Connecticut General Statutes

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 9-137 (2026)

Inner envelope for return of ballot; statement under false statement penalty

✓ current as of May 2026

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Each absentee ballot shall be returned to the municipal clerk, inserted in an inner envelope which shall be capable of being sealed and which shall have printed on its face a form containing the following statements:

“I hereby state under the penalties of false statement in absentee balloting that I am eligible to vote at the primary, election or referendum in the municipality in which this absentee ballot is to be cast and that I expect to be unable to appear at my polling place on the day of such primary, election or referendum for one or more of the following reasons: (1) My active service in the armed forces; (2) my absence from the town in which I am eligible to vote; (3) sickness; (4) physical disability; (5) the tenets of my religion which forbid secular activity on the day of such primary, election or referendum; or (6) my duties as a primary, election or referendum official.

Date ....

.... (Signature)”

(1949 Rev., S. 1141; 1953, 1955, S. 624d; 1963, P.A. 42, S. 2; 93, S. 1; February, 1965, P.A. 74, S. 2; 1967, P.A. 678, S. 2; 1969, P.A. 2, S. 2; 69, S. 3; 1971, P.A. 871, S. 69; P.A. 74-96, S. 2, 9; P.A. 75-595, S. 3, 5; P.A. 79-189, S. 6, 9; 79-363, S. 13, 38; P.A. 82-247, S. 2, 14; P.A. 83-254, S. 3, 4; P.A. 86-179, S. 6, 53; July Sp. Sess. P.A. 20-3, S. 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 128; P.A. 22-2, S. 2.)

History: 1963 acts changed the technical language of statement by elector and eliminated requirement inner envelope be sealed by elector; 1965 act added to form “or because the tenets of any religion forbid secular activity on said election day”, effective January 1, 1966; 1967 act added status as student at institution of higher learning in another town in state and also because of a temporary abode at town other than voting residence occasioned by membership in a religious community, effective January 1, 1968; 1969 acts added spouse of and living with a student at institution of higher learning located outside town of residence and added those removed from town but with continuance of registration under certain circumstances, effective January 1, 1970; 1971 act changed penalties of “perjury” to “false statement”; P.A. 74-96 added “in absentee balloting” after “false statement”, effective January 1, 1975; P.A. 75-595 added confinement in correctional facility provided privileges as an elector are not forfeited, effective January 1, 1976; P.A. 79-189 deleted those removed from town but with continuance of registration; P.A. 79-363 changed wording of form; P.A. 82-247 changed absence from state to absence from town of voting residence effective January 1, 1983 and deleted reasons for absence from town; P.A. 83-254 amended form to include reference to performance of duties of election official; P.A. 86-179 added references to primaries and referenda, deleted requirement that municipal clerk inscribe name of town, city or borough on statement signed by voter and made technical changes; July Sp. Sess. P.A. 20-3 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (b) re state election in 2020, effective July 31, 2020; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 amended Subsec. (b) to add provision re certain elections, primaries and referenda held prior to November 3, 2021, effective June 23, 2021; P.A. 22-2 deleted former Subsec. (b) re 2020 state election and certain elections, primaries or referenda held prior to November 3, 2021, deleted Subsec. (a) designator, replaced “polling place during the hours of voting at” with “polling place on the day of”, deleted “during all of the hours of voting” in Subdiv. (2), replaced “(3) my illness or physical disability;” with “(3) sickness; (4) physical disability;”, redesignated existing Subdiv. (4) re religious tenets as new Subdiv. (5), redesignated existing Subdiv. (5) re official duties as Subdiv. (6) and made a technical change, effective April 8, 2022.

See Sec. 9-14a re electors in custody of state.

Cited. 231 C. 602.

Cited. 28 CS 361.

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Notes of Decisions

Cited in 7 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1967–2023 · leading case: In re Election of the United States Rep. for the Second Cong. Dist., 653 A.2d 79 (Conn. 1994).

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In re Election of the United States Rep. for the Second Cong. Dist., 653 A.2d 79 (Conn. 1994). · cites it 5× “Upon receipt of the set, the absentee ballot voter must sign the form printed on the inner envelope, which, in accordance with General Statutes § 9-137, 33 *642 constitutes a statement under the penalties of false statement that the applicant is entitled to vote by absentee…”

Fay v. Merrill, 338 Conn. 1 (Conn. 2021). “Section 9-137 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): ‘‘(a) Each absentee ballot shall be returned to the municipal clerk, inserted in an inner envelope which shall be capable of being sealed and which shall…”

Roe v. Mobile Cnty. Appointment Bd., 676 So. 2d 1206 (Ala. 1995). “1983) (rejects the rule of strict compliance and adopts a standard of substantial compliance which "is adequate to the task of both preventing fraud in elections and preserving the absent voter's right of suffrage against unnecessary and technical restrictions");…”

Bell Stanton, Inc. v. Laughlin, 261 A.2d 864 (Conn. Super. Ct. 1967). · cites it 2× “General Statutes § 9-137. He still is a registered voter in Stratford with a voting address at 2077 Broad-bridge Avenue.”

Gargano v. Downey, 309 A.2d 347 (Conn. Super. Ct. 1973). · cites it 2× “At the time of the hearing before the court, the parties entered into a written stipulation alleging in essence that (1) there was no evidence of any intent on the part of any of the election officials to alter, change, defraud, deface or in any way affect the *255 counting of…”

Cohen v. Rossi (Conn. 2023). · cites it 2× “, General Statutes § 9-135b (form, layout and inspection protocols for absentee ballots); General Statutes § 9-137 (oath and inner envelope for ballot); General Statutes § 9-138 (outer envelope for ballot and inner envelope); General Statutes § 9-139a (Secretary of the State’s…”

Cohen v. Rossi (Second Concurrence) (Conn. 2023). · cites it 2× “, General Statutes § 9-135b (form, layout and inspection protocols for absentee ballots); General Statutes § 9-137 (oath and inner envelope for ballot); General Statutes § 9-138 (outer envelope for ballot and inner envelope); General Statutes § 9-139a (Secretary of the State’s…”

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