Donovan hopes voter site becomes part of ‘overall electoral fabric’
NEW CANAAN — Councilman Liz Donovan is choosing to work behind the scenes, populating Vote411.org with local candidate information for the League of Women Voters instead of running for Town Council this November.
In the spring, the oneterm councilman announced she would not be running for reelection. Instead, she said she would be devoting her time to the Connecticut League of Women Voters, where she is serving as vice president of voter services.
New Canaan is one of the 16 towns where residents can already see local candidate biographies, review their answers to key questions and topics and read additional relevant facts about their background on the website. Local candidate information for another 13 towns are “works in progress,” Donovan said.
The “end goal” is for the site, which is managed and run by the League of Women Voters, to become part of the “overall electoral fabric” as it provides “nonpartisan information," Donovan said.
She calls the website a “one-stop shop” for voter information since it will include absentee ballot information, tips on watching debates with a critical eye, ID requirements, polling locations and registration forms.
The website contains relevant articles such as issues on “mis- and disinformation” which “are two of the most insidious tools used to undermine our democracy.”
When visitors type in their address in New Canaan, they can see candidate information for the town’s eight races to be settled Nov. 2.
The Board of Education is likely set to draw the most interest with nine candidates running for six seats of the total nine-person board. Three Republicans and five Democrats are competing for the five open four-year seats, and one candidate from each party is running for the two-year seat.
Separately, the board is considering options to fill Carl Gardiner’s seat after he announced last week that he will be leaving. His seat will be part of the 2023 election, board Chairman Katrina Parkhill said.
On the site, visitors can compare school board responses to key questions side by side.
The other races are uncontested, including town clerk, first selectman, board of selectmen, treasurer and town clerk.
The Connecticut League of Women Voters decided to enhance the website as the “core voter education effort to continue to promote and increase its use in our state,” Donovan said.
Other towns with information about local candidates on the site are Bloomfield, Branford, Darien, East Haven, Farmington, Glastonbury, Granby, Greenwich, Guilford, Killingworth, Ledyard, Madison, North Branford, Norwalk, Ridgefield, South Windsor, West Hartford and Windsor.
Candidate information will soon be uploaded for Wilton, Stamford, Westport, Weston, Groton, Hamden, New Haven, Trumbull and East Granby, Litchfield County, Stonington and Britain.
Donovan said that she is hoping to compile local candidate information for Bridgeport, Fairfield, Danbury, Bethel, Brookfield, New Fairfield, Newtown and Sherman soon.