Office Closure: Thursday, June 18, @ 11:30 am for Staff Development, and Friday, June 19, for Juneteenth. We will resume normal office hours on Monday, June 22.

250 ft Bill Language

Sec. 57. (new) (Effective July 1, 2026) (a) As used in this section:

(1) "Election" has the same meaning as provided in section 9-1 of the general statutes;

(2) "Elections site" means any (A) polling place on the day of an election, primary or referendum, (B) location designated for the conduct of early voting during the period of early voting at an election or primary, (C) location designated for same-day election registration during the period of early voting at a regular election or on the day of a regular election, (D) central location designated for the counting of absentee ballots, early voting ballots or same-day election registration ballots at an election, primary or referendum, as applicable, (E) place where a recanvass is being conducted, or (F) drop box designated for the deposit of absentee ballots during the period beginning on the first day of issuance of absentee voting sets and ending at the close of the polls at an election, primary or referendum;

(3) "Primary" has the same meaning as provided in section 9-372 of the general statutes; and

(4) "Referendum" has the same meaning as provided in section 9-1 of the general statutes.

(b) (1) No officer or agent of any organization or entity authorized by the federal government or by any state to use force against, search, detain or arrest individuals, and no person authorized by the federal government or by any state to order, bring, keep or have under such person's authority or control any such officer or agent, shall:

(A) Knowingly be within two hundred fifty feet of any elections site, unless (i) the Governor deems such force necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States or of the state, (ii) in the case of any such search, detention or arrest, such officer, agent or person (I) is acting in an official capacity, (II) has given notice to the Secretary of the State and the Attorney General not less than twenty-four hours prior to such search, detention or arrest, and (III) is authorized by a judicial warrant or judicial order of a court of competent jurisdiction to specifically conduct such search, detention or arrest within two hundred fifty feet of such elections site, and at the specific location at which such search, detention or arrest is to be conducted, provided such officer, agent or person is within such two hundred fifty feet only for as long as reasonably necessary to conduct such search, detention or arrest, (iii) exigent circumstances reasonably require the presence of any such officer, agent or person to protect against a serious threat to life or property, provided such officer, agent or person is within such two hundred fifty feet only for as long as reasonably necessary to protect against such threat, or (iv) the Secretary of the State or moderator (I) requests such force to suppress disorder, or (II) has given permission for such an officer, agent or person to be present and such permission has not been withdrawn;

(B) Knowingly be within two hundred fifty feet of an elections site for the purpose of attempting to examine the qualifications to vote of any individual at such elections site;

(D) Engage in any conduct that would constitute a violation of 18 USC 592, 593 or 595, as amended from time to time.

(2) Nothing in subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be construed to (A) prevent any officer, agent or person described in said subdivision, when off duty, from voting in accordance with the provisions of title 9 of the general statutes or otherwise engaging in protected political expression, or (B) prohibit any such officer, agent or person from (i) passing within two hundred fifty feet of an elections site only for as long as necessary to be within such two hundred fifty feet while on the way to a place or location other than such elections site, or (ii) residing within such two hundred fifty feet.

(3) Any person who violates any provision of subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be guilty of a class C felony and shall be disfranchised.

(c) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, no person shall wear any mask or other covering that obscures the face, head or identity of such person within two hundred fifty feet of any elections site.

(2) A person may wear such a mask or other covering within such two hundred fifty feet if the wearing of such mask or other covering (A) is reasonable given the weather conditions, provided such person complies with any request from the moderator to remove such mask or other covering, or (B) is medically necessary or of religious significance.

(3) Any person who willfully violates the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection or refuses to comply with a request from the moderator to remove such person's mask or other covering, shall be guilty of a class D felony.

(d) (1) No person shall be required to present any form of identification within two hundred fifty feet of any elections site, unless otherwise required under state law.

(2) Any person who violates the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be guilty of a class D felony.

(3) Any action taken by an officer or agent described in subsection (b) of this section, pursuant to subparagraph (A)(ii) of subdivision (1) of said subsection, shall not constitute a violation of subdivision (1) of this subsection.

(4) Nothing in subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be construed to prevent any election, primary or referendum official from performing any duty under title 9 of the general statutes.