#MIDDLEBURY #ELECTION
By MARJORIE NEEDHAM
Middlebury voters will face a number of choices when they go to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 8. They will vote on the next president and vice president of the United States, a U.S. senator, a U.S. representative, a state senator and a state representative. They also will vote on three questions related to the Middlebury Capital Plan.
The arrangement of the three questions on the ballot may cause some to overlook two of the questions. Question 1 is at the top, above the names of candidates for offices.
But Questions 2 and 3, instead of being under Question 1, are to the far right of the entire block of candidates’ names. We have posted links to PDFs of the ballots for both districts here so readers can see them before they go to the voting booth Nov. 8.
Also, voters wishing to learn more about the Middlebury Capital Plan before they vote Nov. 8 can attend an informational meeting Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 6:30 p.m. at Middlebury Fire Headquarters at 65 Tucker Hill Road in Middlebury. First Selectman Edward B. St John will present the plan and answer questions.
Polls will be open at Shepardson Community Center Nov. 8 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting for District 1 will be downstairs; voting for District 2 will be upstairs. Registrar of Voters Tom McCormack said in a telephone interview he expects a 90-percent turnout for the election. That means about 4,600 ballots will be cast.
McCormack said poll workers are still needed for a variety of tasks Nov. 8. For more information on working at the polls, call McCormack on his cell phone, 203-725-5977.
Election-day voter registration will be available for the first time during a presidential election. The Connecticut Secretary of the State’s office website says anyone 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 may register and vote in person on election day.
However, election day registration will not be at the polling place, Shepardson Community Center. Instead, it will be in the town clerk’s office in Middlebury Town Hall starting at 6 a.m. Those registering will need to provide proof of identity and residency. Once they are registered, they will be given a ballot and will vote at town hall.
Town Clerk Edith Salisbury said it’s important to note that election-day registration voters must be registered by 8 p.m. or they cannot vote. This is different from voting at the polling places, where you just have to be in line by 8 p.m.
McCormack estimated between 20 and 30 people might register on election day. However, he said, “It’s not a good practice to wait until the last minute. If you are registered in another town, we have to check with that town before you can register here.” He said it’s possible there may be difficulties getting through to the other town. He said of same-day registration, “It adds another layer of complexity that is not to anyone’s advantage.” He noted people also can register online through Tuesday, Nov. 1.
As for the integrity of the voting process in Connecticut, McCormack said, “People in Connecticut should not be concerned about the election being rigged because we have a paper ballot system that gets audited by both parties, candidates, the press and members of the public … You cannot rig who got how many votes because of the paper ballot. You can’t change the outcome of our elections.”
