How to vote in Connecticut
Connecticut voter registration guide
Connecticut voter registration deadlines
- Register to vote (online): 7 days before Election Day
- Register to vote (by mail): Postmarked 7 days before Election Day
- Register to vote (in person): Election Day
Check your Connecticut voter registration status
- If you can't remember if you're registered to vote, or you want to make sure your information is correct, you can check your Connecticut registration using the Connecticut voter registration lookup tool.
- If you're not registered to vote, or you need to update your voter registration information, follow the instructions below.
Connecticut voter registration rules
To register in Connecticut you must:
- be a citizen of the United States
- be a resident of Connecticut and of the town where you want to vote
- be 17 years old (you can vote when you turn 18)
- not currently be declared mentally incompetent to vote by a court of law
- if convicted of a felony, have completed confinement and parole. If you have been convicted of an election related crime, you cannot vote until you have completed prison, probation, and parole.
Connecticut online voter registration
- You can register to vote online if you have a Connecticut driver license, driver permit, or nondriver ID card issued by the Connecticut DMV.
- Visit the Connecticut online voter registration tool.
- Fill out all the required fields.
- You will be registered to vote as soon as you finish the workflow.
- You should receive your voter registration card in the mail within 2-3 weeks. If not, you might want to follow up with your local election office.
- The deadline to register to vote online is 7 days before Election Day.
Connecticut by-mail voter registration
- Download and fill out the National Voter Registration Form.
- Box 6 - ID Number: Connecticut Driver's License Number, or if none, the last four digits of your Social Security Number.
- Box 7 - Choice of Party: Connecticut has a closed primary system. You must register with a politcal party if you wish to vote in that party's primary elections.
- Box 8 - Race or Ethnic Group: Leave blank.
- Print, date, and sign the form. If you do not have a printer, you can print the form out at any local library. If you do not have a stamp, you can buy one from any grocery store: just ask the cashier to sell you one.
- Mail your voter registration form to the mailing address below. For faster delivery, send the form directly to your local election office.
- Your voter registration form must be postmarked 7 days before Election Day
Connecticut in-person voter registration
- Contact your local election office to find where to register to vote in person.
- Bring your Connecticut driver's license, birth certificate, Social Security card, student ID, state ID card or any ID that shows your name and current address. If you don't have a valid ID, you may also bring a utility bill that has your name, current address and a due date no later than thirty days after the election or, if you are a student, you may bring a registration or fee statement that includes your name and current address.
Connecticut same day registration
- Summary: Connecticut has same day registration. You can register and vote on Election Day.
- Where to go:
Go to your town's Election Day Registration location. Click here to find where to vote.
- What to bring:
Bring your Connecticut driver's license, birth certificate, Social Security card, student ID, state ID card or any ID that shows your name and current address. If you don't have a valid ID, you may also bring a utility bill that has your name, current address and a due date no later than thirty days after the election or, if you are a student, you may bring a registration or fee statement that includes your name and current address.
- Need help? Contact your local election office if you have questions.
- Notes:
No same day registration for primary elections
Registering to vote in Connecticut with a felony conviction
If you have been convicted of a felony and would like to register to vote, please visit Restore Your Vote. They will help you determine your eligibility and guide you through the process.
Connecticut absentee and mail ballot guide
Connecticut absentee ballot overview
Absentee ballots and mail ballots are the same thing, and the process for getting one is straight forward.
- Request your ballot by the deadline
- Receive your ballot in the mail
- Return your ballot by the deadline
Connecticut absentee deadlines
- Earliest day to apply: January 1
- Request deadline (online): N/A
- Request deadline (by mail): Received 1 day before Election Day
- Request deadline (in person): 1 day before Election Day
- Deadline to return your ballot (by mail): Received by Election Day
- Deadline to return your ballot (in person): Received by Election Day if proxy deliverer, or 1 day BEFORE Election Day if delivered by voter
Connecticut absentee ballot rules
You may vote by absentee ballot in Connecticut if:
- You will be absent from town during all the hours of voting
- You are ill
- You have a physical disability which makes it difficult for you to get to the polls
- You are active duty within the US military
- Your religion forbids non-religious activity on Election Day
- Your will be working as a poll worker at a polling place other than your own during all the hours on Election Day
Connecticut online ballot request
Connecticut does not allow you to request your ballot online.
Connecticut by-mail ballot request
- Download the Connecticut absentee ballot application.
- Fill out all of the required fields.
- Print the application.
- Sign and date your application. This is very important.
- Mail or hand-deliver your completed application directly to your local election office as soon as possible, but no later than the deadline.
- If it’s close to the deadline, call your local election office and see if they will let you submit your application via email or fax.
- The deadline to apply by mail is: Received 1 day before Election Day.
Connecticut in-person ballot request
- Visit your local election office.
- Ask the clerk to give you an absentee ballot application.
- Fill out all of the required fields.
- Sign and date your application.
- The deadline to apply in person is: 1 day before Election Day.
After you receive your ballot
- Carefully read and follow the instructions, and fill out all required fields.
- Sign and date the outside envelope.
- Mail or hand-deliver your ballot to your local election office. You can also hand-deliver your ballot to a state-provided drop box. You can use our Find Out Where To Vote tool to find an official drop box.
- If you mail your ballot, it must be received by Election Day.
- If you hand-deliver your ballot, it must be received by Election Day if proxy deliverer, or 1 day BEFORE Election Day if delivered by voter.
- If you miss the deadline – or forget to sign the outside envelope – your vote will not be counted.
Connecticut absentee ballot ID requirements
- ID required when requesting a mail-in ballot: The signature on your absentee ballot application will be compared to the signature on your voter registration card to ensure they match.
- ID required when returning a mail-in ballot: Your signature on the return envelope will be compared to the signature on your voter registration card to ensure they match. If you forget to sign the return envelope, your ballot might be rejected.
Connecticut early voting guide
Connecticut early voting dates
- Early voting starts: N/A
- Early voting ends: N/A
What to bring
You must show an ID that shows your name and address, name and signature, or name and photograph. However, if you are a first time voter and registered by mail or are voting in a primary election then you must show a non-expired photo ID that shows your name and address. If you do not have a valid photo ID, you can still vote by showing a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address. If you are unable to provide a valid ID then you can still vote by signing and affidavit and using a provisional ballot.
Connecticut voter ID guide
ID requirements for voting in person
You must show an ID that shows your name and address, name and signature, or name and photograph. However, if you are a first time voter and registered by mail or are voting in a primary election then you must show a non-expired photo ID that shows your name and address. If you do not have a valid photo ID, you can still vote by showing a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address. If you are unable to provide a valid ID then you can still vote by signing and affidavit and using a provisional ballot.
ID requirements when requesting an absentee or mail ballot
The signature on your absentee ballot application will be compared to the signature on your voter registration card to ensure they match.
ID requirements when returning an absentee or mail ballot
Your signature on the return envelope will be compared to the signature on your voter registration card to ensure they match. If you forget to sign the return envelope, your ballot might be rejected.
ID requirements to register to vote online
You can register to vote online if you have a Connecticut driver license, driver permit, or nondriver ID card issued by the Connecticut DMV.
ID requirements for same day registration
Bring your Connecticut driver's license, birth certificate, Social Security card, student ID, state ID card or any ID that shows your name and current address. If you don't have a valid ID, you may also bring a utility bill that has your name, current address and a due date no later than thirty days after the election or, if you are a student, you may bring a registration or fee statement that includes your name and current address.
Local election office
Contact your local election office if you have questions.
Statewide election office
This is the statewide agency that is ultimately responsible for Connecticut elections. You can contact them with questions, but your local election office will probably respond faster.
Secretary of State Elections Division 30 Trinity Street Hartford, CT 06106
External resources
- Connecticut online voter registration
- Connecticut voter status lookup
- Connecticut absentee ballot tracker
- Connecticut polling place locator