Connecticut

Welcome to the Connecticut state page! Here, Connecticut organizers can access and document ongoing projects, current leadership positions, upcoming races, and other important information. This list is non-exhaustive, and state teams are encouraged to expand and adapt these pages to their organizing needs

Political Party

Connecticut Democratic Party

• Site: https://ctdems.org/dtcs/
• Party Officers: https://ctdems.org/your-party/officers/
• Party Staff: https://ctdems.org/your-party/staff/

Important Voter Information

Who is eligible to vote?

• Must be at least 17 and turning 18 by Election Day.
• Are a US citizen and a resident of Connecticut
• If you were convicted of a felony, finished confinement.

Do I need to show photo identification in order to vote?

The short answer is no. Learn more about voter identification requirements.

What happens if I am not on the list of registered voters at the polling place?

Thanks to Connecticut’s new Election Day Registration law, you can register and vote in person on Election Day at your town’s Election Day Registration location. To register in person, you will need to supply proof of identity and residence. Contact your local registrars of voters for information about location, hours of operation, and acceptable forms of identification.

Can I vote absentee?

Connecticut has strict laws regarding who can vote absentee.

• Are you an active member of the armed forces of the United States?
• Will you be out of town on Election Day?
• Does sickness prevent you from voting in person on Election Day?
• Do your religious beliefs prevent you from performing secular activities like voting on Election Day?
• Will you be performing duties as an election official at a polling place other than your own on Election Day?
• Does a physical disability prevent you from voting in person on election day?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you are eligible to vote absentee.

For Absentee Ballot Eligibility Updates, click here.

Who can download an application for absentee ballot?

An application for absentee ballot may be downloaded by an individual for:

• The individual's own use
• The use of a member of the individual's immediate family
• The use of a designee of the applicant

• English Application for Absentee Ballot
• Spanish Application for Absentee Ballot

NOTE: Any person who will distribute five (5) or more absentee ballot applications to persons other than the individual's immediate family must register with and obtain forms from the Town Clerk of the municipality where such forms will be distributed before distributing such forms. Any person who distributes absentee ballot applications shall maintain a list of the names and addresses of prospective absentee ballot applicants who receive such applications and shall file such list with the town clerk prior to the date of the primary, election or referendum for which the applications were so distributed. Any person who distributes absentee ballot applications and receives an executed application shall forthwith file the application with the town clerk.

How do I vote absentee?

For an emergency ballot within 6 days of an election, please use the following Emergency Application for Absentee Ballot:  

• English Emergency Application for Absentee Ballot
• Spanish Emergency Application for Absentee Ballot

For a referendum with less than 3 weeks’ notice, please use the following Application for Absentee Ballot for Referendum Authorized to Be Held with Less Than 3 Weeks’ Notice (please note these ballots cannot be mailed to you):

• English Application for Referendum with less than 3 weeks’ notice
• Spanish Application for Referendum with less than 3 weeks’ notice

If you have a permanent disability, you may be eligible to apply for a permanent absentee ballot. Contact your local Town Clerk for details.

What happens after I send in my application?

• Your Town Clerk will process your application.
• The process and procedures for those who need accommodations for print disabilities are as follows:
  • The absentee ballot application has been updated to make it accessible by screen readers and includes a check box to indicate that the voter requires a ballot emailed to them because of a print disability.
  • Once the town clerk receives this application with the specified box checked off, they will send out a ballot packet – containing the outer envelope and inner envelope - WITHOUT a paper ballot, directly to the voter.
  • The town clerk will notify the Office of the Secretary of the State that the voter needs an accessible ballot and will provide the voter’s email address.
  • The Office of the Secretary of the State will email an accessible ballot directly to the voter.
  • The voter will be able to read and fill out the ballot using their screen reader, print it out, and return it in the ballot packet that was sent to by the town clerk.
  • The voter MUST sign the inner envelope, and local election officials have been instructed to approve the inner envelopes that are signed, even if the signature is not in the correct spot.
  • Those ballots will be hand counted, as they will be printed on normal paper with normal ink and cannot be fed into the tabulator.
• An absentee ballot will be mailed to you beginning:
  • 31 days before a general election
  • 21 days before a primary
  • 19 days before a referendum
  • Or if your application is received after the above dates, your ballot will be mailed to you as soon as your application is processed.
• Complete the ballot, carefully following the instructions that are included and return it by mail or in person.
• Only complete absentee ballots received before the close of polls on the day of the election will be counted.

Early Voting

Early voting is not currently available.

Beginning in 2024, Connecticut will require each municipality in the state to establish at least one early voting location. There will be 14 days of early voting for general elections, 7 days for most primaries, and 4 days for special elections and presidential preference primaries.

Election Day

Hours of voting:

• For an election or primary, polls in Connecticut are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Any elector standing in line at the polls at 8 p.m. will be allowed to cast a vote.
• Check with your Town Clerk for the hours of voting on a referendum, as they vary by town.

Election Day Registration permits anyone to register and vote in person on Election Day who meets the eligibility requirements for voting in this state and is not already registered, or is registered in one town but has moved to another town. By law, a person is eligible to register and vote if he or she is (1) a US citizen, (2) age 18 or older, (3) a bona fide resident of the town in which he or she applies for admission, and (4) has completed confinement if previously convicted of a disfranchising felony.

Election Day Registration (EDR) is not available at your polling place but is available at a designated EDR location in each town, beginning at 6 am and ending at 8 pm. You will register and vote at the designated EDR location in your town. Please plan to arrive early in the day as there may be long lines. If you are in line at the Election Day Registration site at 8 pm, you can remain in line to complete your registration and vote. You will need to provide proof of identity and residency.