The Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) will assist the Office of the Secretary of the State Denise W. Merrill in protecting democracy and Connecticut residents’ right to vote on Election Day through the Secretary’s Legal Assistance Program. More than 175 volunteer attorneys will serve as non-partisan designees of Secretary Merrill at polling places across Connecticut.
“Volunteer attorneys will stand at the ready on Election Day from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. until the polls close and the last person in line has voted. We will objectively assess voting situations or inconsistencies brought to us by the Secretary of the State’s office, report back, and resolve issues promptly by communicating Secretary Merrill’s directives to the voting moderator,” said CBA President Amy Lin Meyerson. “We are grateful for these opportunities to defend democracy and protect the rule of law and are dedicated to assisting Secretary Merrill and the Secretary of the State’s Office to safeguard the integrity of our elections and ensure that the ballot of every registered Connecticut voter is counted.”
The collaboration with the Office of the Secretary of the State began eight years ago, in 2012. This year, the CBA has also joined the American Bar Association and its president, Trish Refo, in its “Poll Workers Esq” national initiative that encourages law students, legal professionals, and attorneys to volunteer as poll workers for the General Election.