Conn. Gen. Stat. » Title 09 — ELECTIONS · Chapter 153 — Nominations and Political Parties
Connecticut General Statutes

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 9-400 (2026)

Time for filing of candidacies for state or district office. Certification. Late certification void

✓ current as of May 2026
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(a) A candidacy for nomination by a political party to a state office may be filed by or on behalf of any person whose name appears upon the last-completed enrollment list of such party in any municipality within the state and who has either (1) received at least fifteen per cent of the votes of the convention delegates present and voting on any roll-call vote taken on the endorsement or proposed endorsement of a candidate for such state office, whether or not the party-endorsed candidate for such office received a unanimous vote on the last ballot, or (2) circulated a petition and obtained the signatures of at least two per cent of the enrolled members of such party in the state, in accordance with the provisions of sections 9-404a to 9-404c, inclusive. Candidacies described in subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be filed by submitting to the Secretary of the State not later than four o'clock p.m. on the fourteenth day following the close of the state convention, a certificate, signed by such candidate and attested by either (A) the chairman or presiding officer, or (B) the secretary of the convention, that such candidate received at least fifteen per cent of such votes, and that such candidate consents to be a candidate in a primary of such party for such state office. Such certificate shall specify the candidate's name as the candidate authorizes it to appear on the ballot, the candidate's full residence address and the title of the office for which the candidacy is being filed. If such certificate for a state office is not received by the Secretary of the State by such time, such certificate shall be invalid and, for purposes of sections 9-416 and 9-416a, shall be deemed to have made no valid certification of nomination by a political party for such state office. A single such certificate or petition for state office may be filed on behalf of two or more candidates for different state offices who consent to have their names appear on a single row of the primary ballot under subsection (b) of section 9-437. Candidacies described in subdivision (2) of this subsection shall be filed by submitting said petition not later than four o'clock p.m. on the sixty-third day preceding the day of the primary for such office to the registrar of voters of the towns in which the respective petition pages were circulated. Each registrar shall file each page of such petition with the Secretary of the State in accordance with the provisions of section 9-404c. A petition filed by or on behalf of a candidate for state office shall be invalid for such candidate if such candidate is certified as the party-endorsed candidate pursuant to section 9-388 or as receiving at least fifteen per cent of the convention vote for such office pursuant to this subsection. Except as provided in section 9-416a, upon the expiration of the time period for party endorsement and circulation and tabulation of petitions and signatures, if any, if one or more candidacies for such state office have been filed pursuant to the provisions of this section, the Secretary of the State shall notify all town clerks and registrars of voters in accordance with the provisions of section 9-433, that a primary for such state office shall be held in each municipality in accordance with the provisions of section 9-415.

(b) A candidacy for nomination by a political party to a district office may be filed by or on behalf of any person whose name appears upon the last-completed enrollment list of such party within the district the person seeks to represent that is in the office of the Secretary of the State at the end of the last day prior to the convention for the party from which the person seeks nomination and who has either (1) received at least fifteen per cent of the votes of the convention delegates present and voting on any roll-call vote taken on the endorsement or proposed endorsement of a candidate for such district office, whether or not the party-endorsed candidate for such office received a unanimous vote on the last ballot, or (2) circulated a petition and obtained the signatures of at least two per cent of the enrolled members of such party in the district for the district office of representative in Congress, and at least five per cent of the enrolled members of such party in the district for the district offices of state senator, state representative and judge of probate, in accordance with the provisions of sections 9-404a to 9-404c, inclusive. Candidacies described in subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be filed by submitting to the Secretary of the State not later than four o'clock p.m. on the fourteenth day following the close of the district convention, a certificate, signed by such candidate and attested by either (A) the chairman or presiding officer, or (B) the secretary of the convention, that such candidate received at least fifteen per cent of such votes, and that the candidate consents to be a candidate in a primary of such party for such district office. Such certificate shall specify the candidate's name as the candidate authorizes it to appear on the ballot, the candidate's full residence address and the title and district of the office for which the candidacy is being filed. If such certificate for a district office is not received by the Secretary of the State by such time, such certificate shall be invalid and, for purposes of sections 9-416 and 9-416a, shall be deemed to have made no valid certification of nomination by a political party for such district office. Candidacies described in subdivision (2) of this subsection shall be filed by submitting said petition not later than four o'clock p.m. on the sixty-third day preceding the day of the primary for such office to the registrar of voters of the towns in which the respective petition pages were circulated. Each registrar shall file each page of such petition with the Secretary in accordance with the provisions of section 9-404c. A petition may only be filed by or on behalf of a candidate for the district office of state senator, state representative or judge of probate who is not certified as the party-endorsed candidate pursuant to section 9-388 or as receiving at least fifteen per cent of the convention vote for such office pursuant to this subsection. A petition filed by or on behalf of a candidate for the district office of representative in Congress shall be invalid if said candidate is certified as the party-endorsed candidate pursuant to section 9-388 or as receiving at least fifteen per cent of the convention vote for such office pursuant to this subsection. Except as provided in section 9-416a, upon the expiration of the time period for party endorsement and circulation and tabulation of petitions and signatures, if any, if one or more candidacies for such district office have been filed pursuant to the provisions of this section, the Secretary of the State shall notify all town clerks within the district, in accordance with the provisions of section 9-433, that a primary for such district office shall be held in each municipality and each part of a municipality within the district in accordance with the provisions of section 9-415.

(c) For the purposes of this section, the number of enrolled members of a party shall be determined by the latest enrollment records in the office of the Secretary of the State prior to the earliest date that primary petitions were available. The names of electors on the inactive registry list compiled under section 9-35 shall not be counted for purposes of computing the number of petition signatures required under this section, as provided in section 9-35c.

(d) On the last day for filing primary petition candidacies in accordance with the provisions of this section, the office or office facilities of the registrars of voters shall open not later than one o'clock p.m., and remain open until at least four o'clock p.m., and such registrars or the deputy or assistant registrars shall be present.

(June, 1955, S. 589d; November, 1955, S. N70; 1957, P.A. 518, S. 17; 1958 Rev., S. 9-98; 1963, P.A. 17, S. 28; 1967, P.A. 557, S. 13; 1969, P.A. 694, S. 13; P.A. 73-657, S. 9, 13; P.A. 79-616, S. 5; P.A. 81-447, S. 9, 23; P.A. 87-382, S. 41, 55; 87-472, S. 9; P.A. 93-342, S. 2; P.A. 03-241, S. 26; P.A. 06-137, S. 6; P.A. 11-20, S. 1; 11-173, S. 60, 65; P.A. 17-143, S. 4.)

History: 1963 act restated previous provisions; 1967 act added clarifying language concerning candidacy of person whose name appears on enrollment list of party within any municipality or part forming a component part of a district and provided for application of section to state representative of a district whose boundaries include a part or whole of two or more towns; 1969 act made technical changes; P.A. 73-657 added detailed language concerning the fact that assembly districts affected are those whose boundaries extend within the whole or parts of two or more towns; P.A. 79-616 provided that within 14 days following the close of state or district conventions a candidacy for nomination may be filed, a written statement of consent signed by the candidate, and if one or more such candidacies are filed a primary shall be held, applying to those who received at least 20% of convention delegates votes on roll call and deleted all provisions pertaining to petitions and the signatures required thereon, and filing fees required; P.A. 81-447 amended section to require filing of certificate by candidates receiving 20% of convention votes and to specify certificate contents, effective January 1, 1982; P.A. 87-382 added, in Subsecs. (a) and (b), “as he authorizes it to appear on the ballot”; P.A. 87-472 amended Subsec. (a) to allow single certificate for state office to be filed on behalf of two or more candidates for different state offices who consent to have their names appear on single row of primary ballot label under Sec. 9-437(b); P.A. 93-342 substituted 15% for 20% in Subsecs. (a) and (b); P.A. 03-241 substantially revised Subsecs. (a) and (b) by adding provisions to allow candidacies to also be filed by persons who circulate petition and obtain signatures of threshold percentages of enrolled party members and added Subsecs. (c) and (d) re determination of number of enrolled party members and required office hours of registrars of voters on last day for filing primary petition candidacies, effective January 1, 2004, and applicable to primaries and elections held on or after that date; P.A. 06-137 amended Subsec. (a) to change the deadline for filing of petitions described in Subdiv. (2) from four o'clock p.m. on the fourteenth day following the close of the state convention to four o'clock p.m. on the sixty-third day preceding the day of the primary for the office and to change the time period for notification by the Secretary of the State to town clerks re the holding of a primary for state office from upon the expiration of the 14-day period and completion of the tabulation of petition signatures, if any, to upon the expiration of the time period for party endorsement and circulation and tabulation of petitions and signatures, if any, and amended Subsec. (b) to change the deadline for filing of petitions described in Subdiv. (2) from four o'clock p.m. on the fourteenth day following the close of the district convention to four o'clock p.m. on the sixty-third day preceding the day of the primary for the office and to change the time period for notification by the Secretary of the State to town clerks within the district re the holding of a primary for district office from upon the expiration of the 14-day period and completion of the tabulation of petition signatures, if any, to upon the expiration of the time period for party endorsement and circulation and tabulation of petitions and signatures, if any, effective January 1, 2007; P.A. 11-173 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “ballot label” with “ballot”, by requiring Secretary of the State to notify registrars of primaries for a state office and by making a technical change and amended Subsec. (b) to require candidate for nomination to a district office to appear on the last-completed enrollment list of the nominating party of the district, rather than the municipality or part of the municipality, that is in the office of the Secretary of the State prior to the convention, effective July 13, 2011; P.A. 17-143 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to add provisions re certificate invalid and deemed to have made no valid certification of nomination if not received by certain time, effective June 30, 2017.

See Sec. 9-406a re penalty for fraudulent certification.

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Secs. 9-401 to 9-404. Availability of petition forms. Petition form; circulation of petitions for state or district office; prohibited acts. Registrar's receipt and verification of petitions for state or district office; rejection by Secretary of the State, when; preservation of petitions by secretary. Return of deposit; state or district office. Sections 9-401 to 9-404, inclusive, are repealed.

(June, 1955, S. 591d–594d; November, 1955, S. N74–N77; 1957, P.A. 518, S. 21–24; March, 1958, P.A. 27, S. 22; 1958 Rev., S. 9-102–9-105; 1963, P.A. 17, S. 29–32; 312, S. 1; 525, S. 1; 1969, P.A. 694, S. 14; 1971, P.A. 871, S. 75; P.A. 74-25, S. 6, 13; P.A. 78-125, S. 1, 2; 78-153, S. 1, 32; P.A. 79-363, S. 30, 38; 79-616, S. 23.)

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Notes of Decisions
Cited in 13 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1970–2024 · leading case: Butts v. Bysiewicz, 5 A.3d 932 (Conn. 2010).
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Butts v. Bysiewicz, 5 A.3d 932 (Conn. 2010). · cites it 7× “See General Statutes § 9-373a (allowing registration of write-in candidates up to fourteenth day preceding election); General Statutes § 9-400 (allowing submission of signed petitions to be party candidate by sixty-third day preceding day of primary); General Statutes § 9-453i…”
Tashjian v. Repub. Party of Connecticut, 479 U.S. 208 (1986). · cites it 2× “Conn. Gen. Stat. § 9-400 (1985). If no such candidate seeks to challenge the convention's nominee in a primary, then no primary is held, and the convention nominee becomes the Party's nominee in the general election without any intervention by independent voters.”
Nader v. Schaffer, 417 F. Supp. 837 (D. Conn. 1976). · cites it 3× “A nonendorsed candidate, however, may force a primary if he meets the three criteria specified in Conn.Gen.Stat. § 9-400, which are that he must (1) have received at least twenty percent of the votes of the delegates to the party convention present and voting on any roll call;…”
Price v. Indep. Party of CT, 147 A.3d 1032 (Conn. 2016). · cites it 2× “" General Statutes § 9-372 (11). General Statutes § 9-415 (a) provides: "If a candidacy for nomination by a political party to a state office is filed by or on behalf of any person other than a party-endorsed candidate within the time specified in subsection (a) of section 9-400…”
Tansley v. Grasso, 315 F. Supp. 513 (D. Conn. 1970). · cites it 8× “The plaintiffs have petitioned the Court to declare unconstitutional and invalid that part of Conn.Gen.Stat. § 9-400, 1 which imposes as a condition *515 precedent that a prospective candidate receive the support of at least 20% of the delegate strength in a district convention…”
Campbell v. Bysiewicz, 213 F. Supp. 2d 152 (D. Conn. 2002). · cites it 2× “PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND Plaintiffs are seven individuals 3 and two corporations who seek to strike down three Connecticut election statutes, Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 9-400 , 9 — 410(c), 9-416, as unconstitutional.”
Campbell v. Bysiewicz, 242 F. Supp. 2d 164 (D. Conn. 2003). · cites it 7× “2) After the conventions, persons seeking party nominations can do so by means of a primary if they can show support of their candidacy by 15% of the convention delegates, Conn. Gen. Stat. § 9-400 , a requirement also found in each party’s rules.”
Green Party v. Garfield, 648 F. Supp. 2d 298 (D. Conn. 2009). · cites it 2× “Conn. Gen.Stat. §§ 9-400, 9-415. According to the state, if a minor party opted to select its candidates through a primary, which they currently do not do, a participating minor party candidate could be eligible for a CEP primary grant.”
Gottlieb v. Lamont (D. Conn. 2020). · cites it 8× “See Conn. Gen. Stat. § 9-400 (b). This second option, the petitioning process, was added by the Connecticut legislature by Public Act 03-241, effective January 1, 2004.”
Nicholls v. Schaffer, 344 F. Supp. 238 (D. Conn. 1972). · cites it 2× “§ 9-400, 1969 Supp., and if a reapportionment plan is approved, nomination of candidates for the state legislature will be made.”
Gottlieb v. Lamont (D. Conn. 2022). · cites it 5× “See Conn. Gen. Stat. § 9-400 (b). This second option, the petitioning process, was added by the Connecticut legislature by Public Act 03-241, effective January 1, 2004.”
Whitnum Baker v. Sec'y of the State, 350 Conn. 753 (Conn. 2024). · cites it 3× “The candidate timely filed her certificate of party endorsement pursu- ant to General Statutes § 9-400 (b) prior to the deadline but omitted the necessary district number; a representa- tive of the Connecticut Democratic Party later com- pleted the form with an erroneous…”
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— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 9-400(a) — 1 case
Campbell v. Bysiewicz, 242 F. Supp. 2d 164 (D. Conn. 2003). “2) After the conventions, persons seeking party nominations can do so by means of a primary if they can show support of their candidacy by 15% of the convention delegates, Conn. Gen. Stat. § 9-400 , a requirement also found in each party’s rules.”
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