Voting FAQs

Use Connecticut’s voter lookup to check your registration and assigned polling place. Select Stratford and enter your name and date of birth on the state website.

Use the registration service to update your address or name. If you recently moved, check your record before going to vote; contact the Registrars if it does not match your current information. See the registration deadline and voting dates.

Register or update your information

Eligible residents can register and vote during early voting or on Election Day at the designated Same-Day Registration location. Bring proof of identity and Stratford residence. You must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 by Election Day, and meet Connecticut’s other eligibility requirements.

Use the guide’s Same-Day Registration locations and hours. On Election Day, this service is at Town Hall. If you are in line at the designated registration site by the close of voting, you may stay to finish registering and vote.

Same-Day Registration rules

1. Check in with election staff, follow their identification instructions, and print and sign your name in the early-voting log.
2. Mark your paper ballot privately. Ask for help if you need instructions or assistance.
3. Feed your completed ballot into the tabulator as directed.

In 2026, early voters use a tabulator directly, replacing the earlier envelope process. See Stratford’s early voting dates, hours, and location.

2026 voting guide (PDF)

All Stratford districts use the Baldwin Senior Center for early voting. On Election Day, registered voters use the polling place assigned to their home address. Same-Day Registration has its own designated location.

Check the guide’s locations and hours and your individual polling assignment.

Stratford voting locations

Your address determines your State House and State Senate districts as well as your local voting district. These are different district systems; their numbers do not have to match.

See Understand your ballot for district lookup and the latest sample-ballot information. A sample ballot lets you review all offices and any questions before voting.

Official sample-ballot library

No excuse is required in 2026. Eligible registered voters can apply through the state portal or send a paper application to the Town Clerk. The portal opens September 19; ballot issuance starts October 2.

Check the request and return deadlines. Allow time for delivery when using the mail.

Official guidance

Follow your ballot packet’s instructions. Print and sign your name on the supplied return envelope. The privacy sleeve is optional.

Return the ballot to the Town Clerk by mail, in person, or through the town’s authorized ballot drop box. Call the Clerk for the current drop-box location. It must arrive by 8 p.m. on November 3; a postmark does not meet that deadline.

2026 voting guide (PDF)

The Town Clerk will try to reach you by phone or email. You can correct a missing signature in person at the Town Clerk’s office until 8 p.m. on Election Day. This process applies only to missing return-envelope signatures.

Include contact information on your application so the Clerk can reach you.

Missing-signature correction rules

The state’s voter lookup includes absentee ballot receipt information. Select Stratford, enter your name and date of birth, and check the absentee information and the page’s data date.

If receipt is not shown or you have questions, contact the Town Clerk. Receipt information tells you whether the Clerk has received the ballot; ask the Clerk about any problem that needs correction.

Check ballot receipt with the state

Call 203-385-4020 promptly for instructions appropriate to your situation. Explain whether you have already returned the ballot. Keep any ballot and envelopes you have until the Clerk tells you the next step.

If you become ill or are hospitalized close to the election, ask the Clerk whether an emergency absentee application is appropriate. The state absentee page provides that application.

Contact the Town Clerk

A spouse, child, parent, or sibling who lives with you may return it. A caregiver designated on your application because of illness or disability may also help. Police officers and registrars or their specified deputies and assistants can return ballots by mail or official drop box under the state’s rules.

The permitted helpers depend on the return method. Read the state guide or ask the Town Clerk before arranging delivery.

Ballot-return rules in the 2026 guide (PDF)

Most voters can show preprinted identification with their name and either their address, signature, or photograph. Examples include a utility bill, a credit card with a signature, or a photo ID. A Social Security card is another option. Most voters who lack ID can sign the official statement provided by election staff.

Some first-time voters have different requirements. If you registered by mail, are voting for the first time in an election with federal candidates, and are marked on the registry list as needing identification, bring a current valid photo ID with your name and address, or a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or government document with both. Ask election staff about a provisional ballot if you lack the required documentation.

Connecticut voter ID requirements

Bring proof of identity and your Stratford residential address. A driver’s license is one identity option; a birth certificate or Social Security card can also establish identity. If your identification does not show your current address, bring an additional document such as a lease or property tax bill showing that address.

College students may use current college photo identification and, for residence, a current college registration or fee statement. The state handbook lists other acceptable proof. Contact the Registrars if you are unsure which documents to bring.

Requirements and registration handbook

An accessible ballot-marking device is available at every polling place. It can offer audio or touchscreen choices while producing a paper ballot. Ask election staff for instructions.

If standing is difficult, ask the moderator about seating or another accommodation while your place in line is held.

You may choose someone to help you vote, with exceptions: your employer or their agent, a union agent, and a candidate on your ballot who is not immediate family may not provide that assistance. You have the right to vote privately.

Accessible voting and assistance rights

Students can use the state voter guide’s student fact sheet and ask the Registrars about residence and registration. Military members, eligible family members, and overseas citizens can also use the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s Connecticut guidance.

The Stratford Registrars’ page links to voting information in English and Spanish. For accessible absentee materials or permanent absentee status, contact the Town Clerk.

Military and overseas voting guidance