(a) If any absentee ballot applicant applies for an additional absentee ballot, he shall note on his application the reason for his applying for an additional absentee ballot and he shall return the absentee voting set formerly issued to him before another set is issued to him, provided, if he is unable to return the set formerly issued to him, his application for an additional ballot shall be accompanied by a statement signed under the penalties of false statement in absentee balloting in which he shall set forth the reason for his inability to return the set formerly issued to him. If he fails to file such a statement, no additional set shall be issued to him.

(b) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section for members of the armed forces, the municipal clerk shall mark the serially-numbered outer envelope “rejected” and note the reasons therefor on all absentee ballots and envelopes so returned to him and shall seal such unopened ballots in a package and retain them in a safe place until delivered in accordance with section 9-140c. The municipal clerk shall keep a list of the names of each absentee ballot applicant who has applied for more than one absentee ballot, as provided in section 9-140, together with the serial number appearing on the outer envelope of each absentee voting set issued to each such applicant including the latest one issued.

(c) When an absentee ballot applicant has applied for more than one absentee ballot, only the latest absentee ballot issued to him by the municipal clerk as determined by the serial number appearing on the outer envelope may be counted and all absentee ballots and envelopes formerly issued to that applicant shall be marked rejected as provided in subsection (b) of this section and not counted.

(d) Subsections (a), (b) and (c) of this section shall not apply to members of the armed forces, and if more than one absentee ballot is received from any elector who is a member of the armed forces, the ballot of such elector bearing the latest postmark shall be counted if no absentee ballot of such elector has already been counted, provided that the municipal clerk shall mark all serially-numbered outer envelopes bearing earlier postmarks “rejected” and note the reasons for rejection and shall deliver such ballots in accordance with section 9-140c.

(1955, S. 628d; 1957, P.A. 517, S. 3; 1971, P.A. 871, S. 72; P.A. 74-96, S. 5, 9; P.A. 76-50, S. 5, 7; P.A. 84-319, S. 14, 49; P.A. 86-179, S. 23, 53.)

History: 1971 act substituted penalty of “false statement” for “perjury”; P.A. 74-96 added “in absentee balloting” following “false statement”, effective January 1, 1975; P.A. 76-50 changed from 6 months to 60 days after election time in which clerk shall preserve voided ballots; P.A. 84-319 amended section to provide uniformity in procedures for marking absentee ballot envelopes by clerks and divided section into Subsecs.; P.A. 86-179 made technical changes; Sec. 9-142 transferred to Sec. 9-153b in 1987.

See Sec. 1-2a re construction of references to “United States mail”, “postmark” or “registered or certified mail”.