Legislative Terminology

Legislative Terms Appearing In The Bill Book

In the Committee Action Column you will see the following:

1. JF - means Joint Favorable - voted out of the committee

2. JFS - means Joint favorable Substitute - voted out of the committee with some substitute language, in effect changing the original bill. It could be a significant change or a minor change.

3. LCO - Legislative Commissioners Office - This is the office of attorneys that review all language before the bill comes out in File Copy. Any substitute language voted on would then be included in the File Copy. All bills go through this review before the General Assembly can act.

4. OFA - Office of Fiscal Analysis - Another staff office that checks all bills for fiscal impacts on the state or municipalities. This analysis is also part of the File Copy..

5. OLR - Office of Legislative Research - Staff researchers that provide a full explanation of each bill and pertinent background information which is printed as part of the File Copy. These explanations are very valuable and only appear in the File Copy - not in the original bill and not in the Public Act.

6. No Action - the bill was not voted on and is dead.

7. Motion Failed - bill was voted on but the motion to JF failed and the bill is dead.

Keep in mind that any “dead” bill can re-appear as an amendment later in the process or could have been merged with another bill in the committee - which makes tracking tricky at times!

IN THE TITLE COLUMN

AAC stands for - An Act Concerning

In the BILL # & File # column

Note that when a bill has gone through the above process and the File Copy is produced, it is assigned a File # and that number appears in this column. 

Glossary of Terms

Active Statutes - means an Elector can vote at any time there is an election

Active List - a list as the Official list of all eligible Electors able to vote at any given election

Active Registry List - same as the Official list or Active List

Administrators of Elections – Also know as the Registrar of Voters of the Municipality.

Admitting Official - any Registrar of Voters, Deputy Registrar of Voters, Assistant Registrar of Voters Special Assistant Registrar of Voters, Town Clerk, Assistant Town Clerk or the Board for Admission of Electors ( 9-17a)

Affidavit - A sworn statement in writing made specially under oath or an affirmation before an authorized officer.

Ballot Label - That portion of cardboard, paper or other material placed on the front of the voting machine, containing the names of the candidates or a statement of a proposed constitutional amendment or other question or proposition to be voted on ( 9-1a)

Board of Admissions of Electors - the board composed under subsection (a) of sec 9-15a (sec 9-1(b)

Bona Fide Residence - Fixed home or fixed place of abode, to which, when the individual is temporarily absent, he intends to return.

Cancellation Notice - A form prescribed by the Secretary of State mailed by the admitting official of the Elector’s town within 48 hours to the Registrars of the town such Elector was previously registered ( 9-21)

Canvass - To ascertain change of residence of the Electors in each municipality. The Registrars, within the period of January 1st and May 1st of each year, shall examine the registry list in person, by mail, by phone, by NCOA or by a combination of such methods. ( 9-12)

Clerical Error - Any error in the registry list or enrollment list due to a mistake or an omission on the part of the computer, printer or a mistake or omission made by the Registrars or their assistants. ( 9-1c)

Confirmation of Voting Residence - a form prescribed by the Secretary of the state, a notice shall be sent by first class mail to the last known address of the Elector. ( Sec 9-35 1 )

Cross-Town Registration - may be made on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, an admitting official of any town shall accept applications for admission as an Elector from persons in any Connecticut town.( 9-19e)

Cut Off Date – The last session for admission of Electors prior to an Election means the day which is the Seventh ( 7 ) day prior to an Election. ( 9-1y )

Demonstration Machine – A machine used to instruct the Elector on the proper use of the voting machine. Two election officials of different political parties jointly shall instruct Elector by causing such Elector to operate parts of the machine. ( 9-260 )

Disfranchised – To deprive someone of the right to vote. ( 9-45 )

Election – Any Elector’s meeting at which the Electors choose public officials by use of voting machines or by paper ballots as provided in sections 9-271 &9-272. ( 9-1d )

Elections Departments – Are the offices of the Administrators of Elections or Registrars of Voters.

Elector – Any person possessing the qualifications prescribed by the constitution & duly admitted to, and entitled to exercise the privileges of an Elector in a town. ( 9-1e )

Enrollment List – A list of all qualified Electors making application according to the declared political preference if such Electors. ( 9-54 )

Enrollment Session - a session for the purpose of changes, corrections, or enrollment of the individual applying for application according to the declared political preference of such individual. ( 9-51, 9-52 )

Erasure Of Enrollment – Any Elector may make a written application, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of the State, which shall be signed by such Elector, for the erasure of his name from such list. ( 9-59 & 9-60 )

Federal Election – Any general or special Election or any Primary held solely or in part for the purpose of selecting, nominating or electing any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, Presidential Elector, member of the United States Senate or member of the United States House of Representatives. ( 9-158a(1) )

Federal Postcard Application - absentee application for admission as an Elector and / or an absentee ballot used by members of the armed forces, their spouses and dependants and persons temporarily residing outside of the country. ( 9-26, 9-153a)

Former Resident – A person who was a bona fide resident of a town in this state & who has removed from the town less than thirty (30) days before the day of a Presidential Election & who for that reason is unable to register to vote in the Election in his present town or state of residence. ( 9-158a (2) )

Legal Notice - paid publication of any notice or warning in a newspaper published or circulated in such town having a substantial circulation in the town( 9-2a )

Lottery - when a major or minor party is entitled to nominate two or more candidates for a particular office, the order of the names of its candidates for such office appearing in the voting machine ballot label shall be determined by the Registrar of Voters by lot in a ceremony which shall be open to the public. The Registrar of Voters shall provide at least five (5) days public notice for each ceremony held under this section. ( 9-253)

Mandatory Supervised Voting – Twenty or more of the patients in any institution in the state are Electors, absentee ballots voted by such Electors shall be voted under the supervision of the Registrar of Voters or their designee of the town in which the institution is located. ( 9-159r)

Matured Rights – Qualifications as to age, citizenship or residence in the municipality were attained after the last session for the admission of Electors prior to an election. ( 9-17 (1) (b) )

Major Party – A political party or organization whose candidate for Governor at the last preceding Election for Governor received, under the designation of that political party or organization, at least twenty (20%) percent of the whole number of votes cast for all candidates for Governor. ( 9-372 (5) (b) )

Minor Party – A political party or organization which is not a major party & whose candidate for the office in question received at the last preceding regular Election for such office, under the designation of that political party or organization, at least one (1%) percent of the whole number of votes cast for all candidates for such office at such Election. ( 9-372 (6) )

Municipal Election – The regularly recurring Election held in a municipality at which the Electors of the municipality choose public officials of such municipality. ( 9-1h)

Municipal Clerk - The clerk of a municipality. ( 9-1g)

Municipality – Any city, borough or town within the state. ( 9-1i )

Oath - an affirmation to the truth of what one says

Over Seas Elector – Any person permitted to vote pursuant to ( b ) of section 9-158b. ( 9-158a (3) )

Official Ballot – The official ballot label to be used at an Election, or the official paper ballot to be used thereat in accordance with the provisions of sections 9-271 & 9-272. ( 9-1j )

Party-Endorsed Candidate – In the case of a candidate for state or district office means a person endorsed by the convention of a political party as a candidate in a Primary to be held by such party and, in the case of a candidate for municipal office or for a member of town committee or delegate to a convention, means a person endorsed by the town committee, caucus or convention, as the case may be, of a political party as a candidate in a Primary to be held by such party. ( 9-372 (9) )

Petitioning Candidate - A person seeking nomination for elective office shall be on a petition form prescribed & provided by the Secretary of the State. The form provides for the name & address of the individual, the office sought, the Election & date thereof. ( 9-453a )

Polling Place – Place for holding Elections, Primaries & Referenda as described in sections 9-168 thru 9-168e.

Population - the total number of people in an area according to the last completed US Census (Sec 9-1k)

Presidential Electors – Persons elected to cast their ballots for President & Vice President of the United States. ( 9-463 (8) )

Presidential Preference Primary – A Primary in which any enrolled member of a party is eligible to vote for a candidate for such party’s nomination for the office of President. ( 9-463 (8) )

Primary – A meeting of the enrolled members of a political party &, when applicable under section 9-431, Unaffiliated Electors held during consecutive hours at which such members or Electors may, without assembling at the same hour, vote by secret ballot for candidates for nomination to office or town committee members or delegates to conventions. ( 9-372 (11) )

Print - methods of duplication of words by mechanical process, but shall not include typewriting. ( 9-1m)

Re canvass – reexamination of Election results in the case of discrepancy, close vote or tie vote.

( 9-311a & 9-311b )

Referendum - ( 1 )A question or proposal which is submitted to a vote of the Electors of a municipal Election, as defined in this section. ( 2 ) A question or proposal which is submitted to a vote of the Electors or Voters, as the case may be of a municipality at a meeting of such Electors or Voters, which meeting is not an Election, as defined in subsection (d) of this section, and is not a town meeting. Or ( 3 ) A question or proposal which is submitted to a vote of the Electors or Voters as the case may be, of a municipality at a meeting of such Electors or Voters pursuant to section 7-7 or pursuant to charter or special act. ( 9-1n )

Registrars – The Registrar of Voters of the municipality. ( 9-1p )

Registration – An official act of applying & obtaining admission as a qualified Elector.

Registry List - List of Electors of any municipality certified by the Registrars. ( 9-1q )

Regular Election – Any State or Municipal Election ( 9-1o )

Resident - a bona fide resident of a town in this state (Sec 9-158a5)

Sample Ballot Labels – Large ballots that look like the inside of voting machine. There are (3) of them. One must be placed with the Demonstrator Machine.

Special Election – Any Election that is not a regular Election. ( 9-1r )

Split Voting District – A voting district which was divided by statute or otherwise divided by law pursuant to article 26 of the amendments to the Constitution of Connecticut or an order of a court of competent jurisdiction between two or more Congressional, Senatorial or Assembly districts within a town so that a party of such split voting district was allocated to one Congressional, Senatorial or Assembly district & the other party or parts thereof were allocated to another or other Congressional, Senatorial or Assembly districts. ( 9-1s )

State Election - the Election held in the State on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in the even-numbered years in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of Connecticut. ( 9-1s )

State Officers - the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of the State, Treasurer, Comptroller, and Attorney General. ( 9-1t )

Voter – A person qualified to vote at town and district meetings under the provisions of section 7-6. ( 9-1u )

Voting Assistance – Any Voter who requires assistance to vote by reason of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write may be given assistance by a person of the Voter’s choice, other than the Voter’s employer or agent of that employer of officer or agent of the Voter’s union. ( Federal Voting Rights Act )

Voting District – Any municipality, or any political subdivision thereof, having not more than one polling place in a regular Election. ( 9-1v )

Voting Machine – A machine, including but not limited to, a device which operates by electronic means, for the registering and recording of votes cast at Election, Primaries & Referenda. ( 9-1w )

Write-In Vote – A vote cast for any person whose name does not appear on the official ballot as a candidate for the office for which his name is written in. ( 9-1x )