CT Polling Places Are Disinfected And Ready For Their Close-Up

CONNECTICUT — The governor and the secretary of the state both want residents to know that going to the polls on Election Day, no matter how high the coronavirus infection rate climbs.

"The election ends on Nov. 3rd," Gov. Ned Lamont said during a Tuesday news conference. "It started weeks ago."

Those choosing to vote in person are part of a dwindling statistic, according to Secretary of the State Denise Merrill. She said the state had already collected over 673,000 absentee ballots and expected the total to climb past 700,000 by the time all votes were counted.

Residents had until midnight Tuesday to register. The 2,295,644 active registered voters as of Tuesday morning was the highest since 2008, Merrill said. An unusually large number of those early votes were cast this year by residents age 18-24.

Election Day polling places are busiest in the early morning and in the evening, and Merrill recommended midday as the best time to vote.

Sue Larsen, president of the Registrar of Voters Association in Connecticut, said she was confident of the cleanliness of all the polling locations. Each site has been given a PPE kit with face masks, gloves and hand sanitizer. Voters should not be surprised to find one-time use pencils, disposal pens and even disposable mats for desk areas at the polls.

Merrill said that wearing a mask was required in polling places, but later when pressed by reporters clarified that "We, by law, cannot refuse anyone their right to vote," before adding, "No one will be allowed to endanger someone else's health."

How exactly to handle situations where an unmasked citizen insists upon casting a vote inside a polling place would be left up to the site's local staff, Merrill said.

The state does not employ official poll watchers, Lamont said, but unofficial checkers appointed by state officials and acknowledged by the local registrars could be on hand at the polls.