State switching back to old absentee-ballot rules

After two years of being able to cast absentee ballots for any reason in the COVID pandemic, voters in three upcoming special elections are limited to traditional reasons for mailing-in their choices for the state House of Representatives.

During its June 2021 special session, the General Assembly approved the extension for no-excuse absentee voting until Nov. 3, the day after the municipal elections. So now, voters can only claim illness, physical disability, active duty in the U.S. military, religious restrictions, absence from the town throughout the day of election or that they are poll workers.

During a virtual training session in December, town clerks throughout the state were informed by Secretary of the State Denise Merrill of the return to the old rules.

For local officials such as Stamford Town Clerk Lyda Ruijter, it means reminding voters that they can only obtain absentee ballots for the limited reasons that no longer include fear of COVID. Those sick with COVID can still vote by mail.

“I’ve been getting phone calls and emails all day about this,” Ruijter said Wednesday.

She and other city officials are preparing for the Jan. 25 special election to fill the vacancy in the 144th House District, including the Turn of River and Belltown neighborhoods, after Mayor Caroline Simmons resigned from the General Assembly following her election victory.

House districts cover about 23,000 residents, and special elections usually attract a small percentage of voters. As of Wednesday afternoon, Ruijter had sent out 398 absentee ballots, with 115 returned. In the 2020 presidential election, during which the secretary of the state sent absentee ballot applications to all registered voters, Stamford led the state with more than 24,000 cast.

Berlin Town Clerk Kate Wall, president of the Connecticut Town Clerks Association, said Wednesday it’s expected that voters will have questions, after two years of no-excuse absentee balloting.

“I haven’t heard of any problems though,” she said.

“This is another example of why we need no-excuse absentee voting,” said Cheri Quickmire, executive director of Common Cause in Connecticut, the voteradvocacy and elections watchdog organization.

Another special House election will be held Feb. 22 in the 71st House District, covering Middlebury and part of Waterbury, to replace veteran Republican state Rep. Tony D’Amelio, who cited family and business reasons for his recent resignation.