Sec. 9-174a. Emergency contingency plan for elections, primaries and referenda. Model plan.
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(a)For each municipality, the registrars of voters, in consultation with the municipal clerk, shall create an emergency contingency plan for elections, primaries and referenda to be held within such municipality, including the conduct of early voting, as provided in section 9-163aa , at such elections and primaries held on or after April 1, 2024. Such plan shall include, but not be limited to,
(1)solutions for ballot or envelope shortages, and
(2)strategies to implement in the event of
(A)a shortage or absence of election or primary officials at the polling place or the location designated for early voting, as applicable,
(B)a loss of power,
(C)a fire or the sounding of an alarm within a polling place or a location designated for early voting,
(D)voting machine malfunctions,
(E)a weather or other natural disaster,
(F)the need to remove an election or primary official and to replace such official, and
(G)disorder in and around the polling place or the location designated for early voting.
(b)Not later than six months after the adoption of a model plan by the Secretary of the State provided for in regulations adopted pursuant to subsection
(d)of this section, the registrars of voters shall submit the plan created under subsection
(a)of this section to the legislative body of such municipality or, in a municipality where the legislative body is a town meeting or representative town meeting, the board of selectmen, for approval. Upon approval, such plan shall remain on file with the municipal clerk until such plan is amended by the registrars of voters, in consultation with the municipal clerk, and approved by the legislative body of the municipality or, in a municipality where the legislative body is a town meeting or representative town meeting, the board of selectmen. If, not later than six months after the adoption of a model plan by the Secretary, a municipality fails to create and approve an emergency contingency plan, the municipality shall be deemed to have adopted the model plan adopted by the Secretary.
(c)Any municipality that activates the emergency contingency plan established pursuant to this section shall provide a written report concerning the activation of such plan to the Secretary of the State not later than thirty days after such activation. Such report shall include the reason for such activation as well as the procedures in the emergency contingency plan that were activated and the outcome of the activation of such plan.
(d)The Secretary of the State shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, as the Secretary deems necessary to implement the provisions of this section. Such regulations shall include a model plan that municipalities may adopt.