Your vote is your voice! Read on for what you need to know about voting in New Haven!
November 8 is Election Day. We gathered information and resources to ensure you’re ready to cast your vote.
Important Dates
Registration deadlines
- In person at a designated location on Election Day: Nov 8 by 8:00 p.m.
- Online: Nov 1 by 11:59 p.m.
- By mail (postmarked by): Nov 1
Absentee ballot deadlines
- Request ballot (received by): Nov 7
- Return ballot by mail (received by): Nov 8 by 8:00 p.m.
- Return ballot in person: Nov 8 by 8:00 p.m.
Voting deadlines
- In-person: Nov 8
Getting Registered / Checking Your Registration Status
To register in Connecticut you must:
- be a citizen of the United States
- be a resident of Connecticut and of the town in which you wish to vote
- be 18 years old (17-year-olds who will turn 18 on or before Election Day, may participate in the general primary but that has already passed.)
- have completed confinement if previously convicted of a felony, and have had your voting rights restored by Registrars of Voters
Where to Register to Vote
ONLINE:
CT offers online voter registration at https://voterregistration.ct.gov/OLVR/welcome.do. If you aren’t tech-savvy, call your local NHFPL branch to schedule 1:1 assistance.
IN-PERSON:
You can register in person at the New Haven Registrar of Voters Office in the Hall of Records at 200 Orange St, #201.
Remember, you can also register to vote at the library! All of our locations have the forms and offer the opportunity to register to vote when opening a new library card.
Not sure if you’re registered? Check your status here: https://portaldir.ct.gov/sots/LookUp.aspx
Absentee Ballots
Absentee Ballots became available on Oct. 7th. You can check if you qualify and download the application here: https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Voter-Information/Absentee-Voting
If you qualify but haven’t applied for an absentee ballot yet, now is the time! You can request an absentee ballot up until November 7th, but it has to be received by 8 PM on November 8th for your votes to be counted, so the sooner the better.
Your completed application should be returned either in person or by mail to the New Haven City Clerk’s office at 165 Church St.
Understanding the Ballot
View a sample ballot here.
This year, we’ll be voting on Federal, State, and Judicial candidates, along with a special measure. We’ll review what the roles are and what they’re responsible for. We’ll also list the names and political parties of the candidates. Since individual campaign platforms touch on a wide array of issues, a list of resources will be provided in the next section so you can research these candidates on your own.
Federal: US Senate and House of Representatives (Congress)
Our US Senate nominees are Richard Blumenthal (D) and Lenora Levy (R). Blumenthal is the incumbent, which means he currently holds this position.
Our Congressional nominees are Rosa DeLauro (D) and Leslie DeNardis (R). DeLauro is the incumbent.
State: There are 7 positions we’ll be electing this year for our state elections:
- CT Governor: The candidates are Ned Lamont (D) and Robert Stefanowski (R). Lamont is the incumbent.
- CT Secretary of State: Dominic Rapini (R) and Stephanie Thomas (D)
- CT Attorney General: Jessica Kordas (R) and William Tong (D)
- CT Comptroller: Mary Fay (R) and Sean Scanlon (D)
- CT State Senate – District 11: Harry Arora and Erick Russell (D)
- CT House of Representatives – District 94: Robyn Porter (D) is running unopposed.
Judicial: We’ll also be voting for the Judge of Probate for District 38. This District or Circuit Court Judge presides over probate cases at the trial level. The nominees are Jerald Barber (R) and Americo Carchia (D).
Finally, you will be asked to vote on an Early Voting Amendment. You’ll be asked a “yes” or “no” question:
Shall the Constitution of the State be amended to
permit the General Assembly to provide for early voting?
Answering “yes” means you support amending the CT Constitution to allow early voting. Answering “no” means you do not support this change.
Learning More About the Candidates and Issues
The individual candidates usually have their own websites that detail their views and platforms. These websites can be informative but might also be biased. So, how can you learn about the candidates and their views without being influenced in any particular direction? We’ve got your back! Here’s a list of resources:
Enter your address on the BallotReady homepage and they’ll generate a detailed interactive guide to your local ballot. This includes a full list of the candidates and what they believe.
Vote411 will populate your ballot based on your address. It provides important debate-style questions for candidates to answer. You can click on each political position and candidate to see responses. (NOTE: Sometimes not all of the candidate respond to the questions.)
BallotPedia also generates a list of candidates and their platforms for your local ballot.
HeadCount: Issues & Candidates
HeadCount offers a comprehensive list of resources to help you research candidates and prepare for Election Day.
A Starting Point’s mission is to create a bipartisan channel of communication and connectivity between Americans and their elected officials with the goal of creating a more informed electorate.
Information for Election Day / Know Your Rights
Hours of voting:
- For an election or primary, polls in Connecticut are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Any elector standing in line at the polls at 8 p.m. will be allowed to cast a vote.
Identification:
In order to vote, you need to bring a photo ID. Connecticut has 2 different ID requirements, depending on when you registered to vote. Most voters must present one of the following forms of ID to vote in person:
- Social Security card; or
- Any pre-printed form of ID that shows your name and address, name and signature, or name and photo
If you cannot present an ID, you’ll be required to sign a brief statement confirming your identity.
But, if you’re a first time voter who registered by mail and you didn’t provide ID when you registered, you must present one of the following forms of ID to vote in person:
- A copy of a current photo ID that shows your name and address; or
- A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address
Your Rights (And Other Tips)
Give yourself plenty of time to wait in case the line is long. If you’re voting at the end of the day, STAY IN LINE. It is against the law for a polling location to send someone in line away. Anyone encountering problems on Election Day should contact the Election Day Hotline at 1-866-733-2463 or send an email to [email protected].
More information on CT Voter Rights can be found here: https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Voter-GuideVoter-Rights/Voter-Rights