Election 2020: Westport Voter Guide

WESTPORT, CT — Voters in Westport will head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, for the 2020 general election.

In addition to the presidential and congressional races, all state House of Representative and Senate seats are up for grabs. Voting will be different this year thanks to a law which allows absentee ballot voting for all voters in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

You can check your voting status on the Secretary of State's website, where you can also find your polling place.

There are several ways residents can vote:

Absentee Voting
The Secretary of the State office has mailed absentee ballot applications to all active registered voters in the state. Voters can also download the application online.

Those who want an absentee ballot will have to fill out the application and select a reason for requesting one. All voters are eligible to check the top box that lists "COVID-19" as a reason for requesting an absentee ballot.

Applications then need to be sent to the voter's local town clerk office. They can be dropped in the secure drop-off box in front of town hall, hand-delivered in person to the office or mailed in.
The applications will then be processed locally, and officials began sending out ballots earlier this month.

Ballots must be completely filled out according to the accompanied instructions, including signing the inner envelope. Ballots can be hand-delivered to the town clerk office, placed in the drop-off box or mailed in. Ballots must be received by the close of polls in order to count.

Voting on Election Day
Polls in Connecticut are open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. You can use the Secretary of State’s website to find your polling place.

Regular voter registration must be received or postmarked by the 7th day before Election Day. Registration can be done in person with the local registrar of voters office by the 7th day before an election.

Connecticut also allows for Election Day registration at designated centers in each town. People must be registered by 8 p.m. in order to vote using Election Day registration.

For questions about voting in Westport, contact the Westport Registrar of Voters at 203-341-111 or visit their website here. The Registrar of Voters office is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The following are the key contested races that will be on the ballot for Westport voters:

President/Vice President
Joe Biden/Kamala Harris (Democrat)
Donald Trump/Mike Pence (Republican) - Incumbent
Jo Jorgensen and Chip Cohen (Libertarian)
Howie Hawkins and Angela Walker (Green Party)

U.S. Congress
U.S. House District 4
Jim Himes (Democrat) - Incumbent
Jonathan Riddle (Republican)
Brian Merlen (Independent)

Local State Senate Races
26th Senatorial District
Will Haskell (Democrat) - Incumbent
Kim Healy (Republican)
Kim Healy (Independent)

28th Senatorial District
Michelle McCabe (Democrat)
Tony Hwang (Republican) - Incumbent
Tony Hwang (Independent)
Michelle McCabe (Working Families)

Local State Representative Races
136th House District
Jonathan Steinberg (Democrat) - Incumbent
Chip Stephens (Republican)

143rd House District
Stephanie Thomas (Democrat)
Patrizia Zucaro (Republican)
Patrizia Zucaro (Independent)
Stephanie Thomas (Working Families)