Absentee Voting
2026 Connecticut
Absentee Voting
Any eligible Connecticut registered voter may request, receive, and vote an absentee ballot. Connecticut law requires election officials to issue absentee ballots to registered voters who submit an application starting 31 days before a general election and 21 days before a primary.
Brochure detailing the three ways to vote in Connecticut
(click above link or image below to download brochure)
New - Expanded access to absentee ballots
Public Act 26-42 implements the results of the November 2024 statewide referendum expanding absentee ballot access for Connecticut voters. Voters no longer need to provide a specific reason or excuse to request an absentee ballot for any referendum, primary or election.
Eligible voters in Connecticut may request an absentee ballot with an official absentee ballot application (ED-3). There are two convenient ways to access and submit the form:
1. Online: at CT Online Absentee Ballot Request Portal
Reminder: the online absentee ballot portal opens 45 days before any referendum, primary or election.
2. On paper:
Application for Absentee Ballot
English and Spanish Application for Absentee Ballot
For an emergency ballot within 6 days of an election, please use the following Emergency Application for Absentee Ballot:
English and Spanish Emergency Application for Absentee Ballot
For a referendum with less than 3 weeks' notice, please use the following Application for Absentee Ballot for Referendum Authorized to Be Held with Less Than 3 Weeks' Notice
English and Spanish Application for Referendum with less than 3 weeks' notice
After completing your paper absentee ballot application, mail or hand deliver the application to the Town Clerk in the town where you reside.
Absentee Ballot Availability
August 11, 2026, State Primary
Online Absentee Ballot Portal opens: June 27, 2026
First day absentee ballots are issued: July 21, 2026
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: August 10, 2026
November 3, 2026, State Election
Online Absentee Ballot Portal opens: September 19, 2026
First day absentee ballots are issued: October 2, 2026
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: November 2, 2026
Absentee Ballot Distribution Information
In Connecticut, there are strict laws about who can hand out absentee ballot applications especially for candidates, campaign committees, and anyone working on a political campaign.
Key Requirements:
Timeframe: Town Clerks may issue serialized absentee ballot applications to individuals intending to distribute them, beginning no earlier than 90 days before the first day absentee ballots are issued.
Registration: If you intend to distribute five (5) or more absentee ballot applications, other than to your immediate family members, you must register with the Town Clerk of the municipality where distribution will occur before you begin.
Absentee Ballot Distribution Log: You must keep a record of every person to whom you give an application. This list must be filed with the Town Clerk before the day of the primary, election, or referendum.
Handling Completed Applications: If a voter gives a completed absentee ballot application, you are legally required to submit it to the Town Clerk immediately.
Mailing Absentee Ballot Applications: If a campaign mails unsolicited absentee ballot applications, the mailing must include a written warning statement as required by law.
Absentee Ballot Do's and Don'ts 2026
The Secretary of the State and the State Election Enforcement Commission created this form to explain the essential rules for distributing and assisting with Connecticut absentee ballot applications. It outlines key do's and don'ts, along with important legal requirements, to help campaigns and volunteers handle applications correctly and comply with state law.
Absentee Ballot Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a reason to request an absentee ballot?
No, under Connecticut law, a voter does not need to provide a reason or “excuse” for their absentee ballot request.
Who can vote by absentee ballot?
Under Connecticut law, any active voter may vote by absentee ballot. To vote by absentee ballot, a voter must have filled out an absentee ballot application.
Where can I find an absentee ballot application?
Absentee ballot applications are available for download online at the Secretary of the State’s website (at 2026 Absentee Voting - Updates and Information) and at the Town Clerk’s Office in each town.
May I apply for an absentee ballot online?
Yes, active voters may apply online through the Office of the Secretary of the State’s absentee ballot request portal, which is located here: Connecticut Online Absentee Ballot Request Portal.
What happens after I apply for an absentee ballot?
The Town Clerk processes the returned application, ensures that the voter is eligible to receive an absentee ballot, and enters the voter’s information into the Central Voter Registration System. At that point, a unique ballot identification number is created for each ballot to ensure only the voter who requested it can vote with that ballot.
What materials must I use when returning my absentee ballot?
Voters must return their absentee ballot in the return envelope that was sent to them with their absentee ballot. (Voters should take care to both print their name and sign their name on the envelope!) Voters may choose to use the privacy sleeve, but it is not required.
Where must I return my absentee ballot, and what are the permitted return methods?
Voters must return their absentee ballots to the Town Clerk in their town. There are several ways to return an absentee ballot to the Town Clerk: via the U.S. Postal Service, in person at your Town Clerk’s office, or using your town’s secure drop box. To find out where your town’s drop box is located, contact your Town Clerk. Information is also available on the Secretary of the State’s website here Ballot Drop Box Locations 7-24.pdf.
If I have an illness or disability, may someone return my absentee ballot for me?
Yes, an immediate family member who lives with the voter (such as a spouse, child, parent, or sibling) or a designee caring for a voter with an illness or disability—including, but not limited to, a doctor or nurse—can return an absentee ballot. The only other legal designees are a town police officer, Registrar of Voters, Deputy Registrar of Voters, or Assistant Registrar of Voters. See C.G.S. 9-140b (a) (b).
What is the deadline for returning absentee ballots?
To be counted, absentee ballots must be received by the close of polls on the day of the election, which is 8:00 pm.
What do Town Clerks do after receiving an absentee ballot to ensure security?
When the Town Clerk receives the absentee ballot, they check that the unique ballot identification number appearing on the return envelope matches the one on the voter’s application. They then secure the absentee ballot, still sealed in its envelope, until the day of the election.
For absentee ballots that are received before the day of an election, the Town Clerk pre-marks the voter checklist used at the polling place to indicate that the voter returned an absentee ballot. If an absentee ballot arrives on the day of an election, it is held until after 8:00 pm when the absentee ballot is compared to the official polling place checklist. If the voter who returned the absentee ballot on the day of an election has voted in person at a polling place, the absentee ballot is not opened, it is rejected, and it is not counted. This procedure ensures that no voter can vote twice, even by mistake.
How do I know my absentee ballot remains private?
Absentee ballots are counted publicly—typically in a central location—by election officials representing both parties. These election officials receive training on the importance of maintaining voter privacy. Practically speaking, because the ballots are counted publicly and grouped with hundreds or thousands of other ballots, it would be fairly obvious if someone interfered with or stopped the process to see how someone voted.
Further, it is a class D felony for anyone, including an election official, to do anything that enables them to find out how someone voted. A class D felony is punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.
What happens if I forget to sign my return envelope?
Under a new state law, voters return their absentee ballots in one envelope. (Previously, Connecticut used a two-envelope system.) Voters must sign their name on the outside of the return envelope. This allows Town Clerks to determine ahead of the election if a voter’s signature is missing. If this is the case, the Town Clerk will make their best effort to contact the voter so that they may cure the missing signature.
What does signature “curing” mean and what is the process?
If a signature is missing from an absentee ballot return envelope, the law allows absentee ballot voters to cure (i.e., correct) the defect so the ballot can be counted. Only absentee ballots missing a voter’s signature on the return envelope are eligible for curing.
Town Clerks must use their best efforts to contact the voter, by phone or email, to inform them of their ability to cure the missing signature in person at the Town Clerk's Office. Voters may cure their absentee ballot up until the polls close at 8:00 p.m. on the day of the election.
When submitting an absentee ballot application, voters are encouraged to provide a phone number, email address, or both to assist the Town Clerk in contacting them, if needed, to cure their ballot.
Additional questions about absentee voting?
Please contact us at LEAD@ct.gov or (860) 509-6100 for additional information about Connecticut’s absentee voting laws.