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Bill

HB 6009

AN ACT PROHIBITING THE POSSESSION OR USE OF MOBILE PHONES WHEREVER BALLOTS ARE BEING COUNTED.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Joe Canino

Connecticut bill would ban mobile phone possession and use in ballot-counting areas to enhance election security and prevent unauthorized documentation.

REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Government Administration and Elections
#ballots #cellulartelephones #disclosure #votingtabulators
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Bill Summary · HB 6009

Legislative bill overview

HB 6009 would prohibit anyone from possessing or using mobile phones in areas where ballots are being counted. The bill aims to prevent unauthorized recording, communication, or documentation during the ballot-counting process in Connecticut.

Why is this important

Election security and public confidence in vote-counting procedures are significant concerns for election administration. Restricting phones in counting facilities could prevent unauthorized documentation or external communication that might interfere with vote verification processes or create security vulnerabilities.

Potential points of contention

  • First Amendment concerns: Prohibiting phone possession raises free press and documentation rights questions, particularly regarding election observers and media monitoring of vote counts
  • Practical enforcement challenges: Defining exact boundaries of restricted zones, determining consequences for violations, and enforcing the rule consistently could prove administratively difficult
  • Legitimate access limitations: Election workers, security personnel, and official observers may have legitimate reasons to access phones (emergencies, two-factor authentication, timekeeping), creating enforcement exceptions and loopholes
  • Transparency implications: Critics may argue that phone restrictions limit public oversight and transparency of the counting process rather than enhancing it

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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