State’s presidential primary now includes early voting

Connecticut voters will get their first taste of early voting this month as they head to the polls for the Republican and Democratic presidential primaries.

First approved in a 2022 ballot referendum, early voting has taken more than a year to implement as lawmakers and Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas worked out the specifics of the election schedule — ultimately settling upon two weeks of in-person early voting for the November general election and shorter periods for primary elections.

Early voting begins Tuesday, March 26 for the presidential primary, and ends Thursday March 28, with an additional day of early voting on Saturday, March 30. Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Connecticut’s primary is Tuesday, April 2.

How early voting works in Connecticut

Early voting works very similar to voting in person on Election Day, with voters being handed a ballot and envelope upon checking in at their local polling place. After marking their ballot, voters will place it in an envelope, seal it, and then place the sealed envelope into a designated receptacle, where the envelopes and ballots will remain secured until Election Day.

The equipment used during the presidential primary will be the same as Connecticut voters are used to using in other recent elections. While the Secretary of the State’s office received $25 million last fall to purchase new voting machines and tabulators, spokeswoman Tara Chozet said that the office is still reviewing proposals from vendors and has not determined a timeline for launching the new machines.

The biggest difference for most voters during early voting will be the location of their nearest polling site.

Every city and town in the state is required to open at least one polling location on early voting days, though larger municipalities may opt to open additional locations.

Registrars have until March 13 to finalize early voting sites, after which those locations will be posted on the Secretary of the State’s website. Until then, voters can check in with their local officials to see if their polling sites have been determined.

How many voters are expected?

Predictions for turnout in the primary are likely to vary depending on how many candidates remain in the race by the time early voting begins, Chozet said. In 2020, turnout in both primaries averages at around 25 percent.

“The Registrars of Voters across Connecticut have been working tirelessly to ensure a smooth implementation of early voting,” Thomas said in a statement. “I urge all voters to make a plan to avoid confusion if they plan to vote early. Voters can expect the same security they’re used to with in-person voting, but it will look a bit different. Voters should allow more time than usual in case there is a line. While each town has made educated guesses about turnout to staff their early voting locations, it is not an exact science.”

The two front runners for their respective parties’ nominations are President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, both of whom have won each of the early nominating contests to be held so far.

The other Democrats running against Biden in Connecticut are Marianne Williamson, Dean Phillips and Cenk Uygur. The other candidates that qualified for the Republican ballot are Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley and Ryan Binkley, though both DeSantis and Binkley have since dropped out of the race.

Thomas’ office revealed the final order for the ballots in late February.

Early voting deadlines

For voters wishing to try out early voting during the presidential primaries, the deadline to register with a political party is noon on March 25. After that, unaffiliated voters are still able to register with the town clerk or registrar of voters until April 1. Unlike general elections, there is no same-day or Election Day registration available for primaries.

The launch of early voting will not affect the availability of absentee ballots, which most voters can begin requesting from their town clerks starting March 12.

Connecticut is now one of 47 states that offer some form of inperson voting ahead of Election Day. The only remaining states without such an option are Alabama, Mississippi and New Hampshire.