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Dear We-Ha Editor:

Election Day in Connecticut – Nov.8, 2022 – approaches. This letter is a reminder to eligible voters to exercise their all-important franchise on that day in-person or with an absentee ballot. Casting your vote is a critical opportunity for civic engagement in our democratic republic. Perils to our democracy are prevalent. Voting is a symbolic act that represents belief in a democratically driven way-of-life.

This year in our state, in addition to voting on candidates for several offices, voters are poised to make their voices heard through a ballot referendum on amending the Connecticut constitution to allow for early voting. I highly encourage a “Yes” vote on this question. Our state is only one of four in the nation that has not expanded access to the vote through the option of casting an early in-person ballot. In this regard, do we really want to stay in the company of Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire? I think not.

Passing this referendum will make it possible for the General Assembly to enact laws developing an early voting program. What early voting promises is enhanced flexibility and opportunity for the electorate. It will contemporize the election system in the state by offering access to the polls on more than one day, thus enhancing the voting system’s compatibility with the demands of everyday, modern life.

I ask all We-Ha readers to vote, not only for the candidate(s) of their choice, but also in favor of amending the state’s constitution to allow for early voting. With a “Yes” vote on this ballot question, we can claim progress protecting our democracy by giving more people access to participate in it.

Sincerely,

Deborah Ducoff-Barone
West Hartford