Executive Summary
At the November 2022 general election, Connecticut voters approved H.J. 59 (2021), a constitutional amendment authorizing the state legislature to enact early in-person voting. One year prior, in preparation for a scenario in which voters approved the amendment, the Office of the Secretary of the State contracted with the Center for Election Innovation & Research (CEIR) to produce a report that would assist in the development of legislation for early in-person voting, including recommendations for up to four possible policy models.
CEIR reviewed laws across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, conducted surveys and interviews with several state election officials, and researched scholarly literature and administrative data on early in-person voting. We developed four early in-person voting policy models tailored to Connecticut, with recommendations in each building on the last and generally increasing in terms of the number of early voting days, hours, required locations, and other factors. This report outlines our recommendations and elaborates on the findings from our supporting research.
Early in-person voting improves both voter access and election integrity. Not only does it offer greater opportunity for voter participation, but it also extends the period for detecting and mitigating any issues that may arise during the election. As of December 2022, 46 states and Washington, D.C., have some form of early in-person voting, with each state using a framework suited to its unique needs. As legislators and officials consider possibilities for early in-person voting in Connecticut, several decisions will need to be made. This report provides information to better inform those decisions in service of the people of Connecticut.