Early Voting in pres. primary arrives in Stratford March 26

By James Simon and Louis A. DeCilio

Stratford Registrars of Voters

Do you enjoy the tradition of voting at the polls on Election Day? Or do you prefer Absentee Ballots? Or do you want to be among the first to try the new Early Voting system in Connecticut?

Voters in Stratford and throughout Connecticut will have several balloting options when they take part in the state’s presidential preference primary election on April 2.

The primary is considered a “closed” party election. You must have been a registered Democrat or Republican as of Jan. 2, 2024, or an unaffiliated voter who joins one of the parties before the April 2 primary date, in order to vote in your party’s primary.

Qualified voters have several options in casting a ballot

1. Stratford's 10 traditional polling locations will be open April 2, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Best time to vote? Lines tend to be shortest between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.

2. You can apply for an Absentee Ballot; contact Town Clerk Susan Pawluk at spawluk@townofstratford.com or 203-385-4020.

3. How about Early Voting? Connecticut voters in November 2022 approved a constitutional amendment that gives voters the option of Early Voting (EV). Registered voters can go to the Baldwin Community Center (1000 West Broad St.) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on March 26, 27, 28 and 30 and cast a ballot there.

(In November 2024, Connecticut voters will consider a constitutional amendment that would allow everybody to vote by Absentee Ballot, transforming the Connecticut AB system into more of a broader “mail-in voting” approach that is common in other states.)

Hate waiting in line? Other states that allow Early Voting report the lines are longest in the first and last days of balloting.

There isn’t much suspense in terms of which presidential candidates will get the most votes. Democratic incumbent Joseph Biden and Republican Donald Trump have won almost all previous state primaries this year by a wide margin. Biden will be joined on the Democratic ballot by Dean Phillips, Cenk Uygur and Marianne Williamson. Trump will be joined on the GOP ballot by Ryan Binkley, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley.

Consistent with Connecticut state law, the Stratford Registrar of Voters office will be open Friday, March 5, 2024 from 10 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. to enroll qualified residents who wish to register to vote in advance of the April 2, 2024 presidential preference primary. The office is located at Stratford Town Hall, Room 117, 2725 Main St., Stratford CT