Absentees seen as vital in special election for state Senate
Ballots available to all eligible voters in district
With many voters heading out of town on vacation, absentee ballots could play a crucial role in the special election for the empty seat in the 36th Senate District representing Greenwich and parts of Stamford and New Canaan.
For the Aug. 17 special election, any registered voter can cast an absentee ballot, election officials said.
“It’s important for voters to understand that all registered voters can vote by absentee ballot for the special election as well as for the election in November,” Greenwich Democratic Registrar of Voters Mary Hegarty said on Monday. “The state legislature extended the use of the COVID-excuse, which makes the ballots available to everyone. That means there will be more use of absentee ballots than you usually have,” she said. Usually in Connecticut, there is a narrow list of allowed excuses for casting an absentee ballot, including if a voter is out of town on Election Day.
Three candidates — Democrat Alexis Gevanter, Republican Ryan Fazio and petition candidate John Blankley — are seeking the Senate seat, which was vacated in late June by the unexpected resignation of
“The state legislature extended the use of the COVIDexcuse, which makes the ballots available to everyone.” Greenwich Democratic Registrar of Voters Mary Hegarty
Alex Kasser, who was elected to a second term in December.
The short time frame for the campaign has also put a focus is on getting out the vote, which could mean a push for absentee ballots as was seen in last year’s presidential election.
According to Greenwich Republican Registrar of Voters Fred DeCaro, 16,421 voters out of the 42,359 residents on the rolls in Greenwich voted via absentee ballot last November.
To get an absentee ballot, a voter can request one online, mail in an application for a ballot or go in person to their town clerk’s office to fill out a request and get the ballot, Hegarty said.
Greenwich Town Clerk Carmella Budkins said she “definitely” expects it to be busy in the weeks before the election.
Getting out the vote
A possible September primary in Stamford for the Democratic nomination for mayor between incumbent Mayor David Martin and challenger Caroline Simmons, the state representative who earned the party nomination over the weekend, would also offer access to absentee ballots.
Gevanter pointed to her advocacy for expanded ballot access as a volunteer for Safe Votes CT, a nonpartisan statewide coalition of voting rights citizen groups.
“Voting is the foundation of our democracy, and I believe it should be easy and accessible for every election, not just this one,” she said Monday. “Right now, my campaign’s efforts are focused on ensuring voters know that they have the right to vote by absentee ballot and how to do it. Our goal is to get as many people as possible to vote by requesting their ballots and voting either in person at their town clerk’s office, by secure drop box at Greenwich Town Hall, New Canaan Town Hall or the Stamford Government Center or by mail.”
Fazio, a member of Greenwich’s Representative Town Meeting who ran against Kasser unsuccessfully in fall 2020, also stressed the need for absentee ballots. He said Republicans are “encouraging all of our supporters and all voters to vote absentee ballot if they are worried they may not be able to vote (in person)” on the day of the election.
“It’s important during an unusual election date, in this case for a special election, that everyone’s voice be heard and that people vote either by absentee ballot or in person on Aug. 17,” he said.
He predicted that the absentee ballots would play a big role in the upcoming election.
“The middle of August is a difficult time to have a special election because so many people are not going to be in town,” Fazio said. “We want to encourage our supporters also to strongly consider voting absentee in order to make sure that their voice is heard in what will be a very close and competitive election.”
Blankley, a Democrat, broke from the party when it backed Gevanter for the nomination. A main part of his strategy, he said, will be to appeal to unaffiliated voters through mailings — and part of that pitch will remind them that they can vote absentee.
“It is critical for the unaffiliated candidate who doesn’t have access to the major parties’ apparatus to make sure the people know that they have a choice in this election beyond a Democrat and a Republican,” he said.
Turning in ballots
As of the end of Monday, 690 absentee ballots had been requested in Greenwich for the special election, with 143 already returned, according to Assistant Town Clerk Kimberly Spezzano.
Calls to the town clerks in Stamford and New Canaan for information on Monday were not returned.
The drop boxes used throughout the state for last fall’s presidential election will be used again for the special election. Voters can drop off ballots or applications for ballots in the boxes. Officials in Greenwich, Stamford and New Canaan will collect them every day, Hegarty said.
All absentee ballots must be received by Aug. 17 to be counted, regardless of the postmark, she said.
“If it’s getting close, people should drop their ballot in a ballot box,” Hegarty said. She also urged voters to follow the ballot’s instructions “very carefully” when it comes to using the inner envelope and signing it.
“Failure to follow the instructions might mean your vote won’t be counted,” she said.
Voters can also cast ballots at their usual polling places, with one change in Greenwich. Voters in District 7, who usually go to Greenwich High School, will instead vote at Central Middle School, which is also used by District 8.
According to Hegarty, District 7 will vote in the cafeteria and District 8 will vote in the gymnasium.
For more information on polling places, visit www.greenwichct.gov for Greenwich, www. stamfordct.gov/residents/ elections for Stamford or www. new canaan. info/ departments/registrars_of_ voters/index.php for New Canaan.