Letter to Governor Lamont: Urgent Funding Needed For Early Voting Rollout

Letter to Governor Lamont: Urgent Funding Needed For Early Voting Rollout

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Type: 
Public Statement
Date of Release or Mention: 
Thursday, March 7, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, March 7, 2024
 
CONTACT:
Patricia Rossi
president [at] lwvct.org

732-754-9301

In a letter sent Thursday March 7, the League of Women Voters of Connecticut urged Governor Lamont to fully fund Early Voting implementation and voter education

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The League of Women Voters of Connecticut shares Lamont’s enthusiasm for improving eligible voters’ access to the ballot box in Connecticut.  As our Governor has said, citizens should be invested in our state’s future.  Voting is their investment.

We’ve worked for over a decade to garner both the Legislature’s and Voters’ approval of Early Voting in Connecticut.  We are about to embark on our first early voting session, a landmark event that—in Lamont’s words—"Improve the ability of voters to cast their ballots and enable more people to participate in our democracy.”

When we attended the signing of the Early Voting bill last year, we had been assured that funding would be provided to ensure the new process would be successful. 

  • At the bill signing, Lamont said: “We will do what it takes to make sure the program gets implemented appropriately.  We are partners with our municipalities but we are doing our part as well.” 
  • Representative Blumenthal noted that the Registrar of Voters Association of Connecticut’s #1 concern was about funding and that was: “. . .why we are so dedicated that Early Voting be fully funded.”
  • Representative Ritter said in a news conference May 2023 that “We can’t promise that every penny gets covered but the price tag of $8 million seems reasonable”.

 We know Governor Lamont shares our commitment to making Early Voting successful in Connecticut.  The process needs to be funded to allow for that success. We, along with our Early Voting Coalition Colleagues, plead with Governor Lamont to do what is right and adjust the budget to fund Early Voting now.

Patricia Rossi
Co-President
 
Ann Reed

Vice President, Advocacy

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The League of Women Voters of Connecticut is a nonpartisan, statewide organization that seeks to promote active citizenship and to build confidence in elections and government through effective public policy. The League encourages electoral methods that provide the broadest voter representation possible and promote access to voting.

League to which this content belongs: 
Connecticut