Elections in Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Some type of election in Connecticut occurs annually in each of the state’s cities and towns, the exact type of which is dependent on the year. Elections for federal and statewide offices occur in even-numbered years, while municipal elections occur in odd-numbered ones.
Unlike in most U.S. states, there is no form of county government in Connecticut. The eight counties in the state now exist solely for geographical purposes. Governing at the county level was abolished in the state in 1960, and its last holdover, county sheriffs, were eliminated by an amendment to the state Constitution
in 2000.
or referenda
at the statewide level, but any proposed amendment to the state Constitution, after having first been passed by both houses of the state legislature in accordance with Article XII of the Connecticut Constitution, must be ratified by the people of the state via a ballot question. Additionally, in accordance with Article XIII, every 20 years (or 20 years after a Constitutional Convention was last called for) citizens of the state shall be allowed to vote on whether a Constitutional Convention to amend or revise the state Constitution should be called.
The most recent Constitutional amendment proposition, concerning if 17-year-old pre-registered electors should be allowed to vote in party primaries if they would be turning 18 on or before the date of the general election, was submitted to voters on November 4, 2008. Voters passed the amendment 900,491 to 508,396, and it became effective as Amendment XXXI on November 26, 2008. The most recent Constitutional Convention question also appeared on the ballot on November 4, 2008, and the call for a convention was rejected 847,518 to 579,904.
While there is no statewide initiative or referenda, many municipalities have some form of it for issues of local concern. Additionally, five municipalities afford voters the right to recall
local elected public officials; this practice does not extend to state offices.
Since passed, this law has not yet been used.
Federal
- PresidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
: The state of Connecticut is currently apportioned seven United States Electoral College members in presidential elections. The number of these presidential electors is subject change prior to the 2012United States presidential election, 2012The United States presidential election of 2012 is the next United States presidential election, to be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. It will be the 57th quadrennial presidential election in which presidential electors, who will actually elect the President and the Vice President of the United...
election based on the results of the 2010 United States Census. In the 2008United States presidential election, 2008The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
election, Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
received the majority of votes cast for president in the state, thus winning the state’s seven electoral votes. - United States Senate: As with all U.S. states, Connecticut elects two members to the United States SenateUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. The current Senators elected from Connecticut are Richard BlumenthalRichard BlumenthalRichard Blumenthal is the junior United States Senator from Connecticut and a member of the Democratic Party. Previously, he served as Attorney General of Connecticut....
, a DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, and Joseph Lieberman, an Independent-DemocratIndependent DemocratIndependent Democrat is a term occasionally adopted by American politicians to refer to their party affiliation. Several elected officials, including members of Congress, have identified as " Independent Democrats."...
. Senators serve six-year terms. The most recent U.S. Senate election in the state occurred on November 2, 2010United States Senate election in Connecticut, 2010The 2010 United States Senate election in Connecticut was a midterm election which took place on November 2, 2010 to decide a Class III Senator from the State of Connecticut to join the 112th United States Congress. Incumbent Democratic U.S...
. - United States House of Representatives: Connecticut currently has five Congressional districtsConnecticut's congressional districtsConnecticut is currently divided among five congressional districts from which citizens elect the state's representatives to the United States House of Representatives. After the 2008 elections, all five of Connecticut's representatives are Democrats...
, each of which elects one member to the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. The incumbent five are all members of the Democratic Party. Representatives serve two-year terms. The most recent Congressional elections took place in the state on November 2, 2010United States House of Representatives elections in Connecticut, 2010The 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Connecticut took place on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the five Congressional representatives from the state, one from each of the state's five Congressional districts. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and...
.
State
- Governor and Lieutenant Governor: The governor and lieutenant governor are elected to four-year terms in the next even-year election cycle that follows a Presidential Election. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected on the same ballot line, though they run separately in primary elections. The current Governor of Connecticut is Dan MalloyDan MalloyDannel Patrick "Dan" Malloy is the 88th and current Governor of Connecticut. He was the Mayor of Stamford, Connecticut from December 1995 until December 2009. Malloy had been endorsed by the Connecticut Democratic Party on May 22, 2010 over 2006 Democratic U.S...
, a DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
who took office in 2011. His lieutenant is Nancy WymanNancy WymanNancy S. Wyman is the 108thThe State of Connecticut recognizes Nancy Wyman as the 108th Lieutenant Governor, using a standard that had counted Colonial period lieutenants as well as counting lieutenants who had served multiple times as only one individual figure. Wyman is considered the 88th...
. The most recent election for these offices occurred on November 2, 2010Connecticut gubernatorial election, 2010The 2010 Connecticut gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010 to elect the 73rd Governor of Connecticut. Incumbent Governor M. Jodi Rell had announced in a press conference in Hartford on November 9, 2009, that she would not seek re-election in 2010...
. - Constitutional Officers: The Constitutional Officers of the state are composed of the state Attorney GeneralConnecticut Attorney GeneralThe Connecticut Attorney General is the state attorney general of Connecticut.The Attorney General is elected to a four-year term. The current Attorney General is George Jepsen, a Democrat serving since January 5, 2011.-List of Attorneys General:...
, Secretary of the StateSecretary of the State of ConnecticutThe Secretary of the State of Connecticut is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is an elected position in the state government and has a term length of four years....
, ComptrollerConnecticut ComptrollerThe State Comptroller is the chief fiscal guardian of the State of Connecticut. The duties and responsibilities of the state comptroller include, among other things, overseeing state accounting, preparing state financial reports, paying and administering benefits to state employees, settling...
, and TreasurerConnecticut State TreasurerThe Connecticut State Treasurer serves the office of treasurer for the state of Connecticut.-List of State Treasurers:-External links:***...
. All are elected to four-year terms in the same cycle as gubernatorial elections. The incumbent four officers are all members of the Democratic Party. - General AssemblyConnecticut General AssemblyThe Connecticut General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. There are no term limits for either chamber.During...
: The Connecticut General Assembly is the state’s bicameral state legislature. It is composed of two houses:- Connecticut SenateConnecticut SenateThe Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The state senate comprises 36 members, each representing a district with around 94,600 inhabitants. Senators are elected to two-year terms without term limits...
: The Connecticut Senate is the upper house of the state legislature. There are 36 Senatorial districts in the state, each which elects one member to the Senate. The full Senate is up for election every two years. The most recent election was held on November 2, 2010Connecticut Senate election, 2010The 2010 Connecticut Senate election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect members to the Connecticut Senate, one from each of the state's 36 Senatorial districts. The date of this the election corresponded with other elections in the state, including ones for governor, U.S...
. - Connecticut House of RepresentativesConnecticut House of RepresentativesThe Connecticut House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with each constituency containing nearly 22,600 residents...
: The Connecticut House of Representatives is the lower house of the state legislature. There are 151 General Assembly districts in the state, each which elects one member to the House. The full House is up for election every two years. The most recent election was held on November 2, 2010Connecticut House of Representatives election, 2010The 2010 Connecticut House of Representatives election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect members to the Connecticut House of Representatives, one from each of the state's 151 General Assembly districts. The date of this the election corresponded with other elections in the state,...
.
- Connecticut Senate
- Others
- Judges of ProbateConnecticut Probate CourtsThe Connecticut Probate Court system is a system of 54 individual probate courts located throughout the state of Connecticut. The jurisdiction of each court extends to the legal affairs of the deceased, estates, some aspects of family law, conservatorship, and several other matters requiring...
: Judges of Probate are the only elected members of the judicial branch of government in Connecticut. Judges hold office for a period of four years, their election held at the same time as gubernatorial elections. The jurisdiction of probate judges extends to the legal affairs of the deceased, some aspects of family law, conservatorshipConservatorshipConservatorship is a legal concept in the United States of America, where an entity or organization is subjected to the legal control of an external entity or organization, known as a conservator. Conservatorship is established either by court order or via a statutory or regulatory authority...
, and other matters. The most recent elections for probate judges were held on November 2, 2010. - Registrars of Voters: Connecticut state law mandates that each city and town in the state elect one Republican and one Democratic Registrar of Voters to serve as election administrators and to handle various other election-related affairs in their respective municipality. A third partyThird party (United States)The term third party is used in the United States for any and all political parties in the United States other than one of the two major parties . The term can also refer to independent politicians not affiliated with any party at all and to write-in candidates.The United States has had a...
registrar may be elected in addition to the required Republican and Democrat if they receive more votes than either the Republican or Democratic nominee; this has only happened once in state history when it occurred in HartfordHartford, ConnecticutHartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
in 2008. The term length and year of election of registrars differs among the state’s municipalities.
- Judges of Probate
Local
Elections for local government include elections for municipal leadership positions (such as mayor or first selectman), legislative bodies (such as a city council or a board of alderman), and other elections for various municipal positions and boards and commissions, as governed by each municipality’s respective charter and/or ordinances. Of the 169 towns and cities in the state, all hold municipal elections in odd-numbered years, and most hold them on the traditional Election Day in November. Fifteen communities in the state, however, hold their municipal elections in May.Unlike in most U.S. states, there is no form of county government in Connecticut. The eight counties in the state now exist solely for geographical purposes. Governing at the county level was abolished in the state in 1960, and its last holdover, county sheriffs, were eliminated by an amendment to the state Constitution
Connecticut Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Connecticut is the basic governing document of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was approved by referendum on December 14, 1965, and proclaimed by the governor as adopted on December 30. It is the second constitution that the state has had...
in 2000.
Party primaries
The state of Connecticut has a closed primary system, whereby only electors enrolled in a political party can vote in their party’s primary election. A registered Republican, for example, is only allowed to partake in Republican primaries, while a voter not affiliated with any political party (called an “unaffiliated” voter in the state) is not allowed to vote in any party primary.Party affiliation in Connecticut
The majority of Connecticut voters are affiliated with either of the two major political parties, but the plurality of voters have no party affiliation.| Connecticut voter registration and party enrollment as of October 28, 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Active voters | Inactive voters | Total voters | Percentage |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
427,110 | 18,548 | 445,658 | 20.16% |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
780,388 | 37,097 | 817,435 | 36.98% |
Unaffiliated | 884,023 | 55,259 | 939,282 | 42.49% |
Minor parties | 7,550 | 509 | 8,059 | 0.36% | |
| Total | 2,099,021 | 111,413 | 2,210,434 | 100% | |||||||||||||||||||||
Federal
- Presidential: 2000United States presidential election in Connecticut, 2000The 2000 United States presidential election in Connecticut took place on November 7, 2000 throughout all 50 states and D.C., which was part of the 2000 United States presidential election...
, 2004, 2008United States presidential election in Connecticut, 2008The 2008 United States presidential election in Connecticut took place on November 4, 2008 throughout all 50 states and D.C., which was part of the 2008 United States presidential election... - Senatorial: 1998United States Senate election in Connecticut, 1998The 1998 United States Senate election in Connecticut took place on November 3, 1998 alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Chris...
, 2000United States Senate election in Connecticut, 2000The 2000 United States Senate election in Connecticut took place on November 7, 2000 in conjunction with the 2000 U.S. presidential election, other elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local...
, 2004United States Senate election in Connecticut, 2004The 2004 United States Senate election in Connecticut took place on November 2, 2004 alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democrat U.S...
, 2006United States Senate election in Connecticut, 2006The 2006 United States Senate election in Connecticut was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman lost the August 8th Democratic primary to Ned Lamont. Lieberman formed his own third party and won in the general election to a fourth term.-Democratic primary:The...
, 2010United States Senate election in Connecticut, 2010The 2010 United States Senate election in Connecticut was a midterm election which took place on November 2, 2010 to decide a Class III Senator from the State of Connecticut to join the 112th United States Congress. Incumbent Democratic U.S...
, 2012United States Senate election in Connecticut, 2012The 2012 United States Senate election in Connecticut will be held on November 6, 2012 in conjunction with the 2012 U.S. presidential election, other elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and... - Congressional: 2006United States House of Representatives elections in Connecticut, 2006The 2006 United States House of Representatives elections in Connecticut were held on November 7, 2006 to elect the five members of the U.S. House, one from each of the state's Congressional districts, to represent Connecticut in the 110th Congress. The elections coincided with a state...
, 2008United States House of Representatives elections in Connecticut, 2008The 2008 congressional elections in Connecticut were held on November 4, 2008 to determine who will represent the state of Connecticut in the United States House of Representatives, coinciding with the presidential election...
, 2010United States House of Representatives elections in Connecticut, 2010The 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Connecticut took place on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the five Congressional representatives from the state, one from each of the state's five Congressional districts. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and...
, 2012United States House of Representatives elections in Connecticut, 2012The 2012 U.S. House of Representatives elections in Connecticut will be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 to elect the five Congressional representatives from the state, one from each of the state's five Congressional districts. The elections will coincide with the elections of other federal and...
State
- Gubernatorial: 1990Connecticut gubernatorial election, 1990The Connecticut gubernatorial election of 1990 included a three way race for a seat left open when Gov. Bill O'Neill declined to run for re-election. A Connecticut Party nominee Lowell Weicker and won the election, becoming the first third party candidate to win a gubernatorial election since the...
, 1994Connecticut gubernatorial election, 1994The Connecticut gubernatorial election of 1994 included Republican John G. Rowland winning the open seat following the retirement of A Connecticut Party Governor Lowell Weicker. The election was a four-way race between A Connecticut Party Lieutenant Governor Eunice Groark, Republican U.S....
, 1998Connecticut gubernatorial election, 1998The Connecticut gubernatorial election of 1998 took place on November 3, 1998, and incumbent Republican Governor John G. Rowland won re-election against Democratic nominee U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Kennelly.-Election results:...
, 2002Connecticut gubernatorial election, 2002The Connecticut gubernatorial election of 2002 included incumbent Governor John G. Rowland winning re-election easily.-Election results:...
, 2006Connecticut gubernatorial election, 2006The Connecticut gubernatorial election of 2006 occurred on November 7, 2006. The incumbent, M. Jodi Rell, became Governor when John G. Rowland resigned in 2004...
, 2010Connecticut gubernatorial election, 2010The 2010 Connecticut gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010 to elect the 73rd Governor of Connecticut. Incumbent Governor M. Jodi Rell had announced in a press conference in Hartford on November 9, 2009, that she would not seek re-election in 2010... - Attorney General: 2010Connecticut attorney general election, 2010The 2010 Connecticut attorney general election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the 24th attorney general of the state of Connecticut. Five-term incumbent Attorney General Richard Blumenthal declined to seek re-election in 2010, instead opting to run for Connecticut's open U.S. Senate...
- State Senate: 2006Connecticut Senate election, 2006The Connecticut Senate election, 2006 was held on November 7, 2006 to elect Senators to the Connecticut State Senate for the term which began in January 2007 and ended in January 2009...
, 2008Connecticut Senate election, 2008The Connecticut Senate election, 2008 was held on November 4, 2008 to elect Senators to the Connecticut Senate for the term which began in January 2009 and ended in January 2011. The election occurred on the same date as other federal and state elections, including the quadrennial U.S...
, 2010Connecticut Senate election, 2010The 2010 Connecticut Senate election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect members to the Connecticut Senate, one from each of the state's 36 Senatorial districts. The date of this the election corresponded with other elections in the state, including ones for governor, U.S... - State House: 2010Connecticut House of Representatives election, 2010The 2010 Connecticut House of Representatives election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect members to the Connecticut House of Representatives, one from each of the state's 151 General Assembly districts. The date of this the election corresponded with other elections in the state,...
Other voter responsibilities
Connecticut has no system of initiativeInitiative
In political science, an initiative is a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote...
or referenda
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
at the statewide level, but any proposed amendment to the state Constitution, after having first been passed by both houses of the state legislature in accordance with Article XII of the Connecticut Constitution, must be ratified by the people of the state via a ballot question. Additionally, in accordance with Article XIII, every 20 years (or 20 years after a Constitutional Convention was last called for) citizens of the state shall be allowed to vote on whether a Constitutional Convention to amend or revise the state Constitution should be called.
The most recent Constitutional amendment proposition, concerning if 17-year-old pre-registered electors should be allowed to vote in party primaries if they would be turning 18 on or before the date of the general election, was submitted to voters on November 4, 2008. Voters passed the amendment 900,491 to 508,396, and it became effective as Amendment XXXI on November 26, 2008. The most recent Constitutional Convention question also appeared on the ballot on November 4, 2008, and the call for a convention was rejected 847,518 to 579,904.
While there is no statewide initiative or referenda, many municipalities have some form of it for issues of local concern. Additionally, five municipalities afford voters the right to recall
Recall election
A recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended...
local elected public officials; this practice does not extend to state offices.
Filling U.S. Senate vacancies
On June 26, 2009, Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell signed into law a bill which requires that a special election be called under most circumstances should a vacancy occur in either of Connecticut’s two U.S. Senate seats. Prior to this law, the governor of the state had the right to appoint a replacement to fill such vacancies.Since passed, this law has not yet been used.
External links
- Elections and Voting at the Connecticut Secretary of the State official website