Connecticut unveils online voting system
Connecticut became the 15th state in the country Tuesday to offer its residents the ability to vote online.
Gov. Dannel Malloy and Secretary of State Denise Merrill officially debuted the system that will be featured on the state’s homepage and on every Connecticut state agency website.
“This new system will make it faster and more convenient for citizens of all eligible ages to take advantage of one of their most fundamental rights as American citizens,” Malloy said. “Voting is the most basic tenant of our democracy — it is incumbent upon us to ensure that voters have adequate access to the ballot box and that we encourage civic engagement.”
The new online voter registration feature will be available to eligible Connecticut voters – residents of the state who are both American citizens aged 18 and older – who hold a valid Connecticut driver’s license or other ID issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles.
The system is designed to have voters enter their personal information for voter registration online, information, which then populates a form sent via email to the registrar of voters where the new voter or voter changing address wants to register.
The registrar of voters must then check the entered information and verify it is accurate before adding the new voter to the Connecticut Voter Registration System statewide database.
Merrill’s office worked with the Connecticut DMV to implement a new law requiring online voter registration enacted in 2012.
Under the law, a new voter registering online agrees to add their electronic signature – already on file with the DMV – to the voter registration form online.
With the electronic signature, the new voter attests online that all of the information contained in the voter registration form is true and accurate. In addition to new registrations, voters can also change their current registration online.
Besides Connecticut, online voter registration is currently available in the following states: Arizona, Washington, Kansas, Utah, Oregon, California, Virginia, Colorado, South Carolina, Nevada, Minnesota, Maryland, Indiana and Louisiana.
The following states are in the process of implementing online voter registration: West Virginia, Georgia, Illinois and Hawaii.
Connecticut is now the first New England state to allow voters to register online.
