With Connecticut’s State Primaries set for Tuesday, August 9, Newtown Republicans and Democrats are both being called to their respective polling locations to consider candidates for Secretary of the State.

Additionally, Democrats will have the chance to consider one among the three hopefuls vying for the State Treasurer slot on the November ballot, while Republicans will choose which of the three GOP challengers they want to see opposing Richard Blumenthal for one of the state’s two US Senate seats this fall.

Democratic candidates for Secretary of the State are Stephanie Thomas and Maritza Bond. Republican candidates for Secretary of the State are Dominic Rapini and Terrie E. Wood.

Democratic candidates for State Treasurer are Erick Russell, Dita Bhargava, and Karen DuBois-Walton

Republican US Senate hopefuls are the GOP’s endorsed challenger and former state lawmaker Themis Klarides, Leora R. Levy, and Peter Lumaj.

On August 9, polls will be open at 6 am and will remain open until 8 pm. Polling locations are as follows:

District 1-6 and 1-7 — Newtown Middle School

District 2-6 — Newtown High School

District 3-6 — Reed Intermediate School

Absentee ballots are now available at the Town Clerk’s office, and may be applied for by any qualified voter unable to vote at the polls due to the following reasons:

*Active service in the Armed Forces of the United States

*Absence from the town

*Sickness

*Physical disability

*Religious tenets which forbid secular activity on the day of the election, primary or referendum, and/or

*Because they have duties as a primary, election or referendum official at a polling place other than their own during all of the hours of voting.

For voters’ convenience, special Saturday voting hours are planned for August 6 at the Town Clerk’s office from 9 am to noon. The Town Clerk’s Office is located within the Municipal Center at Fairfield Hills.

Absentee ballots for the 2022 primaries must be received by the Town Clerk no later than 8 pm on August 9.

Voters have the following options for returning their absentee ballots:

*Official ballot drop boxes outside the north and south entrances of the Municipal Center, available 24 hours;

*By return mail addressed to: Town Clerk Debbie Aurelia Halstead, 3 Primrose Street, Newtown, CT 06470

*In person, Monday-Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm

Interested voters may check to see if they are registered at portaldir.ct.gov/sots/LookUp.aspx

If you need to register to vote, you can register online at voterregistration.ct.gov/

Absentee ballots for military voters or voters currently living overseas can be found by visiting fvap.gov.

Also, the Registrars of Voters will hold a statewide voter registration session from 9 am to noon on Monday, August 8 for those who have turned 18, become a US citizen, or moved to Connecticut since August 4 of this year.

This August 8 registration session is also open to members of the Armed Forces and former Armed Forces members who have been discharged within the calendar year. Qualified armed forces members may register that day between 9 am and 5 pm.

If you should have any questions regarding absentee ballots, e-mail the Town Clerk’s office at: town.clerk@newtown-ct.gov — or call 203-270-4210