Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas announced Tuesday that early in-person voting – which was approved via constitutional amendment in 2022 and again by the legislature in 2023 – is starting in Connecticut next week.
“It feels great,” Thomas said as she described her anticipation to begin early voting. “I’ve spoken with every conceivable type of person who is happy to have early voting. From parents of young children to senior citizens who don’t know when they’ll have their good days or bad days, to college students and commuters and on and on. So I’m excited we’re just a week away from the rollout.”
The first election to allow early voting will be the Presidential Preference Primary on Tuesday, April 2. Voters will cast their ballots for which candidate they wish to see as the nominee for the Democratic or Republican parties. Connecticut is a closed primary state, so only voters registered with one of the parties can participate in the primary elections.
Unaffiliated voters who wish to participate may still register with a party to vote in the primary election, but the deadline to switch parties for this year has already passed.
Early voting takes place in person, but not at typical polling locations. Voters will have to look up the locations for early voting in their towns. Polls are open between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., and for the upcoming vote they will be open on March 26, 27, 28 and 30. Polls will be closed March 29 in observance of Good Friday.
The availability of early voting varies depending on the type of election. Early voting is available four days before the election date for special elections and presidential primaries; seven days for regular state primaries; and 14 days for general elections.
Thomas said events like the news conference she was conducting were important to let Connecticut voters know about their new options when it comes to elections.
“We’re hoping to get the word out so people understand that early voting is starting in just one week from today,” Thomas said. “I am still hopeful that we will receive some public education money this legislative session that will help us do a broader campaign in advance of the August primary and the November general election. We have a request in for $2.5 million, which is not just for early voting but all general election related education as well.”
Voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2022 to allow early voting in the state, with over 60% voting yes on the ballot initiative. The Connecticut General Assembly passed early voter legislation in 2023, and Gov. Ned Lamont signed the bill into law.
“When I go out and speak to people around the state, people are still confused. They ask, ‘What is early voting?'” Thomas said. “Remember, this is a new form of voting, so we need to have new expectations. This is our first time doing it here in Connecticut, so people will have to remember to look up their early polling locations. There may also be lines, as it is a slightly longer voting process than normal because every voter has to be looked up individually.”
Connecticut joins 49 other states and provinces in allowing early in-person voting, including Guam, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. The amount of time that different states allow for early in-person voting varies greatly. For instance, Kentucky opens early voting the Thursday before an election, whereas Virginia allows for early voting to begin 45 days before an election is held.
Further information can be found here.
