Secretary of the State Merrill, State Senator pushing for early voting and expanding access to absentee ballots in CT Connecticut, along with five other states, requires in-person voting on Election Day unless the voter has a statutorily defined excuse. Author: Rick Lessard (FOX61) Updated: 8:54 PM EDT April 7, 2021 HAMDEN, Conn. — Secretary of the State Denise Merrill proposed a constitutional amendment to expand absentee ballots and early voting in CT back in 2020. On Wednesday, she and Senator Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden) met in Hamden to support these changes to the State Constitution. “Connecticut voters deserve to be able to choose to vote conveniently in-person on Election Day, in-person prior to Election Day, or by absentee ballot without needing to provide an excuse – just like almost every other voter in the country,” said Secretary Merrill.