Absentee ballots for Connecticut’s upcoming Nov. 4 municipal election are now available to eligible voters, according to a press release from the Connecticut Office of the Secretary of State.
“Your vote helps shape the quality of your schools, the services your family relies on, and the future of your community,” Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas stated in the release. “Local elections have a direct impact on our daily lives, and every ballot makes a difference. Our office is committed to ensuring that every eligible voter has safe, secure, and accessible options to participate — whether it’s in person on Election Day, during early in-person voting, or by absentee ballot.”
Residents of Mansfield line up at the town hall to register and vote in the 2024 elections on Nov 5, 2024. With 741,895 votes cast early according to the Secretary of the States Office, one mansfield poll official says ”It still has been a busy day”.
Photo credit Connor Sharp/The Daily Campus
Although Connecticut voters approved a 2024 constitutional amendment to allow no-excuse absentee voting, the state legislature has not yet passed the necessary laws to implement it. As a result, absentee ballots are still limited to voters who meet specific legal criteria.
According to the release, eligible reasons for voting absentee include active service in the armed forces, absence from town on Election Day, sickness or physical disability, religious beliefs that prevent voting on Election Day and duties as an election official in another polling location.
To receive an absentee ballot, voters must complete and sign an application and submit it to their town clerk. Applications are available in English and Spanish at MyVote.CT.gov/absentee or in person from the town clerk’s office.
Completed ballots can be returned by mail, in person or via secure drop boxes. However, Connecticut law restricts who can return a voter’s completed absentee ballot. Only the voter themselves, an immediate family member living with them, a designated caregiver (such as a doctor or nurse) or specific election officials — including town police officers and registrars — may do so.
To be counted, absentee ballots must be received by the town clerk or placed in an official drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
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Thomas also emphasized the importance of safeguarding election integrity and public confidence in the press release.
“We want voters to feel confident that their ballots are handled properly and that every vote cast is counted accurately,” she said. “If you see anything that seems wrong or unusual, please report it immediately to the State Elections Enforcement Commission.”
The Office of the Secretary of the State encourages voters to report any suspicious handling of absentee ballots to the State Elections Enforcement Commission by calling 866-733-2463.
In addition to absentee ballots, early in-person voting will be available from Oct. 20 through Nov. 2. Every Connecticut town will have at least one designated early voting location.
The office clarified that early voting and absentee voting are not the same.
“Absentee voting allows you to cast your vote from home or elsewhere, because you cannot cast your vote in person. Early voting allows you to cast your ballot in person, at an official polling location, during a specific state statute-set time before Election Day,” the release explained.
“Local elections are where democracy meets everyday life. The people you elect decide how schools operate, which roads get fixed, where homes and businesses are built, and how fire, police, and libraries serve the community,” said Thomas in a Sept. 12 press release regarding National Voter Registration Day.
For more details on absentee or early voting, voters can visit MyVote.CT.gov for official information and resources.