In West Hartford, early voting at Town Hall began on Monday, Oct. 21, and will be available as an option daily through Nov. 3, 2024.

By Ronni Newton

Early voting for the Nov. 5, 2024 general election began in Connecticut on Monday, Oct. 21 – and at West Hartford Town Hall, there were nearly 100 people waiting in line for the doors to open at 10 a.m. to cast their ballots in the state’s first major test of early voting.

In 2023, Gov. Ned Lamont signed “An Act Implementing Early Voting,” making Connecticut the 47th state in the country to implement early voting. West Hartford’s Town Council approved the use of Town Hall as the sole polling place for early voting, which was also held on a smaller scale for the Presidential Preference Primary in April 2024 and for August 2024 primaries.

“It is a wonderful turnout so far,” West Hartford Town Clerk Leon Davidoff said Monday morning, shortly after the polls opened. “Please bring your ID and be patient if there is a line,” he added.

By the time the first day of early voting ended, more than 1,200 ballots had been cast, Republican Registrar of Voters Beth Kyle told We-Ha.com. The final count was 1,289 on the first day, including five same day registrants.

“It’s been going great,” Kyle said earlier. “People are excited to be here, and we are fully staffed.”

Where can I vote, and when can I vote?

All registered voters in West Hartford have a variety of options for voting in 2024.

The general election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, and traditional voting will be held at eight different polling places throughout town, but there is now no longer a need to wait for the traditional Election Day to cast your vote in person.

Early voting began on Monday, Oct. 21 and is available daily through Sunday, Nov. 3. Note extended hours are available on Tuesday, Oct. 29 and Thursday, Oct. 31. All early voting in West Hartford is at the Town Hall Auditorium, 50 South Main Street – enter through the main entrance of the Town Hall near the flagpoles.

Early voting hours of operation are:

Early Voting hours of operation
DATES	HOURS
Monday, October 21	10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Tuesday, October 22	10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Wednesday, October 23	10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Thursday, October 24	10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Friday, October 25	10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday, October 26	10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sunday, October 27	10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Monday, October 28	10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Tuesday, October 29	8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Wednesday, October 30	10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Thursday, October 31	8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Friday, November 1	10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday, November 2	10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sunday, November 3	10 a.m.-6 p.m.

There are several steps to follow for early voting, beginning with a check-in to ensure you are an eligible voter in West Hartford. Based on the district in which live (see list of polling places below), you will receive the appropriate ballot with an envelope.

Ballots are completed at a privacy booth and sealed it in the approved envelope. Before you leave, you will place the sealed envelope in the secure receptacle as instructed by the election officials.

At the end of each day of early voting, all sealed envelopes containing the ballots are turned over to Town Clerk Leon Davidoff. They are locked up and stored in a fireproof, waterproof location, and remain unopened until Election Day, Nov. 5, when they are turned over to the chief moderator.

“We do reconcile each day,” Davidoff said, but the tabulation does not take place until Nov. 5.

Why are people voting early?

“I’m traveling a bit over the next few weeks, and scheduled to come home the day before Election Day but wanted to play it safe,” said resident John Lyons, who was the 75th person to vote Monday morning. “I’m thrilled that early voting is now an option in Connecticut.”

Five of the six members of West Hartford’s legislative delegation got together at Town Hall. State Reps. Tammy Exum, Kate Farrar, Jillian Gilchrest, and Jimmy Sanchez, and state Rep. Derek Slap posed for a photo, and then the four who live in West Hartford joined the line to also cast their ballots.

“This is the first time we’ve been together to vote,” said Exum. Since they live in different districts within town they typically vote separately, she said.

Sanchez, who lives in Hartford and represents the 6th State House District, said he plans to vote at 6 a.m. on Nov. 5 at his own polling place, Batchelder School in Hartford.

“Having a really strong turnout will be an advantage to keep [early voting],” Slap said.

“It’s really important for people to see the impact of legislation,” said Gilchrest. And clearly, the reception to early voting, at least in West Hartford on the first day, was positive.

“You see the interest and enthusiasm,” said Exum, who couldn’t believe it took so long for Connecticut to allow early voting.

“It makes so much sense,” said Farrar. “You don’t always know what’s happening in your life,” and being able to cast your ballot on a day other than the first Tuesday of November helps ensure voters don’t miss out on the opportunity to vote.

“You have to not want to vote to not vote under these circumstances,” added Exum.

Some voters said they came to avoid potential lines on Election Day.

“I just wanted to get my vote out early,” said resident Kathy Colello, who was leaving Town Hall around 11:30 a.m. on the first day of early voting and said the whole process took her about half an hour. “I’m just amazed at the turnout,” she said and encouraged everyone to get out and vote.

Another advantage of early voting, Slap said, is that once voters have cast their ballots their names are marked off on the voter rolls, so candidates won’t call them or knock on their doors.

Traditional Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024

On Nov. 5, all polling places will be open from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. The polling places are listed below, and if you aren’t sure if you are registered, or which polling place you should go to, that information can be found on the Secretary of the State’s “Look Up” site here or call the West Hartford Registrars of Voters at 860-561-7450.

Polling places are:

• District #1-1 and 1-2 – King Philip Middle School, 100 King Philip Drive
• District #2 – Bristow Middle School, 34 Highland Street
• District #3 – West Hartford Town Hall, 50 South Main Street
• District #4-1 and 4-2 – Charter Oak International Academy, 425 Oakwood Avenue
• District #5 – Conard High School, 110 Beechwood Road
• District #6 – Sedgwick Middle School, 128 Sedgwick Road
• District #7 – Bugbee Elementary School, 1943 Asylum Avenue
• District #8 – Hall High School, 975 North Main Street

What if I’m not yet registered to vote?

Those not yet registered to vote but who are eligible to do so may register to vote and vote via the Same Day Registration during early voting as well as on Election Day. Same Day Registration takes place in the Town Hall auditorium during the early voting period, and in Town Hall Room 400 on Election Day.

For information about documentation needed for Same Day Registration, see the Registrar of Voters webpage.

What about voting by Absentee Ballot?

Connecticut law allows voters to receive an absentee ballot if they cannot appear at their assigned polling place on Election Day because of active service in the military, absence from the town, illness, religious tenets forbidding secular activity on the day of the election, duties as an election official at a polling place other than your own during all of the hours of voting, or physical disability.

Davidoff said more than 3,000 absentee ballots had been mailed out already in advance of the upcoming election. Ballots that have been returned will not be opened or tabulated until Election Day, Nov. 5.

A question on this year’s ballot (see ballot examples provided as PDFs below) asks if Connecticut’s constitution should be amended to allow “no excuse” absentee ballot voting.

If you are eligible and wish to vote by absentee ballot for the Nov. 5 election, follow the steps below:

• First, obtain an absentee ballot application online, in person, or by mail. A Connecticut-issued DMV ID is required for online applications. Then, return the completed application to the Town Clerk’s Office (Room 313, Town Hall). The voter will then receive an absentee ballot.
• Next, cast your vote using the absentee ballot.
• Lastly, return the ballot to the Town Clerk’s Office by 8 p.m. on Nov. 5 by USPS mail, in person, or deposit it in the secure drop boxes located at Town Hall and the Faxon Branch Library, 1073 New Britain Ave.

For more information, contact the West Hartford Registrars of Voters (Room 209, Town Hall) at 860-561-7450 or visit www.WestHartfordCT.gov/Vote. To reach the Town Clerk’s Office, call 860-561-7430.

Who is running for office?

Connecticut voters have the opportunity to cast their vote for President/Vice President, U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, State Senator, State Representative, and Registrar of Voters. There is also the question regarding absentee ballots.

See the sample ballots for each West Hartford district provided as a PDF below. The League of Women Voters of Greater Hartford are finalizing the profiles for all local candidates, and those will appear on Vote411.org as soon as they are completed.

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