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Milford City Clerk Testifies Before Legislature on Absentee Voting Reform
Milford City Clerk Pete Smith testified on legislation that implements the constitutional amendment allowing no excuse absentee ballots.
Hartford, CT — Milford City Clerk Peter C. Smith testified today before the Connecticut General Assembly’s Government Administration and Elections (GAE) Committee regarding HB 5001 – An Act Concerning Absentee Voting for All and Various Other Reforms to the Administration of Elections.
Smith appeared before the committee in his role as Co-Chair of the Legislative and Elections Committee of the Connecticut Town Clerks Association (CTCA), representing the perspective of municipal clerks responsible for administering absentee ballots and maintaining election records across the state.
HB 5001 implements the constitutional amendment approved by Connecticut voters in 2024 allowing no-excuse absentee voting.
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“The voters of Connecticut spoke clearly when they approved the constitutional amendment allowing absentee voting for all,” Smith said in his testimony. “Town Clerks are committed to working with the legislature and the Secretary of the State to implement these changes in a way that is clear for voters and workable for municipalities.”
Smith told lawmakers that municipal clerks strongly support provisions in the bill that remove the current statutory requirement that voters provide a specific reason to vote by absentee ballot.
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He also highlighted opportunities to improve the absentee ballot process by simplifying the ballot packet and reducing common voter errors that lead to rejected ballots.
“From the City Clerk’s desk, the absentee ballot process is one of the most common ways voters interact with election administration,” Smith said. “Simplifying the ballot packet and instructions can help reduce mistakes and ensure more ballots are successfully counted.”
During the hearing, Smith expressed support for moving to a single-envelope absentee ballot system, a change recommended by the Office of the Secretary of the State that could significantly reduce the most common voter errors associated with the current two-envelope process.
Smith also noted that expanding absentee voting will likely increase the number of absentee ballots processed by municipal officials and shift the operational start of election administration earlier each election cycle.
Testimony starts at 1:19:08 of the hearing
