It started the legislative session as a proposal to make local voter registrars appointed, rather than elected positions. But the bill that just overwhelmingly passed in the House, retains their elective positions. However, it creates a process both to temporarily and permanently remove them from office. The bill was previously approved in the Senate and heads now to the governor.
Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, left, said the bill was a response to last year’s Election Day problems in Hartford, Fairfield and other locations, as well as the infamous 2010 ballot meltdown in Bridgeport, when registrars failed to order enough computer-ready ballots for voters. Under the law, all registrars would be trained and certified. The removal process has several steps. “It’s only in very extreme cases of gross misconduct or something like that that would trigger something like that, but it is important that it’s there,” Merrill told reporters in the Capitol press room. “It is important for voters to know that when something goes wrong that’s either intentional or worse that something can be done about it. We would have to go to court to make that happen.” Those registrars who do not complete the certification process could be temporarily removed by Merrill until they are certified. Those found of malfeasance could be removed from office.
The bill would also allow 16 and 17-year-old to act as poll workers, to get youngsters involved in the process even if they are too young to cast ballots.