August 2024

Q1. Somebody said that people start voting for president in Stratford on Oct. 21. How is that possible?

Connecticut is in Year 1 of offering Early Voting for all primary and general elections. The Legislature mandated that every town offer two weeks of early voting leading up to the Nov. 5 election (except for the Monday before the election, when we are setting up the polling locations).

Oct. 21 begins the two-week period.

Q2. I am out of town on Nov. 5. What are my options?

It sounds like you qualify for an Absentee Ballot; they are distributed after Oct. 4, and you usually mail it back to Town Hall. If interested, contact the Town Clerk: spawluk@townofstratford.com

To take advantage of Early Voting, go to the Baldwin Center, 1000 East Broad St. (adjacent to the library). We will have ballots there from all 10 voting locations in Stratford. You can vote there from Oct. 21 to Nov. 3, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. In addition, on Tuesday Oct. 29 and Thursday Oct. 31, hours are extended from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (I am not sure how many people want to vote on Halloween night at 8 p.m., but we will be there.

Q3. Was Early Voting successful in the August primary?

Some 44 other states offer some form of EV; studies do >not< find it leads to higher turnout. We are finding that roughly 10 percent of Stratford voters take advantage of EV. Other states find the percentage increases in succeeding years as voters get used to it.

While Early Voting gives you more options, it is expensive for the town to pay all the necessary poll workers. Stratford estimates it will cost the town more than $40,000 total to meet the state mandate for the April and August primaries and the November general election. (It is hard to agree on an exact cost; for example, if a town IT worker wires the Baldwin Center during the normal work week, should that cost be included?)

Q4. I think I am registered to vote, and I want to be sure to vote in November. Is there any way to check online?

Yes, go to https://portaldir.ct.gov/sots/LookUp.aspx and supply your name and address. The web site will confirm your registration and confirm where you would vote on Election Day.

Q5. Does all the publicity surrounding the presidential race make more people vote?

We expect about 75% of all registered voters in Stratford to cast ballots for the Nov. 5 election. When the governor and/or U.S. Senate races are on the ballot, about 50% of Stratford voters cast a ballot. Next year, with the mayor’s race topping the ticket, turnout will be about 35%. And when the Town Council and Board of Education races top the ballot, turnout is about 28%.

The presidential race does attract more attention, which may lead to higher turnout, as you suggest. But people vote for many different reasons. Some may cast a ballot only for president because they think the office has more power … or because they think they know national issues better than municipal issues … or they feel the stakes are higher.