The Legal Defense Fund (LDF) and ACLU applaud the Connecticut legislature for delivering the state biennial budget to Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, which he signed into law yesterday. The budget includes full funding for the Connecticut Secretary of State’s Office to implement the Connecticut Voting Rights Act (CTVRA) and robust funding for the Connecticut Secretary of State’s overall budget.
The CTVRA is the nation’s most comprehensive state-level Voting Rights Act. Enacted in 2023, the CTVRA provides new legal tools to fight discriminatory voting rules in court; prevents voting discrimination in areas with heightened risk of such discrimination; expands language assistance programs and materials; creates strong protections against voter intimidation, deception, or obstruction; instructs state judges to interpret election laws in a pro-voter way; and creates a central hub for election data and demographic information that will empower officials and community members to ensure accessible elections.
The final budget provides $988,483 for each year in the biennial budget, sufficient to fund five staff positions.
By ensuring the full funding for the CTVRA, Connecticut has proven itself to be a true leader in protecting its voters. This funding will go towards supporting staff positions necessary to implement the CTVRA’s historic preclearance provision and other aspects of law, continued development and maintenance of the statewide election database in partnership with the University of Connecticut’s Voter Center, and translation services to comply with language access requirements.
“Our advocacy to secure full funding for the Connecticut Voting Rights Act wasn’t just a priority — it was essential to keeping our promises to voters,” said Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas. “Without funding, our office would have had to let people go and turn our backs on the very voters the law is meant to protect. Now, thanks to this commitment, my office will have the staff and tools necessary to defend voting rights and strengthen our democracy.”
“This budget provides absolutely mission critical funding for voter protections that will help ensure equality at the Connecticut ballot box,” said Christina Das, Policy Counsel for the Legal Defense Fund. “Connecticut is fulfilling the promise it made to Black voters across the state when the CTVRA was signed into law. LDF is extremely proud to see this budget and Connecticut’s leaders setting a stellar example in the fight against discrimination within our democratic process.”
“This funding is a huge step forward for voting rights in Connecticut,” said Jess Zaccagnino, Esq., Policy Counsel at the ACLU of Connecticut. “When the Connecticut Voting Rights Act became law, it set a high bar for protecting voters. Now, by fully funding it, our state is showing that protecting voters — especially voters of color — takes more than words. It takes real resources. We applaud our state leaders for making sure the law has the tools it needs to work.”
“Fully funding the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of Connecticut is a major victory for voters across our state,” said State Representative Hubert D. Delany III, District 144. “This investment reaffirms Connecticut’s commitment not just to voting access, but to civil rights. When we defend the ballot box, we defend the very foundation of justice and equality in our society. With this funding, we are delivering on the promise to make our elections more fair, accessible, and equitable — ensuring that every Connecticut resident can participate in our democracy without fear of suppression or discrimination.”
Learn more about the CTVRA on LDF’s website here.
A new State Voting Rights Act has been codified into law every year since 2018 (excluding 2020 during the pandemic). To learn more about State Voting Rights Acts, visit LDF’s website here.
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Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation’s first civil rights law organization. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Please note that LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights.
