l9n/ Connecticut

2026 Regular Session

House Bill 5001

AN ACT CONCERNING ABSENTEE VOTING FOR ALL AND VARIOUS OTHER REFORMS RELATED TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF ELECTIONS.

Became law as Public Act 26-42, signed May 15, 2026, 70 days after it was filed.

What it does

The synopsis the General Assembly published with the bill.

To (1) remove the statutory restrictions on eligibility for absentee voting, (2) allow municipalities to provide by charter for quadrennial municipal elections, (3) authorize the Secretary of the State to recommend changes to procedures for in-person voter registration of disabled individuals, (4) permit assistant municipal clerks running for municipal clerk to perform their official duties on the day of an election, (5) provide for jointly temporarily relieving the registrars of voters of a municipality, (6) allow for Attorney General involvement in matters relating to subpoenas, warrants, other requests and alleged interference at elections, (7) permit the use of high-speed voting tabulators for recanvasses, (8) replace certain references to the Federal Election Commission with references to the Election Assistance Commission, (9) allow seventeen-year-olds who will attain the age of eighteen by the day of an election to vote early or by absentee at such election, (10) address applicability and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance of party rules filed with the Secretary, (11) provide for electronic ballot delivery and return for certain absentee voters, (12) amend the retrieval requirement for absentee ballots from drop boxes, (13) modify the availability time of primary petitions for certain municipal candidates, (14) amend the reasons for which, and the process by which, municipal clerks may be removed from office, (15) amend deadlines for the submission of municipal election returns and the conduct of post-election audits, (16) implement the recommendations of the risk-limiting audits working group, (17) authorize the State Elections Enforcement Commission to also investigate violations of elections-related regulations and not just violations of elections-related statutes, and (18) repeal a training requirement for registrars of voters.

Sponsors

Who carried the bill in each chamber, and who signed on. Each name leads to the member's page.

In the House of Representatives

29 co-sponsors

Matt Blumenthal, Anne M. Hughes, Nick Gauthier, Geraldo C. Reyes Jr., Josh Elliott, John Santanella, Amy Morrin Bello, Marcus Brown, Gregory Haddad, Laurie Sweet, Hector Arzeno, Sarah Keitt, Kate Farrar, Daniel Gaiewski, James Sanchez, Joshua M. Hall, Farley Santos, Eilish Collins Main, Hubert D. Delany, Bob Godfrey, Roland J. Lemar, Dominique Johnson, Juan R. Candelaria, Hilda E. Santiago, Jane M. Garibay, Gary A. Turco Jr., Moira Rader, Derell Wilson, Steven J. Stafstrom

In the Senate

    4 co-sponsors

    Derek Slap, MD Rahman, Patricia Billie Miller, Julie Kushner

    Its course

    March 6 to May 15, 2026, on one scale. In the top row each mark is a day something happened; taller marks are busier days.

    Each committee stop sits inside its chamber.

    Every action40 actions on 14 days

    In the House of RepresentativesMar 6 to Apr 2348 days

    Government Administration and Elections CommitteeMar 6 to Mar 2317 days

    Appropriations CommitteeApr 14 to Apr 173 days

    In the SenateApr 23 to May 613 days

    Waiting to be sentMay 6 to May 159 days

    With the GovernorMay 15 to May 150 days

    Votes

    Yeas to nays, as the General Assembly recorded them. Committee votes are set in.

    Amendments

    Each amendment offered, and what became of it.

    • House of Representatives floor amendmentAdopted

      Adopted Apr 22 · Adopted May 6

    • House of Representatives floor amendmentRejected

      Rejected Apr 22

    • House of Representatives floor amendmentRejected

      Rejected Apr 22

    • House of Representatives floor amendmentRejected

      Rejected Apr 22

    • House of Representatives floor amendmentAdopted

      Adopted Apr 23 · Adopted May 6

    • Senate floor amendmentRejected

      Rejected May 6

    • Senate floor amendmentRejected

      Rejected May 6

    • Senate floor amendmentRejected

      Rejected May 6

    • Senate floor amendmentRejected

      Rejected May 6

    • Senate floor amendmentRejected

      Rejected May 6

    • Senate floor amendmentRejected

      Rejected May 6

    • Senate floor amendmentRejected

      Rejected May 6

    • Senate floor amendmentRejected

      Rejected May 6

    Text

    Each version as the General Assembly printed it.

    l9n doesn't hold this bill's text yet.

    What happened

    In l9n's words, one line for each step. Every action as the General Assembly published it is below.

    In the House of Representatives Mar 6 – Apr 23

    1. Mar 6Introduced and sent to Government Administration and Elections Committee
    2. Mar 9Heard in Government Administration and Elections Committee
    3. Mar 23Government Administration and Elections Committee recommended a substitute for it
    4. Apr 14Sent to Appropriations Committee
    5. Apr 17Appropriations Committee recommended it
    6. Apr 22The House of Representatives adopted House of Representatives Amendment A
    7. The House of Representatives rejected House of Representatives Amendment B
    8. The House of Representatives rejected House of Representatives Amendment C
    9. The House of Representatives rejected House of Representatives Amendment D
    10. Apr 23The House of Representatives adopted House of Representatives Amendment E
    11. Passed the House of Representatives with House of Representatives Amendments A and E

    In the Senate Apr 27 – May 6

    1. Apr 27Arrived in the Senate
    2. May 6The Senate adopted House of Representatives Amendments A and E
    3. The Senate rejected Senate Amendment A
    4. The Senate rejected Senate Amendment B
    5. The Senate rejected Senate Amendment C
    6. The Senate rejected Senate Amendment D
    7. The Senate rejected Senate Amendment E
    8. The Senate rejected Senate Amendment F
    9. The Senate rejected Senate Amendment G
    10. The Senate rejected Senate Amendment H
    11. Passed the Senate with House of Representatives Amendments A and E

    To the Governor May 14 – May 15

    1. May 14Numbered Public Act 26-42
    2. May 15Sent to the Secretary of the State
    3. Sent to the Governor
    4. Signed by the Governor
    All 40 actions, as published
    1. Mar 6REF. TO JOINT COMM. ONBoth houses
    2. Mar 9PUBLIC HEARINGBoth houses
    3. Mar 23Joint Favorable SubstituteBoth houses
    4. Mar 23FILED WITH LCOBoth houses
    5. Apr 2REFERRED TO OLR, OFABoth houses
    6. Apr 9RPTD. OUT OF LCOBoth houses
    7. Apr 9FAV. RPT., TABLED FOR HOUSE CALENDARHouse of Representatives
    8. Apr 9HOUSE CALENDAR NUMBERHouse of Representatives
    9. Apr 9FILE NO.Both houses
    10. Apr 14REF. BY HOUSE TO COMMITTEE ONHouse of Representatives
    11. Apr 17Joint FavorableBoth houses
    12. Apr 20FILED WITH LCOBoth houses
    13. Apr 20RPTD. OUT OF LCOBoth houses
    14. Apr 20NO NEW FILE BY COMM. ONBoth houses
    15. Apr 20TABLED FOR HOUSE CALENDARHouse of Representatives
    16. Apr 22HOUSE ADOPTED HOUSE AMEND. SCH.House of Representatives
    17. Apr 22HOUSE REJECTED HOUSE AMEND. SCH.House of Representatives
    18. Apr 22HOUSE REJECTED HOUSE AMEND. SCH.House of Representatives
    19. Apr 22HOUSE REJECTED HOUSE AMEND. SCH.House of Representatives
    20. Apr 22BILL PASSED TEMPORARILYHouse of Representatives
    21. Apr 23HOUSE ADOPTED HOUSE AMEND. SCH.House of Representatives
    22. Apr 23HOUSE PASSED, HOUSE AMEND. SCH.House of Representatives
    23. Apr 27FAV. RPT., TAB. FOR CAL., SEN.Senate
    24. Apr 27SENATE CALENDAR NUMBERSenate
    25. Apr 27FILE NO.Both houses
    26. May 6SEN. ADOPTED HO. AMEND. SCH.Senate
    27. May 6SEN. REJ. SEN. AMEND. SCH.Senate
    28. May 6SEN. REJ. SEN. AMEND. SCH.Senate
    29. May 6SEN. REJ. SEN. AMEND. SCH.Senate
    30. May 6SEN. REJ. SEN. AMEND. SCH.Senate
    31. May 6SEN. REJ. SEN. AMEND. SCH.Senate
    32. May 6SEN. REJ. SEN. AMEND. SCH.Senate
    33. May 6SEN. REJ. SEN. AMEND. SCH.Senate
    34. May 6SEN. REJ. SEN. AMEND. SCH.Senate
    35. May 6SEN. PASSED, HO. AMEND. SCH.Senate
    36. May 6IN CONCURRENCESenate
    37. May 14PUBLIC ACTBoth houses
    38. May 15TRANSMITTED TO SECRETARY OF THE STATEBoth houses
    39. May 15TRANSMITTED BY SECRETARY OF THE STATE TO GOVERNORGovernor
    40. May 15SIGNED BY GOVERNORGovernor