The Connecticut General Assembly adjourned its 2026 regular session on May 6 after passing five election-related bills. Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signed all five bills in May and June.
Among those bills was HB 5001, which removes the requirement that voters meet one of five criteria to request an absentee ballot, such as being on active military service, being absent from their city or town, or having an illness or physical disability. HB 5001 made Connecticut the 29th state to offer no-excuse absentee/mail-in voting.
Additionally, the bill allows voters to request to automatically receive absentee ballot applications for each election. The bill also establishes a cure process for voters who fail to sign the statement on their absentee ballot return envelope. Previously, Connecticut was one of 17 states that did not have a cure period, in which voters must be notified and allowed to correct issues with their absentee/mail-in ballots.
