Absentee ballot
A vote cast by mail or other means instead of in person at the polling place on election day.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law only orders a study and does not immediately change how voters currently apply for ballots.
  • It is unclear if online access will be allowed until the task force finishes its report with recommendations.
  • The task force ends when it submits its findings or on January 1, 2027, whichever date comes later.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 LCO

    Reported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office

  2. 2026-04-08 Connecticut General Assembly

    Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, House

  3. 2026-04-08 Connecticut General Assembly

    House Calendar Number 341

  4. 2026-04-08 LCO

    File Number 521

  5. 2026-04-01 LCO

    Referred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis 04/07/26 5:00 PM

  6. 2026-03-23 GAE

    Joint Favorable

  7. 2026-03-23 LCO

    Filed with Legislative Commissioners' Office

  8. 2026-03-09 Connecticut General Assembly

    Public Hearing 03/13

  9. 2026-03-06 Connecticut General Assembly

    Referred to Joint Committee on Government Administration and Elections

Official Summary Text

To study obstacles to allowing a voter in an unconsolidated city or borough within a town to be able to apply for an absentee ballot through the Secretary of the State's online application system for an election, primary or referendum held for such unconsolidated city or borough.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
House of Representatives
HB5530 / File No. 521 1

General Assembly File No. 521
February Session, 2026 House Bill No. 5530

House of Representatives, April 8, 2026

The Committee on Government Administration and Elections
reported through REP. BLUMENTHAL of the 147th Dist.,
Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the House, that the
bill ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING A STUDY OF ABSENTEE BALLOT ACCESS
IN UNCONSOLIDATED CITIES AND BOROUGHS WITHIN A TOWN.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. ( Effective from passage) (a) There is established a task force 1
to study absentee ballot access in certain cities and boroughs in the state 2
that are unconsolidated with the towns within which such cities or 3
boroughs are respectively located. The task force shall examine the 4
feasibility of, and obstacles to, allowing voters in any such 5
unconsolidated city or town to apply for an absentee ballot through the 6
online application system established and maintained by the Secretary 7
of the State pursuant to subsection (b) of section 9 -140 of the general 8
statutes for an election, primary or referendum held in such 9
unconsolidated city or town. 10
(b) The task force shall consist of the following members: 11
(1) Two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, 12
HB5530 File No. 521

HB5530 / File No. 521 2

one of whom shall be the town clerk of a town within which all or part 13
of an unconsolidated city or borough is located; 14
(2) Two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of 15
whom shall be the clerk of an unconsolidated city or borough; 16
(3) One appointed by the majority leader of the House of 17
Representatives; 18
(4) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, who shall be 19
a registrar of voters of a town within which all or part of an 20
unconsolidated city or borough is located; 21
(5) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of 22
Representatives; 23
(6) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, who shall be 24
a registrar of voters of a town within which all or part of an 25
unconsolidated city or borough is located; 26
(7) The Secretary of the State, or the Secretary's designee; 27
(8) One appointed by the Secretary, who shall be an attorney with 28
expertise in the election laws of the state; and 29
(9) The director of the Center for Voting Technology Research at The 30
University of Connecticut, or the director's designee. 31
(c) Any member of the task force appointed under subdivision (1), 32
(2), (3) or (5) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member of the 33
General Assembly. 34
(d) All initial appointments to the task force shall be made not later 35
than thirty days after the effective date of this section. Any vacancy shall 36
be filled by the appointing authority. 37
(e) The Secretary of the State, or the Secretary's designee, shall be the 38
chairperson of the task force. Such chairperson shall schedule the first 39
meeting of the task force, which shall be held not later than sixty days 40
HB5530 File No. 521

HB5530 / File No. 521 3

after the effective date of this section. 41
(f) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the 42
General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to elections 43
shall serve as administrative staff of the task force. 44
(g) Not later than January 1, 2027, the task force shall submit a report 45
on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing committee of 46
the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to 47
elections, in accordance with the provisions of section 11 -4a of the 48
general statutes. The task force shall terminate on the date that it 49
submits such report or January 1, 2027, whichever is later. 50
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 from passage New section

GAE Joint Favorable

HB5530 File No. 521

HB5530 / File No. 521 4

The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of
the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not
represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose. In general,
fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional
knowledge. Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final
products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note

State Impact: None
Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill, which establishes a task force to study absentee ballot access
in unconsolidated cities and boroughs within municipalities, results in
no fiscal impact because the task force has the expertise to carry out the
bill's provisions.
The Out Years
State Impact: None
Municipal Impact: None

HB5530 File No. 521

HB5530 / File No. 521 5

OLR Bill Analysis
HB 5530

AN ACT CONCERNING A STUDY OF ABSENTEE BALLOT ACCESS
IN UNCONSOLIDATED CITIES AND BOROUGHS WITHIN A TOWN.

SUMMARY
The Office of Legislative Research does not analyze Special Acts.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Government Administration and Elections Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 19 Nay 0 (03/20/2026)