WASHINGTON — Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill on Tuesday told a panel of House Democrats that she is “alarmed” a voting commission created by President Donald Trump aims to suppress the votes of minorities. “I am really afraid that this is going in the direction where states will purge their (voter) rolls,” Merrill said.
Denise Merrill
Denise Merrill served as Connecticut’s secretary of the state from 2011 to 2022. Before becoming SOTS, Merrill represented Mansfield in the Connecticut House of Representatives for two decades, where she served as house majority leader.
Posted inPolitics
CT residents join others who blast White House voting panel
WASHINGTON — Connecticut voters were among those who provided public comment to the White House about the work of its voter fraud commission, and like most of those who weighed in, were highly critical of the effort.
Posted inPolitics
CT sought federal help to prevent Russian hacking of electoral system
WASHINGTON — A Department of Homeland Security official on Wednesday said 21 state electoral systems were targeted by the Russians for hacking. Although Connecticut’s system was not among them, the state asked for federal help in shoring up its cybersecurity defenses before last year’s election.
Posted inPolitics
Trump’s claims of voter fraud an issue for Connecticut’s Merrill
President Donald J. Trump’s repeated and unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud in the popular vote for president promises to complicate the tenure of Connecticut’s Denise Merrill as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State.
Posted inPolitics
A political debut generates a buzz in Hartford
Scott Bates took office as Connecticut’s deputy secretary of the state Tuesday in a ceremony that marked him as man to watch in state politics. The job is not a traditional springboard to elective office, but Bates was sworn in by Secretary of the State Denise Merrill in front of an audience, as she noted, composed of “many dignitaries, both foreign and domestic.”
Posted inPolitics
Scott Bates succeeds Spallone as deputy SOTS
Secretary of the State Denise Merrill on Thursday named Scott Bates of Stonington, a lawyer with a deep resume in domestic and foreign policy and politics, as the deputy secretary of the state, a position that provides legal and political advice.
Posted inJustice, Politics
Feds to monitor election in Hartford, New Britain, other CT towns
WASHINGTON — Federal monitors will watch elections in Hartford, West Hartford, East Hartford, New Britain, Farmington, Middletown and Newington on Tuesday. Secretary of the State Denise Merrill says they will observe the new voting system for the disabled.
Posted inPolitics
We can’t tell you the right way to vote, just the right place
Here are some suggestions gleaned from a pep talk elections officials gave Wednesday, a mix of practical advice and reassurance about the integrity of U.S. elections. It’s a good idea to check where you are supposed to vote – and if you still are registered. If you haven’t shown up in a few years, you may have been “purged” from the rolls and deemed “inactive.” The good news is you can be “restored” on the spot.
Posted inPolitics
Fact, fiction and dead voters: ‘There’s never been a case here’
Don’t bother to look for a case of someone voting in the name of the dead at the polls in Connecticut, even if Donald J. Trump frets that 1.8 million dead Americans are still registered to vote. Proven voter fraud is rare here, and it’s never involved impersonation at the polls.
Posted inPolitics
Price quits, asks SOTS to give Independent line to GOP’s Carter
John R. Price says he is relinquishing his claim to the Independent Party’s nomination for U.S. Senate, a move intended to end an intra-party fight and give Republican Dan Carter the party’s cross-endorsement and a second line on the ballot. But with many ballots printed and optical scanners programmed, is it too late?
Posted inPolitics
‘Motor voter’ off to fast start at Connecticut DMV
Connecticut registered nearly 700 new voters Monday and Tuesday, the first two days of a “motor voter” system established at the Department of Motor Vehicles under last week’s settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice. And the DMV wasn’t even open Monday, just AAA.
Posted inPolitics
Bill to allow fewer polling places in primaries back after 4 years
Connecticut’s cities and towns could see small cost savings in future election cycles if lawmakers approve a bill that would allow town registrars to reduce the number of polling places in primaries. It has substantial support, but not everyone thinks it’s a good idea.
Posted inPolitics
No surprises on ballot choices for CT presidential primary
There were no surprises or controversies Tuesday in Secretary of the State Denise Merrill’s choices for ballot access in the April 26 primary in Connecticut: Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders on the Democratic ballot; The Republicans are Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, John R. Kasich, Marco Rubio and Donald J. Trump.
Posted inPolitics
Merrill pitches making voter registration ‘automatic’
With about 30 percent of eligible voters unregistered, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill is asking the General Assembly to enable people to automatically register as Connecticut voters when they do business with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Residents who didn’t opt out would be automatically be registered.
Posted inPolitics
Merrill: Schaghticoke casino ‘authorization’ was ‘error’
The secretary of the state’s office conceded Wednesday it erred in granting an authorization that flouted state law and allowed the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation to assert Tuesday night it could attempt to develop a casino in Connecticut.