Understanding Connecticut’s Voter Roll Maintenance
From address changes to inactive status, here’s how Woodbridge voter records are kept current
With the November 2025 municipal election now concluded, some readers may be wondering how Connecticut maintains and updates its voter registration lists throughout the year. Questions about address changes, inactive status, and how voters are removed from or restored to the rolls come up regularly. Woodbridge follows all statewide procedures for record maintenance, and residents with questions about their voter registration status may visit the Registrar of Voters page on the Town website, or contact the Registrars’ Office by email at registrar@woodbridgect.org.
The following summary provides an overview of how these processes work in Connecticut and how they are carried out locally in Woodbridge, based on information available on the website of the office or the Secretary of the State.
Connecticut maintains its voter registration records through a centralized statewide database, with individual voter files managed locally in each of the state’s 169 municipalities. In Woodbridge, as in all Connecticut towns, the Registrars of Voters — one Democrat and one Republican — are responsible for maintaining the accuracy of the voter list. Town Clerks also contribute by providing official death notices.
Records are maintained in accordance with the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), and Connecticut General Statutes Title 9. Connecticut also participates in the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a consortium of states that share data to help identify voters who have moved or died.
When a voter moves within Woodbridge, the address can be updated based on information from the National Change of Address (NCOA) system or from a new registration form, and a confirmation notice is mailed. When a voter registers in another Connecticut town, a process is followed to cancel the previous registration.
The Department of Motor Vehicles also provides address updates to registrars. When a voter updates their driver’s license address, the local registrar removes the voter from the list and notifies them by mail.
Voters are also removed when registrars receive death notices, or when ERIC or other states report that a former Connecticut voter has registered elsewhere. If data suggest that a voter may have moved out of state, or if a voter has not voted in four years, registrars send a canvass postcard. Voters who do not return the card within 30 days are moved to the inactive list. Voters may also be placed on the inactive list if confirmation mail is returned undeliverable.
Voters on the inactive list must submit a new voter registration form before voting in person or receiving an absentee ballot. After four years on the inactive list without activity, the voter is removed from the registration rolls. Individuals can check their voter registration status online.
