AN ACT CONCERNING SECURITY OF ELECTION ADMINISTRATION PROCESSES, ELECTIONS SITES, ELECTION WORKERS AND ELECTORS.

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 463
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING SECURITY OF ELECTION ADMINISTRATION
PROCESSES, ELECTIONS SITES, ELECTION WORKERS AND
ELECTORS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2026) (a) As used in this section: 1
(1) "Election" has the same meaning as provided in section 9 -1 of the 2
general statutes; 3
(2) "Elections site" means (A) a polling place on the day of an election, 4
primary or referendum, (B) a location designated for the conduct of 5
early voting during the period of early voting at an election or primary, 6
(C) a location for same-day election registration on the day of a regular 7
election, or (D) a drop box designated for the deposit of absentee ballots 8
during the period beginning on the first day of issuance of absentee 9
voting sets and ending at the close of the polls at an election, primary or 10
referendum; 11
(3) "Primary" has the same meaning as provided in section 9-372 or 9-12
463 of the general statutes, as applicable; and 13
(4) "Referendum" has the same meaning as provided in section 9-1 of 14
the general statutes. 15
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(b) (1) No officer or agent of any organization or entity authorized by 16
the federal government or by any state to use force against, search, 17
detain or arrest individuals, and no person authorized by the federal 18
government or by any state to order, bring, keep or have under such 19
person's authority or control any such officer or agent, shall (A) 20
knowingly be within two hundred fifty feet of any elections site, unless 21
(i) the Governor deems such force necessary to repel armed enemies of 22
the United States or of the state, (ii) in the case of any such search, 23
detention or arrest, such officer, agent or person (I) is acting in an official 24
capacity, (II) has given notice to the Secretary of the State and the 25
Attorney General not less than twenty -four hours prior to such search, 26
detention or arrest, and (III) is authorized by a judicial warrant or 27
judicial order of a court of competent jurisdiction to specifically conduct 28
such search, detention or arrest within two hundred fifty feet of such 29
elections site, and at the specific location at which such search, detention 30
or arrest is to be conducted, provided such officer, agent or person is 31
within such two hundred fifty feet only for as long as reasonably 32
necessary to conduct such search, detention or arrest, (iii) exigent 33
circumstances reasonably require the presence of any such officer, agent 34
or person to protect against a serious threat to life or property, provided 35
such officer, agent or person is within such two hundred fifty feet only 36
for as long as reasonably necessary to protect against such threat, or (iv) 37
the Secretary of the State or moderator (I) requests such force to 38
suppress disorder, or (II) has given permission for such an officer, agent 39
or person to be present and such permission has not been withdrawn, 40
(B) knowingly be within two hundred fifty feet of an elections site for 41
the purpose of attempting to examine the qualifications to vote of any 42
individual at such elections site, or (C) knowingly loiter or remain 43
within two hundred fifty feet of an elections site. 44
(2) Nothing in subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be construed to 45
(A) prevent any officer, agent or person described in said subdivision, 46
when off duty, from voting in accordance with the provisions of title 9 47
of the general statutes or otherwise engaging in protected political 48
expression, or (B) prohibit any such officer, agent or person from 49
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passing within two hundred fifty feet of an elections site only for as long 50
as necessary to be within such two hundred fifty feet while on the way 51
to a place or location other than such elections site. 52
(c) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, no 53
person shall wear any mask or other covering that obscures the face, 54
head or identity of such person within two hundred fifty feet of any 55
elections site. 56
(2) A person may wear such a mask or other covering within such 57
two hundred fifty feet if the wearing of such mask or other covering (A) 58
is reasonable given the weather conditions, provided such person 59
complies with any request from the moderator to remove such mask or 60
other covering, or (B) is medically necessary or of religious significance. 61
(d) (1) No person shall be required to present any form of 62
identification within two hundred fifty feet of any elections site. 63
(2) Nothing in subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be construed to 64
prevent any election, primary or referendum official from performing 65
any duty under title 9 of the general statutes. 66
(e) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be 67
guilty of a class C felony and shall be disfranchised. 68
Sec. 2. (NEW) ( Effective July 1, 2026 ) (a) As used in this section, 69
"person", "possess", "firearm", "deadly weapon" and "peace officer" have 70
the same meanings as provided in section 53a -3 of the general statutes; 71
"election" and "referendum" have the same meanings as provided in 72
section 9-1 of the general statutes; and "primary" has the same meaning 73
as provided in section 9 -372 or 9 -463 of the general statutes, as 74
applicable. 75
(b) A person is guilty of possession of a weapon near an elections site 76
when, knowing that such person is not permitted by law to do so, such 77
person possesses a firearm or deadly weapon within two hundred fifty 78
feet of any (1) polling place on the day of an election, primary or 79
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referendum, (2) location designated for the conduct of early voting 80
during the period of early voting at an election or primary, (3) location 81
designated for same -day election registration on the day of a regular 82
election, (4) central location designated for the counting of absentee 83
ballots, early voting ballots or same -day election registration ballots at 84
an election, primary or referendum, as applicable, (5) place where a 85
recanvass is being conducted, or (6) drop box designated for the deposit 86
of absentee ballots during the period beginning on the first day of 87
issuance of absentee voting sets and ending at the close of the polls at 88
an election, primary or referendum. 89
(c) The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to 90
the otherwise lawful possession of a firearm or deadly weapon: 91
(1) On private property that is not part of any elections site described 92
in subdivisions (1) to (6), inclusive, of subsection (b) of this section; 93
(2) That is (A) not loaded, and (B) in a locked container, or a locked 94
firearms rack, that is on a motor vehicle; 95
(3) In the case of any elections site described in subdivisions (1) to (6), 96
inclusive, of subsection (b) of this section that is in or on the real 97
property comprising a public or private elementary or secondary 98
school, by a person (A) for use in a program approved by school officials 99
in or on such school property, (B) in accordance with an agreement 100
entered into between school officials and such person or such person's 101
employer, or (C) while traversing such school property for the purpose 102
of gaining access to public or private lands open to hunting or for other 103
lawful purposes, provided such firearm or deadly weapon is not loaded 104
and the entry on such school property is permitted by the local or 105
regional board of education; 106
(4) By a peace officer while engaged in the performance of such peace 107
officer's official duties; and 108
(5) By a person passing within two hundred fifty feet of an elections 109
site described in subdivisions (1) to (6), inclusive, of subsection (b) of 110
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this section only for as long as necessary to be within such two hundred 111
fifty feet while on the way to a place or location other than such elections 112
site. 113
(d) Possession of a weapon near an elections site is a (1) class D felony 114
for a first offense, and (2) class B felony for any subsequent offense. 115
Sec. 3. Section 9 -364a of the general statutes is repealed and the 116
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 117
(a) As used in this section, "election worker" means any municipal 118
clerk, assistant municipal clerk, registrar of voters, deputy registrar of 119
voters, election official described in section 9 -258, primary official 120
described in section 9 -436 or recanvass official described in section 9 -121
311, and "personal identifying information" has the same meaning as 122
provided in section 53a-129a. 123
(b) Any person who influences or attempts to influence by force or 124
threat the vote, or by force, threat, bribery or corrupt means [,] the 125
speech, of any other person at a primary, caucus, referendum, 126
convention or election; any person who influences or attempts to 127
influence by force, threat or harassment any election worker in the 128
performance of any duty under the provisions of this title related to 129
election administration at a primary, referendum, election or recanvass; 130
any person who wilfully and fraudulently suppresses or destroys any 131
vote or ballot properly given or cast, whether so given or cast by mail, 132
by deposit in a secure drop box or in person at a polling place or 133
designated early voting or same -day election registration location, or 134
who, in counting such votes or ballots, wilfully miscounts or 135
misrepresents the number thereof; and any presiding or other officer of 136
a primary, caucus or convention who wilfully announces the result of a 137
ballot or vote of such primary, caucus or convention, untruly and 138
wrongfully, shall be guilty of a class C felony. 139
(c) Any person who, with intent to harass, terrorize or alarm any 140
election worker, or to improperly influence any election worker in the 141
performance of any duty under this title related to election 142
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administration at a primary, referendum, election or recanvass, publicly 143
discloses the personal identifying information of such election worker 144
shall be guilty of a (1) class A misdemeanor for a first offense, and (2) 145
class C felony for any subsequent offense. 146
(d) Any election worker described in subsection (b) or (c) of this 147
section, as applicable, shall have a civil cause of action against the 148
person who, with respect to such election worker, violated said 149
subsection. 150
Sec. 4. Section 9 -352 of the general statutes is repealed and the 151
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 152
(a) Any election official who, with intent to cause or permit any 153
voting tabulator to fail to correctly register all votes cast thereon, (1) 154
tampers with or disarranges [such tabulator] in any way such tabulator 155
or any part or appliance thereof, or (2) causes such tabulator to be used 156
or consents to its being used for voting at any election with knowledge 157
of the fact that the same is (A) not in order, or (B) not perfectly set and 158
adjusted to correctly register all votes cast thereon, [or] shall be guilty of 159
a class D felony. 160
(b) Any election official who, for the purpose of (1) defrauding or 161
deceiving any elector, or [of] (2) causing it to (A) be doubtful for what 162
candidate or candidates or proposition any vote is cast, or [causing it to] 163
(B) appear upon such tabulator that votes cast for one candidate or 164
proposition were cast for another candidate or proposition, removes, 165
changes or mutilates any ballot shall be guilty of a class D felony. 166
(c) Any election official who provides to any third party that has not 167
been authorized by the Secretary of the State any tabulator or any part 168
or appliance thereof shall be guilty of a class D felony. 169
Sec. 5. (NEW) ( Effective July 1, 2026) Any person who knowingly (1) 170
tampers with, alters, destroys or unlawfully carries away a drop box 171
designated for the deposit of absentee ballots; (2) changes or destroys a 172
ballot after it has been deposited in such a drop box; (3) adds one or 173
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more ballots to those which have been lawfully deposited in such a drop 174
box, whether before or after such ballots have been counted, by 175
fraudulently depositing such additional ballot or ballots into such drop 176
box in a manner not authorized by law and falsely claiming that such 177
additional ballot or ballots were lawfully deposited into such drop box, 178
with the intent to interrupt or invalidate an election, primary or 179
referendum; or (4) adds one or more ballots to those which have been 180
retrieved from such a drop box by fraudulently introducing such 181
additional ballot or ballots while such ballots are being counted or 182
recanvassed, with intent to affect the result of an election, primary or 183
referendum or to enter any ballot into evidence at any hearing held 184
pursuant to chapter 149 or 152 of the general statutes for the contest of 185
such election, primary or referendum, shall be guilty of a class D felony. 186
Sec. 6. (NEW) ( Effective July 1, 2026 ) If any municipal official, 187
including any election worker, as defined in section 9 -364a of the 188
general statutes, as amended by this act, receives from any private or 189
governmental entity, individual or official a subpoena, warrant or other 190
request for or to inspect any record or recording of or produced at, or 191
any tabulator, ballot box or other device used in the conduct of, any 192
election, primary or referendum, such municipal official shall, not later 193
than thirty-six hours after the receipt of such subpoena, warrant or other 194
request, provide a copy of such subpoena, warrant or other request to 195
the offices of the Attorney General and the Secretary of the State. The 196
offices of the Attorney General and the Secretary of the State shall post 197
notice, on each of said offices' Internet web sites, of the methods by 198
which a municipal official may provide such copy to said offices. In the 199
case of the Secretary of the State receiving such a subpoena, warrant or 200
other request, the Secretary shall immediately provide a copy of such 201
subpoena, warrant or other request to the office of the Attorney General. 202
Sec. 7. (NEW) ( Effective July 1, 2026 ) (a) As used in this section, 203
"election worker" means any municipal clerk, assistant municipal clerk, 204
registrar of voters, deputy registrar of voters or election official 205
described in section 9-258 of the general statutes. 206
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(b) The Attorney General may seek preliminary or permanent 207
injunctive, declaratory or other appropriate equitable relief to prevent 208
or redress interference in connection with any election for presidential 209
electors, a senator in Congress or representative in Congress by bringing 210
a complaint to any judge of the Supreme Court, in which the Attorney 211
General shall set out the claimed interference. The Attorney General 212
shall file a certification attached to the complaint indicating that a copy 213
of the complaint has been sent by first -class mail or delivered to the 214
Secretary of the State, the State Elections Enforcement Commission and 215
any other interested party. If such complaint is made prior to such 216
election, such judge shall proceed expeditiously to render judgment on 217
the complaint and shall cause notice of the hearing to be given to the 218
Secretary of the State and the State Elections Enforcement Commission. 219
If such complaint is made subsequent to the election, it shall be brought 220
not later than fourteen days after the election. Upon receipt of such 221
complaint, such judge shall forthwith order any injunctive or 222
declaratory relief necessary to preserve or restore the status quo, 223
including, but not limited to, ordering that an election worker retain 224
custody of any record or recording of or produced at, or any tabulator, 225
ballot box or other device used in the conduct of, such election. Upon a 226
showing of exigent circumstances, such judge may issue an immediate 227
ex parte order granting such relief as such judge deems appropriate. 228
Such judge shall forthwith order a hearing to be had upon such 229
complaint, upon a day not more than five or less than three days from 230
the making of such order, and shall cause notice of not less than three or 231
more than five days to be given to any candidate or candidates whose 232
election may be affected by the decision upon such hearing, to any 233
election worker who may be affected by the decision upon such hearing, 234
to the Secretary of the State, to the State Elections Enforcement 235
Commission and to any other party or parties whom such judge deems 236
proper parties thereto, of the time and place for the hearing upon such 237
complaint. Such judge, with two other judges of the Supreme Court to 238
be designated by the Chief Court Administrator, shall, on the day fixed 239
for such hearing and without unnecessary delay, proceed to hear the 240
parties. If sufficient reason is shown, such judges may order that the 241
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State Elections Enforcement Commission maintain custody of any 242
record or recording of or produced at, or any tabulator, ballot box or 243
other device used in the conduct of, such election. If sufficient reason is 244
shown, such judges may order permanent injunctive, declaratory or 245
other appropriate equitable relief in connection with the State Elections 246
Enforcement Commission or election worker custody of any record or 247
recording of or produced at, or any tabulator, ballot box or other device 248
used in the conduct of, such election. 249
Sec. 8. Subsection (a) of section 3-129g of the 2026 supplement to the 250
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 251
thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 252
(a) The Attorney General may investigate, intervene in or bring a civil 253
or administrative action in the name of the state, seeking injunctive or 254
declaratory relief, damages, and any other relief that may be available 255
under law, whenever any person is or has engaged in a practice or 256
pattern of conduct, or has established a policy, that: 257
(1) Subjects, or causes to be subjected, other persons to the 258
deprivation of any rights, privileges or immunities secured by the 259
constitutions or laws of this state or the United States; or 260
(2) Interferes, or attempts to interfere, by threats, intimidation , [or] 261
coercion or physical obstruction, with the exercise or enjoyment by other 262
persons of any rights, privileges or immunities secured by the 263
constitutions or laws of this state or the United States. 264
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 July 1, 2026 New section
Sec. 2 July 1, 2026 New section
Sec. 3 July 1, 2026 9-364a
Sec. 4 July 1, 2026 9-352
Sec. 5 July 1, 2026 New section
Sec. 6 July 1, 2026 New section
Sec. 7 July 1, 2026 New section
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Sec. 8 July 1, 2026 3-129g(a)

GAE Joint Favorable Subst.
JUD Joint Favorable