The legislative body of any town, consolidated town and city or consolidated town and borough may divide and, from time to time, redivide such municipality into voting districts. The registrars of voters of any municipality taking such action shall provide a suitable polling place in each district but, if the registrars fail to agree as to the location of any polling place or places, the legislative body shall determine the location thereof. Polling places to be used in an election shall be determined at least thirty-one days before such election, and such polling places shall not be changed within said period of thirty-one days except that, if the municipal clerk and registrars of voters of a municipality unanimously find that any such polling place within such municipality has been rendered unusable within such period, they shall forthwith designate another polling place to be used in place of the one so rendered unusable and shall give adequate notice that such polling place has been so changed. The registrars of voters shall keep separate lists of the electors residing in each district and shall appoint for each district a moderator in accordance with the provisions of section 9-229 and such other election officials as are required by law, and shall designate one of the moderators so appointed or any other elector of such town to be the head moderator for the purpose of declaring the results of elections in the whole municipality. The registrars may also designate a deputy head moderator to assist the head moderator in the performance of his duties provided the deputy head moderator and the head moderator shall not be enrolled in the same major party, as defined in subdivision (5) of section 9-372. The selectmen, town clerk, registrars of voters and all other officers of the municipality shall perform the duties required of them by law with respect to elections in each voting district established in accordance with this section. Voting district lines shall not be drawn by a municipality so as to conflict with the lines of congressional districts, senate districts or assembly districts as established by law, except (1) as provided in section 9-169d and (2) that as to municipal elections, any part of a split voting district containing less than two hundred electors may be combined with another voting district adjacent thereto from which all and the same officers are elected at such municipal election. Any change in the boundaries of voting districts made within ninety days prior to any election or primary shall not apply with respect to such election or primary. The provisions of this section shall prevail over any contrary provision of any charter or special act.

(1953, S. 651d; 1961, P.A. 398, S. 2; 1963, P.A. 323, S. 2; 1967, P.A. 557, S. 1; 831, S. 4; 1971, P.A. 836, S. 1; P.A. 73-657, S. 1, 13; P.A. 74-197, S. 2; P.A. 85-592, S. 10; P.A. 86-2.)

History: 1961 act imposed 31-day limitation for determining location of polling places and added provisions which provide that voting district boundary changes made within 90 days prior to an election or primary would not apply to such election or primary, and that the provisions of section shall prevail over any contrary provision of any charter or special act; 1963 act required registrars rather than legislative body to provide polling places, with legislative body to resolve any failure of registrars to agree; 1967 acts added “or assembly districts” to structure that district lines not be drawn so as to conflict with lines of senatorial districts and required registrars to provide a single polling place rather than polling places; 1971 act changed designation of first district moderator as head moderator to the effect that any elector in the town may be designated head moderator; P.A. 73-657 added congressional districts to senate districts and assembly districts lines but added proviso as to municipal elections, that any part of split voting district of less than two hundred electors may be combined with an adjacent voting district from which all and the same officers are elected; P.A. 74-197 added exception for use in municipal elections and primaries that voting districts may cross the congressional, senatorial and assembly district lines but not municipal political subdivision lines and that no special state election may be held on same day as regular municipal election, cross-referencing Sec. 9-169d; P.A. 85-592 authorized registrars to designate a deputy head moderator; P.A. 86-2 added requirement that head moderator and deputy head moderator not be members of same major political party.

See Sec. 9-240 re provision of suitable rooms for elections and voting tabulator booths.

Council not authorized to change number or boundaries of wards fixed by charter. 140 C. 517. Cited. 192 C. 399.