Hurricane Sandy: Gov. Malloy Orders Voter Registration Deadline Extension

The following is a press release from the Office of Gov. Dannel Malloy.

In response to the dangerous weather impacting the state from Hurricane Sandy, Governor Dannel P. Malloy on Sunday evening signed an executive order extending the in-person voter registration deadline in Connecticut to Thursday, November 1, at 8 p.m. for those who intend to vote in the upcoming election.  The deadline had originally been scheduled for Tuesday, October 30, at 8 p.m.

“Considering the emergency situation our state is facing, it is neither practical nor wise at this time for people to travel to their town halls so they can meet the deadline to hand in their voter registration applications in person, as the law requires,” said Governor Malloy.  “Safety is our top priority, and the best thing to do to ensure that nobody is disenfranchised because of the storm is to extend the deadline until after the hurricane has passed.”

The order is Executive Order No. 21.

“With so many government and school closures, it is really best if voters stay home and stay safe over the next couple of days as this major storm impacts Connecticut,” said Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, Connecticut’s Chief Elections Official.  “We still want to give eligible voters and those who haven’t yet found time to register to vote a chance to make their voices heard in the November 6 presidential election, and many will find it hard to get to their town hall in the next two days due to the weather and complications from the storm.  Therefore, I commend Governor Malloy for making this wise decision – this will give everyone who wants to cast a ballot in the election extra time to register.  Voters can now register as long as they properly fill out registration forms and deliver them in-person to their local registrar of voters or town clerk by Thursday, November 1 at 8 p.m.”

On Saturday, Governor Malloy signed a Declaration of Emergency in preparation for the impact of Hurricane Sandy, which provides him with a number of emergency powers, including the ability to modify or suspend any state statute, regulation, or requirement.

In 2011, Governor Malloy signed a similar order (Executive Order No. 12) extending the voter registration deadline for that year’s municipal elections in response to the impact of the freak October snowstorm that caused widespread power outages.