Last Day To Change Party Affiliation To Vote In Presidential Primary

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill is reminding Connecticut voters enrolled in a political party that Tuesday, January 24th, is the deadline to transfer their affiliation in order to cast a ballot in the Presidential Preference Primary taking place in Connecticut on April 24, 2012. 

Primaries in Connecticut are open only to enrolled party members and according to Connecticut General Statutes 9-59, a voter can vote in their party primary after they have been enrolled with that party for at least three months.    

“The Republican Presidential primary race is really heating up, with the real possibility that Connecticut and our neighboring states will play an important role in choosing the candidate to face President Obama this fall,” said Secretary Merrill, Connecticut’s chief elections official. 

“If any registered Democrats or people enrolled in other parties want to cast a ballot in the Republican Presidential Primary on April 24th, they need to make sure they transfer their affiliation to Republican by tomorrow.”  

Polls will open from 6:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. for the Presidential Preference Primary statewide in Connecticut on Tuesday April 24, 2012.  Eligible voters who are not registered have until Monday April 23rd to register as Republicans in order to cast ballots in the Republican Presidential primary. 

Unaffiliated voters who want to cast ballots in that same primary also have until Monday April 23rd to affiliate with the Republican party. 

In addition to Connecticut, voters will be casting Presidential Primary ballots in New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Rhode Island on April 24th. Voters can go to the Secretary of the State’s website www.sots.ct.gov to see if they are registered to vote and where their polling place is located.