Connecticut will debut early voting at the end of March, for four days, for the Presidential Preference Primary. The legislature made a special exception to consecutive days this year to avoid Good Friday and Easter Sunday, so the days are March 26, 27, 28 and 30.
While the state approved bonding money for new equipment, it will not be available for early voting or the April primary. Since our current voting machines are not designed to allow multiple days of voting, votes cast early will be placed in envelopes, and run through the voting machines by the absentee ballot crew on Primary Day, April 2.
To assure that anyone casting a ballot only votes once, there is an affirmation to be filled out on the envelope before receiving a ballot. Please note, early voting ballots cannot be rescinded once cast. And lastly, early voting will be held at Town Hall. Here is the process:
At Town Hall, enter the line by the side entrance.
Show a valid ID, or if previously confirmed, fill out a form attesting to your ID.
Complete electronic check-in to confirm you are a registered major party member.
Your name will be crossed off on the Major Party Registry paper list, same as at the polls.
Fill out the early voting envelope, affirming you have not/will not vote again.
Vote your ballot in a privacy booth and seal it in your envelope.
A second check-in will occur to cross your name off electronically in the statewide data base.
Place your sealed ballot into the slot of the black bin.
Unaffiliated? Last chance to enroll
There are 3,319 registered voters in Granby listed as unaffiliated. Any unaffiliated voter who wants to join a political party and vote in the April 2 Presidential Preference Primary can go online or mail in a form by March 15. To change party in person you have until noon the day before voting. This applies to early voting as well.
New or unaffiliated voters to early voting can register in a major party, but they will need to come back the next business day if they register before noon, the following day after that if they come after noon. This caveat is because both major parties have rules requiring registration by noon the day before voting in their primaries.
To vote in the presidential primary on Tuesday, April 2, you must be registered as a Democrat or Republican. Voters are encouraged to check their party affiliation online at portaldir.ct.gov/sots/lookup.aspx In Connecticut, those who are 17 years old but will turn 18 by Nov. 5, can participate in the primary if they register with a party by the cutoff dates listed below.
For all primaries in the state of Connecticut, you MUST be a party member of the party you wish to vote for. State party rules prohibit cross voting in another political party’s primary. Unaffiliated or Independent voters are NOT allowed to vote in primaries.
To gain party affiliation, go online to fill out a voter registration card and check the box marked “party enrollment change” and be sure to write in a political party. The website is at voterregistration.ct.gov until the postmark and online deadline to register to vote on March 15. The unaffiliated and new voter in-person deadline is noon the day before voting.
Party membership does not cost anything, nor are party members obligated to vote along party lines. Unfortunately, the deadline to switch from one party to another has already passed. There is a 90-day waiting period for those switching political parties to attain party privilege. Anyone switching political parties between January 2 and April 2 would be ineligible to vote in either primary.
On Feb. 27, Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas announced that national candidates will appear on each ballot. Sample ballots are available for viewing on the SOS website.
Democratic & Republican Town Committees will hold Party Caucus
Starting March 26, Granby will hold two caucuses, one Republican and one Democrat, for party members to vote on the town delegates to send to the State and District party conventions in May. At these conventions the party candidate endorsement selections are made. The town delegates chosen in the caucus to attend the May conventions can be committed to a particular candidate or can be uncommitted. To participate and vote in the caucuses, you need to be a party member. Unaffiliated and unregistered voters can register with a party by noon March 25, the day before the caucus to be eligible to participate. (Switching parties requires a 90-day waiting period before attaining party privilege.) On the ballot in November will be seats for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House 62nd Representative, State Senate (7th for District 1 and 8th for District 2). The delegates to attend the National Conventions to choose a Presidential Candidate are selected in the Presidential Preference Primary held on Tuesday, April 2.
Early Voting and poll workers are urgently needed
Lots of poll workers will be needed for 2024. If you are good at typing, there are 25 days of early voting (late March, mid-August, late October–early November.)
Poll workers will also be needed April 2 for the Presidential Preference Primary; April 15 for the Budget Referendum, Aug. 13 for the Federal Primary and for the Presidential Election on Nov. 5. March training sessions are being scheduled and will be repeated prior to each event as needed. If you would like to participate, please register for the new training by sending an email to the Registrars at: registrarofvoters@granby-ct.gov Classes will be held in the Town Hall Meeting Room, 15 North Granby Road. All are welcome.
Calendar Review
Tuesday, March 12: first day absentee ballots for Presidential Primary are available.
Friday, March 15: deadline for online and postmarked voter registrations to participate in the April 2 Presidential Preference Primary.
Friday, March 15: Special Voter Session in Registrars’ Office from 1 to 3 p.m.
Monday, March 25: noon deadline for unaffiliated voters to register with a party to participate in the first day of Early Voting for the Presidential Preference Primary
Monday, March 25: Special Voter Session in Registrars’ Office from 9 a.m. to Noon.
Tuesday, March 26: Early Voting will be held at Town Hall from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday, March 27: Early Voting will be held at Town Hall from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday, March 28: Early Voting will be held at Town Hall from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 30: Early Voting will be held at Town Hall from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (The PPP is only for registered party members. New and Unaffiliated voters who register in person with a party by Noon during early voting are eligible to vote the next day.)
Stop by to register to vote, to determine your voting district or to make corrections in person at the Registrars’ Office in the Town Hall every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Voter registration forms are also available at town halls, libraries, DMV offices and online at the Secretary of State’s website: sots.ct.gov
Questions? Contact the registrars, Laura Wolfe and Paul Willis, at 860-844-5322 or -5323 or registrarofvoters@granby-ct.gov