PLEASE NOTE! All CT Voters are eligible to vote via absentee ballot in the 2020 General Election due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. These FAQs were updated on 8/31/2020.
The Election is Tuesday, November 3, 2020
FAQs ABOUT VOTING IN CONNECTICUT
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If you are 18 years of age, a U.S. citizen and Connecticut resident you may register and vote in Connecticut. Not sure if you’re registered? Check your status here: https://portaldir.ct.gov/sots/LookUp.aspx
- If you are unable to come to the polls on Election Day, you may request an absent ballot. Voters may now list COVID-19 as an excuse to receive an absentee ballot for this election. You can download the absentee ballot application here: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SOTS/ElectionServices/Absentee-Ballot-Application-ED-3/ED-3-Rev-20-Final.pdf
Once the application is processed, an absentee ballot will be mailed to you at the address you’ve provided. Alternately, the application and the ballot can be completed in person at your Town Clerk’s office. Read the instructions carefully before filling out your ballot, since only ballots that are completed correctly can be counted.
- If I’m away at school and living in another state, where should I vote? That’s up to you. If you want to register in the state where you are living, go ahead and register there. Or, if you want to vote from your “home” address in Connecticut, you can get an absentee ballot as mentioned above. But you can’t do both! One person, one vote is the rule in our democracy.
- I registered to vote when I was 18, do I have to re-register? Not unless you moved to a different town in Connecticut than the one you registered in.
- Do I have to register with a party to vote in Connecticut? Only if you want to participate in Connecticut’s primaries. Connecticut is a closed primary state, so to participate you must be a member of one of the two major parties: Democratic or Republican. “Unaffiliated” voters (what the state calls voters in Connecticut who are not registered with a party) can always vote in general elections. If you are registered with a party and want to switch to a different one, there is a 3-month waiting period to do so.
- You still have time to register for the general election on November 3, 2020. For the general election, the deadline for online and mail-in registration is October 27th. The easiest way to register to vote in Connecticut is online, any citizen with a DMV-issued identification can register here: https://voterregistration.ct.gov/OLVR/welcome.do
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You can also download the voter registration application at https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Register-to-Vote/Voter-Registration-Application-English-and-Spanish and mail it to your city or town’s Registrar of Voters.
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If all else fails and you find yourself unregistered at voting time, Connecticut will have Election Day Registration (EDR) on November 3rd. But be prepared to wait a little longer—to protect the integrity of Connecticut’s election, EDR takes time and requires extra documentation to prove your residence such as a utility bill or other government issued materials. Also, keep in mind, most EDR locations will be different from your polling place and may require extra travel.
Important dates to remember:
Tuesday, November 3, 2020: Election Day 6 am – 8 pm
THIS INFORMATION WILL BE UPDATED ON A REGULAR BASIS TO ENSURE UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION FROM THE SECRETARY OF THE STATE’S OFFICE
To Download or Print these Voter FAQs, CLICK HERE
