Conn. Gen. Stat. § 9-259
This is the official text of Conn. Gen. Stat. § 9-259, part of Connecticut’s Gen. Stat — part of the compiled statutory law of Connecticut, published by the state as "Gen. Stat." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Sec. 9-259. Duties of election officials before polls open; moderator's return certificates.
Official statutory text
(b) On the morning of the election, the election officials shall meet at the room where the election is to be held at least forty-five minutes before the time for opening the polls. The moderator shall then cause the sample ballot and instructions to be posted and everything put in readiness for the commencement of voting at the hour of opening the polls. The moderator and the registrars of voters, or the assistant registrars of voters, as the case may be, shall examine the numbers on the seals of the tabulator.
(c) The moderator's return which the moderator receives from the registrars of voters for all elections shall be in a form prescribed by the Secretary of the State. The moderator and the registrars of voters, or the assistant registrars of voters, as the case may be, before the polls are opened, shall indicate on the return: (1) The delivery of the tabulator; and (2) the numbers on the seals. Additionally, the moderator and the registrars of voters, or the assistant registrars of voters, as the case may be, shall produce a zero tape indicating that the public counter is set at zero (000). The seal on the tabulator shall remain unbroken. If the seal is broken, the registrars of voters shall be notified immediately and the tabulator tape shall be produced. If the tape does not show all zeros, the registrars of voters shall be notified immediately and the tabulator shall not be used.
(d) In addition to the requirements established in subsection (c) of this section, the return shall include a certificate, which shall be filled out after the polls have been closed and which indicates that the tabulator has been locked against voting and remains sealed and that also indicates the number of electors as shown on the public counter along with the number on all the seals. The moderators' returns shall show the total number of votes cast for each office, the number of votes cast for each candidate and the number of votes for persons not nominated, which shall be certified by the moderator and registrars of voters, or assistant registrars, as the case may be.
(c) The moderator's return which the moderator receives from the registrars of voters for all elections shall be in a form prescribed by the Secretary of the State. The moderator and the registrars of voters, or the assistant registrars of voters, as the case may be, before the polls are opened, shall indicate on the return: (1) The delivery of the tabulator; and (2) the numbers on the seals. Additionally, the moderator and the registrars of voters, or the assistant registrars of voters, as the case may be, shall produce a zero tape indicating that the public counter is set at zero (000). The seal on the tabulator shall remain unbroken. If the seal is broken, the registrars of voters shall be notified immediately and the tabulator tape shall be produced. If the tape does not show all zeros, the registrars of voters shall be notified immediately and the tabulator shall not be used.
(d) In addition to the requirements established in subsection (c) of this section, the return shall include a certificate, which shall be filled out after the polls have been closed and which indicates that the tabulator has been locked against voting and remains sealed and that also indicates the number of electors as shown on the public counter along with the number on all the seals. The moderators' returns shall show the total number of votes cast for each office, the number of votes cast for each candidate and the number of votes for persons not nominated, which shall be certified by the moderator and registrars of voters, or assistant registrars, as the case may be.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Connecticut?
Find a Connecticut lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.