Newtown Town Clerk Debbie Halstead told The Newtown Bee this week that she and a number of her colleagues across the state are still trying to wrap their collective heads around changes that are occurring in voting procedures ahead of the presidential primary that has been bumped out to August 11 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to public health concerns, Governor Ned Lamont announced March 19 that Connecticut’s primary would be moved from April 28 to June 2. The governor then took a further precaution April 17, moving the date to August 11 with the cooperation with Secretary of the State Denise Merrill.

The state was already scheduled to hold primaries for other federal, state, and local offices on August 11, so Lamont’s executive order shifting to this date enabled the presidential primary to appear on the same ballot as those other races.

By mid-April, President Trump, who has no serious opposition in his party, had already won sufficient delegates to be nominated to run for a second term. Former Vice President Joe Biden is the only remaining active candidate on the Democratic ballot.

“Everybody, every registered Democrat and Republican, is going to get an absentee ballot application,” Halstead said. Unaffiliated voters and registered members of the Independent Party will not receive the applications.

However, any unaffiliated registered voter who has not been enrolled in any party for at least three months may enroll in a political party online or by mail up until August 6 — or in person by noon on August 10 at the local registrar’s office.

Any registered member of the Independent Party of Connecticut has already missed the May 11 deadline to vote in the presidential primary. Eligible citizens can change their party affiliation at voterregistration.ct.gov.

Any Newtown resident who is a US citizen and a Connecticut resident who will turn 18 by Election Day, November 3, is eligible to participate in the primary on August 11. You can register online with a DMV-issued ID at voterregistration.ct.gov — or download the voter registration form in English or Spanish and mail it.

Download the form from https://portal.ct.gov/sots/election-services/register-to-vote/voter-registration-application-english-and-spanish.

You are not a voter until your application is approved by the Registrar of Voters. You should receive a confirmation within three weeks. If you do not, contact the registrar by calling 203-270-4250.

Absentee Ballot Allowance

On May 6, Merrill dispatched an official interpretation of Connecticut General Statutes 9-135, Connecticut’s absentee ballot statute.

“No Connecticut voter should be forced to choose between their health and their right to vote,” said Secretary Merrill. “The coronavirus pandemic has created unique challenges for election administration, and this interpretation of the law will allow the maximum number of Connecticut voters to use their illness as an excuse under the existing statute because of the specific nature of the coronavirus.”

The official interpretation of the statute, made with review of guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control, allows voters with underlying risk factors relevant to COVID-19 to request and receive an absentee ballot using the “his or her illness” reason found in 9-135.

Ballot applications will explain the law in light of this interpretation of 9-135. As previously announced, the Office of the Secretary will pay for the postage for the applications, their return, the ballots, and the ballots’ return, so that absentee ballots can be used without cost to the voters or the towns.

On May 20, Lamont signed an executive order allowing all registered voters in Connecticut to vote absentee in the August 11 primary elections.

Current state law authorizes the use of an absentee ballot for six reasons, including a voter’s active service in the Armed Forces; absence from town during all of the hours of voting; illness; religious beliefs; duties as an election official; and physical disability.

Lamont said it was critical state government make reasonable adjustments that reflect the current state of emergency while ensuring that the democratic process continues safely and securely.

Dates To Remember

Noon on July 6 is the deadline for withdrawal of candidates placed on ballot by Secretary of the State. The following day, Merrill determines the order of candidates on the ballot by lot in a public ceremony, and will send a notice of primary to town clerks.

Absentee ballots will be available on Tuesday, July 21. Halstead says that any voter who previously applied for an absentee ballot for the previous two postponed primary dates will be included in a mass mailing on or shortly after that date.

On Tuesday, July 28, Newtown will join all other state municipalities holding a mandatory enrollment session for the primary. As mentioned earlier, August 6 is the deadline for new voters, and for unaffiliated voters, to enroll in a party for voting in its primary.

For new voters, mail-in applications must be postmarked, or received by registrar of voters or voter registration agency, by this date. For unaffiliated voters, the mail-in application must be received — not merely postmarked — by the registrar of voters by this deadline. Again, the in-person enrollment deadline is noon on August 10.

For those opting to vote at a polling location, polls are scheduled to be open from 6 am to 8 pm on Tuesday, August 11. The Newtown Registrar’s office is currently working on a plan to try and centralize all primary voting at a single location.

Halstead said she and each municipality will receive a certified and secure absentee ballot drop box that will be made available daily for voters to drop completed absentee ballots, promoting a safe and contact-free process for those who choose to use it.

Check The Newtown Bee’s July 3 edition, or newtownbee.com for the latest information on primary polling for those who opt out of using the absentee option.