Residents across Connecticut were met with long lines on the first day of early in-person voting. According to Connecticut NPR, more than 56,000 Connecticut voters cast their votes on day one of this new voting option. Connecticut is among the last states in the country to allow for early in-person voting.
Voting used to be simple and relatively easy. You had two choices. 1) Vote on election day. 2) Vote by Absentee Ballot. Today, there is a third choice: Early in-person voting. If you pick door number 3, the deadline to register and still be eligible to vote early is October 18th. If you miss this deadline, you can still register to vote up to and on election day at your local Registrar’s office. (You cannot register to vote at the polling booths.)
Why Vote Early?
Early voting can avoid Election Day obstacles such as personal illness, bad weather, and unexpected circumstances that may prevent you from getting to the polls on November 5th. It also saves you from waiting in long lines on Election Day.
Early in-person voting is open from Oct. 21 through Nov. 3 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) at the designated early voting location in your town. There are extended early voting hours on Oct. 29 and Oct. 31 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.). Typically, early in-person voting takes place in your town’s Registrar’s office. Towns with more than 20,000 residents may have additional locations. It’s advisable to call
ahead to confirm the location in your town. For more information about voting early, click here.
No-Excuse Mail-In Voting Is On The Ballot – Again!
This Referendum question will ask voters to amend the state constitution to allow for no-excuse mail-in voting. Currently, state law requires voters to give a reason when requesting an absentee ballot, such as sickness or absence from town on Election Day.
If approved, this change would allow the legislature to vote on legislation to expand mail-in voting to all voters.
Proponents of no-excuse mail-in voting claim this will lead to higher voter turnout. Opponents worry about the reliability of the postal system, as well as ballot errors and fraud.
We urge you to carefully consider the pros and cons of this issue and its impact on your trust in the electoral process.
Vote Your Values!
We need everyone to get out and vote. Voting is not just our right and privilege, it’s also our duty. Please VOTE YOUR VALUES and encourage your family, friends, and colleagues to also get out to the polls. In state legislature districts, it is not unusual to have some races decided by a difference of just a few dozen votes, so your vote does matter! So, make sure you are registered. Consider early in-person voting and ensure that your family and friends are also registered and educated to vote responsibly on or before November 5th.
