West Hartford officials reported that everything was running smoothly on Election Day.

“I Voted” sticker 2024. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

By Ronni Newton

Overall voter turnout in the 2024 general election in West Hartford is expected to be high, but it was not as busy at the town’s eight polling places on Election Day itself as in most presidential election years. That’s because 17,255 cast their ballots early in West Hartford and as of Monday morning more than 2,600 absentee ballots had also already been accepted.

At noon on Election Day, the Registrar of Voters Office reported a total of 8,249 voters had cast their ballots in person at the eight polling places throughout town.

Election Day 2024 at Conard High School. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

A group of Democrats stood outside Conard High School early Tuesday morning, but during the middle of the day, notably absent throughout town were poll standers with signs promoting their candidates. Instead, voters were greeted by Girl Scouts selling cookies and other organizations holding bake sales at most of the polling locations.

Conard Drama was holding a bake sale fundraiser on Election Day 2024. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Girl Scout cookie sale on Election Day 2024 at Bristow Middle School. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Election Day 2024 bake sale fundraiser at Charter Oak International Academy. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

“It’s been busy, very steady,” Carole Mulready, the moderator at Conard High School, said just after 8 a.m. There was a line out to the parking lot when the polls opened at 6 a.m., she said, but later in the day there was no wait at all.

“It’s going smoothly,” moderator Regina Leonard said at the Town Hall polling place just before noon. Voting usually takes place in the auditorium at Town Hall but was relocated down the hall to Council Chambers so the larger space could be used for tabulating the early voting and absentee ballots, as well as ballots cast by those living overseas that will need to be hand-counted.

Election Day 2024 at Conard High School. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Democratic Registrar of Voters Elizabeth Rousseau said early Tuesday afternoon that staff is in the process of counting and tabulating the more than 20,000 early voting and absentee ballots that had already been received. The early voting ballots were able to be counted beginning at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, while absentee ballots could be counted beginning at 10 a.m.

In addition, activity was very brisk in Room 400 at Town Hall throughout the day Tuesday, where Same Day Registration was taking place. Same Day Registrants cast their ballots in the same room, regardless of which district they live in, and when the polls close at 8 p.m. those ballots will be brought to the auditorium for tabulation, Rousseau said.

Election Day 2024 at West Hartford Town Hall. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Initial tabulator results are due to be reported to the Secretary of the State’s Office after the polls close at 8 p.m., but the initial numbers that will appear in the Election Management System – specifically for West Hartford – will reflect only those votes that were cast at the polling places on Tuesday, Rousseau said.

While only three of the local races are being contested (incumbent 5th District state Sen. Derek Slap has an opponent as do the two State House members who represent small slivers of West Hartford, incumbent 6th District Rep. Jimmy Sanchez and 15th District Rep. Bobby Gibson) it’s expected to be hours, if not longer, before all of West Hartford’s results are recorded. Rousseau said that West Hartford has roughly 42,500 active voters, and since more than 46% had voted early or via absentee ballot, the early results will be far from final.

According to the Secretary of the State’s Office, total results must be confirmed by 9 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 8, and reported with any errors corrected by 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8.

Election Day 2024 at Conard High School. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

This article will be updated.

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