Submitted by its_guy_smiley t3_xzzpzo in Connecticut
What’s going on here with absentee voting in the Covid era?
I just got this note about how we can do absentee voting if there’s Covid in your community. Is that…every community at this point? Or is there a higher bar? It seems to encourage it, but then goes on about the penalties for fraud.
Thanks all!
asspirate420 t1_irp76qz wrote
I’ll copy most of this from a previous comment I made on another post.
In 2022 the state passed Public Act 22-2 which widened absentee qualifications by aligning them with a State Supreme Court decision which held that the determination of eligibility is made by the voter themselves:
> An official interpretation of the changes made was issued under the powers granted to the Secretary of the State by Connecticut General Statutes Section 9-3 and is consistent with the state’s Supreme Court decision in Fay v. Merrill (338 Conn.1), in which the court held that the determination about whether a voter is unable to appear at the polling place on the day of the election is made by the individual voter and that the Connecticut Constitution’s language is sufficiently broad so as to allow for voters to vote by absentee ballot when a specific, identifiable disease or disability is present - even when the voter themselves is not personally sick or disabled.
While COVID is no longer explicitly stated as an option on the absentee application, the previous listing of “my illness” was changed to “sickness”, allowing you to qualify for an absentee ballot if you, someone you know or provide care for, or a general public health concern prevents you from voting in person. This comes with no strings attached, meaning in essence, the caution of catching a cold, flu, salmonella, e. coli. or anything that you deem significant can grant you the ability to request an absentee ballot.
In addition, the previous application used to state “absent from town during all hours of voting”, now it says “absent from town”, so if you get off work and technically could make it to the polling place before 8, but hey you need gas, groceries, pick up the kids, catch the bus, etc gets in the way, congrats you can have a ballot.
I’ll end this all by reminding everyone that local and state election officials have no mechanisms in place for verifying anything that you check off on your application, just that you swear by signing that you are telling the truth.
Here’s an explanation from the Secretary of State about the expanded voting rights: https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Press-Releases/2022-Press-Releases/Reminder-Absentee-Ballot-Voter-Eligibility-Expansion-Includes-November-Election