STONINGTON, Conn. —For the first time, Connecticut has allowed people to cast ballots first, in person, back of an election, times after almost every other state in the country offered voters that opportunity.
The first election period for Tuesday’s presidential primary is over on Saturday, and participation has been low thus far. Out of more than 1.2 million registered Democrats and Republicans, 476 voters cast their ballots in people after the first three weeks of voting—there was no early election on Friday due to the Good Friday holiday.
The margins are not great because President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump already have the necessary members secured to be considered their celebrations ‘ presumed contenders. State officials expressed satisfaction with the relatively little attendance, noting that the new system had not caused any significant problems.
Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas said in a statement that” we asked citizens to assist us analyze the system and make their tones heard, and citizens of Connecticut responded to the call.”
Today just four states—Alabama, Delaware, Mississippi and New Hampshire—do never allow first, in- person voting, although they may offer options for qualified absentee voters. In a Feb. 23 decision, a state court downheld the earlier right to early voting as illegal.
In Connecticut, Marya Ursin suddenly had the opportunity to cast a ballot early and at a time that was appropriate for her hectic schedule. It was a welcome shift from her typical first night commotion to the polls on Election Day.
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After casting her first presidential primary ballot for Biden in Stonington Town Hall’s room, she said,” I like it.” ” I can kind of meet it in without being concerned about it.”
Advocates had tried for years to update the state’s exceedingly stringent constitution, which essentially required voters to cast ballots at their neighborhood polling place on Election Day in a basic or major unless they met the state’s stringent requirements to cast absentee ballot. This constitution completely dictated the time, place, and manner of elections.
Republicans who expressed doubts about removing what they consider voting protection and whether local election officials had sufficient money and personnel to provide first election, particularly from Republicans, expressed opposition to change in the state known as the” Land of Steady Habits.”
In 2014, Connecticut almost made it possible to amend its constitution to enact a final amendment that would allow for more streamlined absentee ballot eligibility and allow for early voting. But that ballot question, which advocates acknowledged was poorly worded and likely confused voters, was rejected.
Finally, 2022 saw the passage of a constitutional amendment that was supported by more than 60 % of the electorate, and the General Assembly passed legislation outlining the details last year. While there were four days of early voting for this primary, there will be 14 for the general election.
” If you want to vote in the presidential primary, today is the final day of early voting”, Gov. Ned Lamont wrote on X Saturday, the website formerly known as Twitter. Every town has one early voting location open today between 10AM and 6PM.
When a voter goes to the polls, their name is recorded in Connecticut’s new system, which immediately indicates that they voted early to avoid repeat voting.
Peggy Roberts, the Republican registrar of voters in Stonington, said the early voting launch was” slow but steady”, with 61 people casting early votes the first day. The voters, she said, have tended to be older.
According to Roberts,” They like it that they’re not having to stand in line,” adding that the most time-consuming step may need to be adjusted before the general election.
But that process has been educational for some voters, she said.
” In every town there’s a few people who think that it’s easy to cheat and they’re seeing that it’s not easy to cheat”, she said. ” It’s very organized and secure”.
Not everyone was convinced. After passing the Stonington Town Hall during a walk, JoLynn Brochu, a Republican, and her husband Dan Brochu, said they made the decision to vote early. Even though they cast ballots, they still believed there should be only one day to cast ballots in Connecticut and were unsure whether early voting was necessary.
” Too much opportunity for cheating”, JoLynn Brochu said of the early voting option.
Brochu claimed that using the opportunity to vote early in the event of long lines at the polls on Election Day or a malfunctioning voting booth makes sense as a Republican.
” I know Democrats take that opportunity at a much higher rate than Republicans do,” she said. So I believe it’s important for Republicans to begin doing the same thing.
By Susan Haigh
