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sHB5544 / File No. 550 1
General Assembly File No. 550
February Session, 2026 Substitute House Bill No. 5544
House of Representatives, April 9, 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
substitute bill ought to pass.
AN ACT ALLOWING MUNICIPALITIES TO HOLD MUNICIPAL
ELECTIONS IN CONJUNCTION WITH STATE ELECTIONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 9 -164 of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 2
1, 2027): 3
(a) (1) (A) On and after January 1, [2022] 2027, and notwithstanding 4
any contrary provision of law, there shall be held in each municipality, 5
biennially, a municipal election either (i) on the Tuesday after the first 6
Monday of November of the odd -numbered years, except that such 7
municipal election may be held on the first Monday of May of the odd -8
numbered years if the legislative body of such municipality so 9
determines by a three -fourths vote, or (ii) in conjunction with the state 10
election on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of the 11
even-numbered years if the legislative body of such municipality so 12
determines by a majority vote. 13
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(B) In any municipality where the legislative body determines to hold 14
its municipal election on the first Monday of May of the odd-numbered 15
years in accordance with the provisions of subparagraph (A) (i) of this 16
subdivision, such legislative body may subsequently determine by a 17
majority vote to hold such municipal election on the Tuesday after the 18
first Monday of November of the odd-numbered years or in conjunction 19
with the state election on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in 20
November of the even-numbered years. 21
(2) In any municipality where the term of any incumbent municipal 22
elected official would expire prior to the next regular election held 23
under the provisions of this section, the term of such official shall be 24
extended to conform to the beginning of the succeeding term under 25
section 9-187a, as amended by this act. 26
Sec. 2. Section 9 -164c of the general statutes is repealed and the 27
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2027): 28
On and after January 1, [2022] 2027, (1) any municipality may change 29
the date of its municipal election in accordance with the provisions of 30
section 9 -164, as amended by this act , (2) in any municipality that 31
changes from the November municipal election date in the odd -32
numbered years specified in said section to the May municipal election 33
date in the odd -numbered years specified in said section, the terms of 34
incumbent municipal elected officials shall be diminished to conform to 35
such change, [but for a period of not more than nine months, and] (3) in 36
any municipality that changes from the May municipal election date in 37
the odd -numbered years specified in said section to the November 38
municipal election date in the odd -numbered years specified in said 39
section, the terms of incumbent municipal elected officials shall be 40
extended to conform to such change, [but for a period of not more than 41
nine months] (4) in any municipality that changes from the November 42
municipal election date in the odd -numbered years specified in said 43
section to the November municipal election date in the even-numbered 44
years specified in said section, the terms of incumbent municipal elected 45
officials shall be diminished to conform to such change, and (5) in any 46
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municipality that changes from the May municipal election date in the 47
odd-numbered years specified in said section to the November 48
municipal election date in the even -numbered years specified in said 49
section, the terms of incumbent municipal elected officials shall be 50
diminished to conform to such change. 51
Sec. 3. Section 9 -187a of the general statutes is repealed and the 52
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2027): 53
Except as provided in sections 9-164b to 9-164f, inclusive, as amended 54
by this act, the term of each elected municipal official shall begin within 55
seventy days after the municipal election at which such official is 56
elected, on the day within such period prescribed by special act or 57
charter provision, or, in the absence of such special act or charter 58
provision, on the day within such period as is prescribed by action of 59
the legislative body of such municipality, provided (1) in each 60
municipality which holds its municipal election on the [first Monday of] 61
May date in the odd -numbered years specified in section 9 -164, as 62
amended by this act , in the absence of such special act or charter 63
provision, or action of the legislative body, such terms shall begin on the 64
first day of July following the municipal election at which such official 65
is elected, [and] (2) in each municipality which holds its municipal 66
election on the [Tuesday after the first Monday of ] November date in 67
the odd -numbered years , or on the November date in the even -68
numbered years, specified in section 9-164, as amended by this act, with 69
the exception of the term of the town clerk, in the absence of such special 70
act, or charter provision, or action of the legislative body, such term shall 71
begin on the second Tuesday next following the day of the municipal 72
election at which such official is elected, and (3) in each municipality 73
which holds its municipal election on the [Tuesday after the first 74
Monday in ] November date in the odd -numbered years , or on the 75
November date in the even-numbered years, specified in section 9-164, 76
as amended by this act , the term of the town clerk shall be two years 77
from the first Monday of January next succeeding [his] such clerk's 78
election, unless otherwise provided by charter or special act. Whenever 79
the beginning date of the terms of elected municipal officials is so 80
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determined or changed, within the limits [hereinabove] specified in this 81
section, the authority providing [therefor] for such determination or 82
change may provide for the conforming diminution or extension of 83
terms of incumbents. 84
Sec. 4. Section 9 -164b of the general statutes is repealed and the 85
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2027): 86
As to any board or commission of a municipality with a rotating 87
membership, some of the members of which, prior to any change in a 88
municipal election date for such municipality under section 9 -164, as 89
amended by this act , were elected for terms beginning approximately 90
one year after the date of [their] such members' election, the legislative 91
body of such municipality may provide for such conforming changes in 92
the beginning date of the terms of office as are designed to continue the 93
rotation with regard to such office as [it] such rotation existed prior to 94
such change, and in the absence of such action by such legislative body, 95
the beginning date of the terms of such office shall be so changed by the 96
clerk of the municipality in preparing the list provided for under section 97
9-254. With respect to any board or commission of a municipality with 98
a rotating membership established under sections 8 -1, 8-4a, 8-5 and 8 -99
19, the authority empowered to prescribe the term of office of the 100
members of such board or commission, if it is authorized under [said] 101
sections 8-1, 8 -4a, 8 -5 and 8 -19 to provide for an odd -numbered year 102
term, may further provide for deferred terms by prescribing which 103
terms are to begin approximately one year from the date on which the 104
terms of municipal officers generally begin in such municipality. 105
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 January 1, 2027 9-164(a)
Sec. 2 January 1, 2027 9-164c
Sec. 3 January 1, 2027 9-187a
Sec. 4 January 1, 2027 9-164b
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Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Section 1(a)(1)(A)(ii), "by a majority vote" was added for clarity; and
in Section 1(a)(1)(B), "subparagraph (A)" was changed to "subparagraph
(A)(i)" for accuracy, and "or in conjunction with the state election on the
first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of the even-numbered
years" was added for internal consistency.
GAE Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO
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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:
Municipalities Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $
Various Municipalities Potential
Savings
See Below See Below
Explanation
The bill allows municipalities to shift elections to coincide with
existing state and federal elections beginning in FY 2 7, resulting in
savings to municipalities that shift their elections. The exact savings will
depend on the number of municipalities that choose to shift their
municipal election dates and the amount those municipalities would
have otherwise spent on municipal elections. The timing of the savings
depends on when (if at all) a municipality adopts the shift.
The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future subject to the number of municipalities that
choose to shift the existing municipal election date.
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OLR Bill Analysis
HB 5544
AN ACT ALLOWING MUNICIPALITIES TO HOLD MUNICIPAL
ELECTIONS IN CONJUNCTION WITH STATE ELECTIONS.
SUMMARY
Starting January 1, 2027, this bill allows a municipality, by a majority
vote of its legislative body, to hold its biennial municipal election in
conjunction with state elections (on the Tuesday after the first Monday
in November of even-numbered years).
Under current law, municipal elections must be held on (1) this same
date in odd -numbered years or (2) the first Monday in May of odd -
numbered years, if the legislative body votes by a three-fourths majority
to do so. By law and under the bill, a municipality with a May election
date may switch its election date to an authorized day in November by
a majority vote of its legislative body. (The bill does not specify
procedures for a municipality to move its municipal election from the
day of the state election back to one of the two days currently authorized
by law.)
Under the bill, if a municipality aligns its municipal elections with
state elections, the bill requires incumbent s’ terms to be reduced to
conform to the change. For municipalities that change their election
date, the bill also generally extends existing law’s requirements for
transitioning and deferring terms of office (for example, the law sets
default starting date s for the terms of newly -elected officials if the
municipality does not otherwise specify one).
Current law also establishes procedures for adjusting incumbents’
terms due to an election date change. The bill eliminates the explicit
nine-month limit on conforming extensions or reductions of
incumbent’s terms if transitioning between the May and odd-year
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November election dates (but still maintains the general requirement
that the terms be conformed as required by state law).
The bill also makes technical and conforming changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2027
COMMITTEE ACTION
Government Administration and Elections Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 18 Nay 0 (03/20/2026)