Presidential Vote totals (as I have them) on 11/8 (includes battleground state information).

VOTE - IT MATTERS

Endorsed by the Record Journal - Obama for President

As published on Monday November 5, 2012

Winds of change were at our doorstep this week in the form of Hurricane Sandy and its powerful impact on daily lives of citizens along the eastern U.S. seaboard and beyond. To his considerable credit, President Barack Obama’s focus was on the well-being of the nation throughout, setting aside campaign appointments in favor of exercising strong leadership. (Quite unlike his counterpart, Republican former-President George Bush, who was woefully ill-prepared and unfocused with the advent of Hurricane Katrina — the lingering, baneful results of which have been acutely felt.) Appropriate, decisive action in such situations lends impetus, then, to central government’s integral function in American society.

Until the first of three debates, incumbent Democratic President Obama had been generally leading, sometimes by wide margins, in election polls over his challenger, Republican former-Governor Mitt Romney. Consensus solidly declared Romney victor of the first (with Obama seemingly detached from the spirit of this encounter). Thereafter, Obama rose like a Phoenix from the ashes of debate, setting the record straight while championing his cause persuasively in rounds two and three.

A president’s function is, however, not about debate but leadership — making profoundly difficult decisions (ones sometimes politically unpopular or even at odds within his own party). Such far reaching policies guide our nation in matters of war and peace, international policy, economic prosperity, as well as Americans’ health, general safety and well-being among significant, numerous considerations.

Chief among credential cornerstones for presidential elected office is overall consistency and steadfastness at the helm of governmental rule. These qualities Obama has demonstrated with well-reasoned aplomb even as Romney has been at sixes-and-sevens flip-flopping on issues from this season’s vitriolic Republican primary until the present.

Americans of varying political stripes, including members of his own Republican Party, rightly took umbrage with Romney over his recorded declaration that 47 percent of us are lazy slackers, mooching on the largess of government. This overt lack of caring for those relying on safety nets — including veterans, the permanently disabled, seniors on fixed incomes and those who simply can’t get or afford health care — should give voters pause.

Sorry, but, as Obama avers, returning to the Gilded Age is not the answer. Let’s not attempt to voucherize, privatize or systematically end beneficial safety net programs while enriching corporations and one-per-centers’ lavish tax breaks and accommodating loopholes. Instead, modify that which needs fixing by achieving fair, sustainable, humane, bipartisan compromise.

Obama’s impressive record includes: thwarting a potentially massive economic Depression and banking/financial system collapse (inherited from the previous Republican two-term administration), ending the Iraq war, saving America’s auto industry, strengthening international alliances while zeroing-in on terrorists, killing bin Laden, championing the cause of America’s health care and ending an absurd “don’t ask, don’t tell” military policy. By contrast, polls indicate that Romney’s “trust me” appeal to would-be voters is working, though bereft of policy specifics. It’s difficult to see how what he proffers will, in the practical, create 12 million jobs, or how not asking those exceedingly wealthy to do a little more will magically benefit America’s middle class and reduce deficits. It’s a quantum leap of illogic, far eclipsing Bush’s “fuzzy math,” as evidenced by Romney’s insistence that he can miraculously cut taxes, increase spending (especially military) yet achieve budget balance.

There exists an inexhaustible litany, vis-à-vis points of difference. For some, it’s pre-existent, deep-seated resentment that Obama won the White House. For others, it may be individual social liberal vs. conservative issues which drive a stake into the heart of productive discourse while generating electoral rancor and polarizing politics. Meeting half-way on the bridge of bipartisanship has all-but become a lost art of statesmanship.

It took years to create the mess Obama has been dealing with assiduously and painstakingly from day one in office. He admits freely to areas, especially jobs and the economy, needing improvement. Still, improving they are.

No human, no president is perfect. But Obama’s seasoned success and overall wise, thoughtful leadership coupled to his undeniable determination for excellence cause us to endorse him for a second term.

 

Registrars lament low turnout in municipal elections

As published in the Record Journal, Thursday November 24, 2011

By Russell Blair
Record-Journal staff
rblair@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2225

Turnout for the Nov. 8 municipal election was similar to two years ago and that’s the problem, according to local registrars of voters. Not enough people participate, they say. Wallingford led area towns with 39.56 percent of registered voters coming out to the polls, followed by Cheshire at 30.48 percent, Southington at 29.33 percent and Meriden at 23.62 percent. Statewide, 30.67 percent of the 1,940,432 eligible voters cast ballots. Samuel Carmody, Wallingford’s Democratic registrar, said that, even though the town was almost 10 percent better than the statewide average, it was still not a noteworthy accomplishment.

“Below 50 percent, that’s nothing to be proud of,” he said.

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill said she hoped voter turnout would rise in future elections.

“I hope in the future we can help all of Connecticut’s citizens understand the importance of choosing the right leaders in their communities so we can see more people going to vote,” she said in a statement. Turnout in Wallingford was up from 2009, when it was 35.6 percent, a year that Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. ran unopposed. In 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007, turnout was 43.1, 49.9, 47.6 and 45.7 percent, respectively. Dickinson had an opponent in each of those years.

Carmody said it was hard to predict the reasons for turnout in a given year.

In Southington, 8,041 voters came out to decide the makeup of the Town Council, Board of Finance, Board of Education and Planning and Zoning Commission. Turnout was about the same as 2009, when 8,317 voters came out, or 29.8 percent of the electorate.

Southington’s Democratic registrar, Edward Malczyk, said there “were no burning issues in town” that might have driven people to the polls.

“I think that played into it,” he said. “The snowstorm, the power outages worked against us. I thought the middle school referendum would have brought more people out though.”

Despite a rare October snowstorm that left much of the city in the dark for up to a week, Meriden voters came out in numbers similar to past municipal elections. In elections for mayor, City Council and Board of Education, 7,557 voters cast ballots, compared to 7,845 in 2009. Percentagewise, turnout increased by a fraction of a percent.

But the city’s Democratic registrar, Maureen E. Flynn, said the numbers were still disappointing.

“The lowest voter turnouts are municipal,” she said. “People have to vote for the president, but not during the municipal elections. But who are you going to call if there’s a pothole? You should vote for the people you complain to.”

Flynn said that if Meriden had a strong mayor the turnout could have been higher, but she added that it was similarly low this year in cities that have that system of government.

In Cheshire, turnout was about 6 percentage points below 2009. That year, 6,624 people, or 36.3 percent of registered voters, cast ballots.

Aleta Looker, Democratic registrar of voters, said she felt the snowstorm could have had an impact on Cheshire’s electorate.

“I think it’s partly because of the aftermath of the storm,” she said. “They had too much on their plate already.”

Looker said that she’d like to see more voters in local elections, but “you can’t legislate people’s behavior.”

“When people vote, that’s their right and privilege,” she said. “But not everyone sees it that way.”

Letter to the Editor of the Record Journal by Chet Miller

The following is a letter to the editor, published on Thursday November 17, 2011 as written by Chet Miller the Republican Registrar of Voters in Wallingford.

Editor: The registrars of voters would like to thank all poll workers for their work on Election Day and also to those who also worked the referendum just six days later. For the benefit of those people upset that this could not be on the election ballot and saw none of the explanations elsewhere, here is the true explanation. State Statute 9-369a prevented its being on the ballot. A second polling place on the same day as election was not feasible because SS9-289 requires one privacy booth for every 250 voters eligible to vote at a poll, which we don’t have (they cost $175 to $200 each and we were 80 short).

We also were lacking space, trained and certified poll workers to staff the second poll, and lacked the required number of scanner machines to operate legally. The old machines could not be used due to SS9-240a.

While I was personally attacked and blamed for this, understand that there are two registrars who work together and must agree on all decisions. There was no “clandestine meeting” as charged. Our job is to administer elections to comply with the law. We do not set dates or decide arbitrarily who can and can’t vote. We follow the law and our town charter, even if it may sound silly to some. We work with the school system and Senior Center to minimize disruption of programs. We kept traffic out of the elementary schools, which were in session, for safety’s sake. It never was a matter of what was convenient for us, but what was economically prudent and what complied with the law.

If law allowed things to be eliminated, combined or staff reduced, it was done.

Consolidation of polls saved $14,000, offset by the cost of $5,100 for the notification postcard.

Wallingford Final election results as published in the Record Journal

Click on the image to enlarge

Thank you again for the support!

2011 Election Results from Wallingford

Click on the image to enlarge.

Winners are highlighted in yellow.

Totals at this point are unconfirmed.

The unofficial counts from Democrat Headquarters

BOLD denotes the winner

MAYOR
Dickinson (R)    6,213
Testa (D)                  3,558

TOWN COUNCIL
DEMOCRAT
Sullivan              5,571
Hettrick                      4,095
Harwood                    4,878
Zandri                  5,542
Reynolds                    4,687
Eco                      5,370

REPUBLICAN
Fishbein             5,642
LeTourneau       5,728
Parisi                  5,809
Rascati               5,270
Cervoni              5,531
Laffin                  5,195

BOARD OF EDUCATION
DEMOCRAT
Cei                      5,632
Castelli               4,985
Reynolds           4,790
Leonardo                  4,304
Ford                           4,667
Votto                   5,277

REPUBLICAN
Bachand                    4,600
Miller                   5,094
Brooder              5,094
Mansfield            5,297
Mckay                  5,237
Marrone               5,065

 

Election totals are coming in…

I am at headquarters and collecting totals on the fly.

If the Record Journal has them first I’ll let you know.

You can check in there via http://www.myrecordjournal.com/election/2011/wallingford/

Record Journal Voter Guide - Wallingford polling places

As published in the Record Journal, Sunday October 30, 2011

WALLINGFORD — Here is the list of polling places for the Nov. 8 election.

District 1: Pond Hill School gym, 297 Pond Hill Road.
District 2: Stevens School gym, 18 Kondracki Lane.
District 3: Moses Y. Beach School gym, 340 N. Main St.
District 4: Dag Hammarskjold Middle School gym, 106 Pond Hill Road.
District 5: Cook Hill School gym, 57 Hall Road.
District 6: Parker Farms School cafeteria, 30 Parker Farms Road.
District 7: Yalesville School cafeteria, 415 Church St. (Route 68).
District 8: Senior Center, 38 Washington St.
District 9: Rock Hill School cafeteria, 911 Durham Road.

Voter information: (203) 294-2125

From the Editorial Page of the Record Journal: Vote with confidence

As published in the Record Journal on Election Day, Tuesday November 8, 2011

Voting is Democracy’s bedrock — a truly American activity which should not be taken for granted.

Elsewhere on this planet other societies don’t have it so well. In recent Arab Spring uprisings, thousands risked lives to demonstrate in favor of ballot-based elections, rather than further remain subjects beneath despotic leaders who abuse authority and employ violence to retain power. For centuries we have enjoyed what these modern protestors fight for. Today we can celebrate their efforts, and our first-world freedoms, by exercising one of a U.S. citizen’s most important rights — voting.

At last, Election Day has dawned. Local political clamor will soon yield to results. In copious political opinion letters to the Record-Journal, readers have expressed preferences for individual candidates and thoughts on pertinent issues in oft-times unequivocal terms. But mistake not the numerous political-letter- writers as enough interested individuals to decide an election. Every vote counts, and it is your responsibility — not someone else’s — to register your opinion.

As our country continues preparations for next year’s presidential race, municipal voting comes to have its own unique flavor in comparison. People familiar with one another in the same community get to express support, or lack thereof, for local candidates who are neighbors, and not TV personalities or names in a newspaper. It’s a chance for civic leaders to see what sits well with voters — issues and allegiances come into political alignment.

Campaign season is a long haul, and even though many candidates enjoy getting out and meeting people, it’s just possible some have rung enough doorbells by now. Nevertheless, let’s not forget that extensive efforts by political hopefuls and their supporters add impetus to the fullness of Election Day’s turnout and significance. Underscore this point: voting — it’s part of a great American tradition and the exercise of a powerful right in democracy — a freedom not to be wasted or squandered.

And before exercising such rights, residents should fulfill their responsibility to make informed, confident decisions. Do research. Learn not only about candidates as community members but also where they stand on important issues. For instance: in today’s entrenched fiscal stagnation, those running for municipal office have by now expounded personal financial and economic development policies of all sorts. Citizens should identify which proposed monetary measures they believe as best suited to propel more expeditious economic recovery, and vote accordingly.

In coming days, supportive signs will swiftly dwindle from front lawns and political ads will disappear from television air time. Election Day will fade into tomorrow. But the results — candidates authorized to take office, some replacing incumbents while others gaining additional terms — will last for two or more years. Thus, we hope that all voters participating in today’s election have done reasonable, if not thorough, homework. Make that vote count — know your mind. Vote with pride.

ELECTION DAY Locations to vote in Wallingford

District 1: Pond Hill School gym, 297 Pond Hill Road.
District 2: Stevens School gym, 18 Kondracki Lane.
District 3: Moses Y. Beach School gym, 340 N. Main St.
District 4: Dag Middle School gym, 106 Pond Hill Road.
District 5: Cook Hill School gym, 57 Hall Road.
District 6: Parker Farms School cafeteria, 30 Parker Farms Road.
District 7: Yalesville School cafeteria, 415 Church St. (Route 68).
District 8: Senior Center, 38 Washington St.
District 9: Rock Hill School cafeteria, 911 Durham Road.

If you need additional information:

Registrar of Voters

45 South Main Street, Room #211
(203) 294-2125

Registrars:
Samuel Carmody
Chester Miller

http://www.town.wallingford.ct.us/Content/Registrar_of_Voters.asp

Jason Zandri Candidate for Wallingford Town Council

VOTE TODAY – TUESDAY NOVEMBER 8, 2011

 

Goals as your Town Councilor:

If elected, I will listen to town residents first before I make a decision and I will execute to the best of my ability the responsibilities of the office for the good of Wallingford and her citizens.
Background:
- Born and raised in Wallingford; attended Pond Hill Elementary, Moran Middle School and Mark T. Sheehan High School
- Married father of four children; two are in the public school system
- President of the Wallingford Fireworks Fund
- Auction Manager for Wallingford’s annual MDA Party for a Cure
- Information Technology Professional - Senior Systems Engineer with 13 years experience in the field; responsible for operational support, service management, and technical planning
- Avid writer, wrote the FROM WALLINGFORD column for the Record Journal for three years through spring of 2011
- Involved with the local political scene since the late 1980s
- District 4 leader, Wallingford Democratic Town Committee

Record Journal Voter Guide - Wallingford polling places

As published in the Record Journal, Sunday October 30, 2011

WALLINGFORD — Here is the list of polling places for the Nov. 8 election.

District 1: Pond Hill School gym, 297 Pond Hill Road.
District 2: Stevens School gym, 18 Kondracki Lane.
District 3: Moses Y. Beach School gym, 340 N. Main St.
District 4: Dag Hammarskjold Middle School gym, 106 Pond Hill Road.
District 5: Cook Hill School gym, 57 Hall Road.
District 6: Parker Farms School cafeteria, 30 Parker Farms Road.
District 7: Yalesville School cafeteria, 415 Church St. (Route 68).
District 8: Senior Center, 38 Washington St.
District 9: Rock Hill School cafeteria, 911 Durham Road.

Voter information: (203) 294-2125

Vinnie Testa Candidate for Mayor of Wallingford

VOTE TODAY – TUESDAY NOVEMBER 8, 2011

About Vinnie Testa

Vinnie Testa for Mayor - http://videoalive.com/vinnietesta/  
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Vinnie-Testa-for-Mayor/118934548181765  
vtesta@comcast.net

Born in Wallingford; / Wallingford Public Schools;
B.S. Fairfield University;
1 son in college, 1 teaching in Washington, D.C.
Current Minority Leader, Wallingford Town Council
Wallingford Town Council – 8 years, 1 term as Vice-Chairman
Wallingford Board of Education – 8 years
Wallingford Wetlands Commission – 2 years
CCD Teacher and Lector Most Holy Trinity Church
Wallingford Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors
Child Guidance Clinic Board of Directors
Yalesville Little League Executive Board
Baseball, basketball, soccer coach, founding coach of Wallingford Lacrosse
Cub Scout Leader
Wallingford Dream Foundation (Founding member)
Wallingford Education Foundation
Golf Tournament Committee
Business Network International Development Ambassador


Modernizing Government

With 20 years experience in local government, Vinnie knows how we can save money by:

• Reducing costs and creating efficiencies through the smart use of technology
• Sharing services between Town and the Board of Education
• Eliminating wasteful spending to ease the burden on taxpayers

Leading Economic Development and Creating Jobs

Based on 25 years of success in corporate business development, Vinnie has a specific plan for bringing new businesses to Wallingford by:

• Establishing our industrial parks as a clean energy research and development hub
• Recruiting new corporate taxpayers that are essential to rebuilding our diminishing grand list

Ensuring Public Safety

• Restoring critical paramedic services
• Strengthening our police force by retaining those we train

Providing a Great Education for Our Kids

Vinnie served on the Board of Education, helped develop the long-term strategic plan for our schools, and he teaches in the Wallingford school system. He understands the challenges we face in preparing our children for success in the 21st Century.

“I am proud of my service and commitment to our community. It would be an honor to serve you further as your mayor. It’s time we moved forward, together, to make this town we love an even better place to live and raise our families.

Sincerely,
Vinnie Testa

Tomorrow, Tuesday November 8, 2011, is Election Day

It’s not often that you get your chance to have your say, really have the opportunity to voice your mind and thoughts.

You do get an optimum chance on Election Day more so than any other time of the year.

There is no body of government that can affect you as much and that you have as much effect on as your municipal government.

Your municipal leaders regulate your ordinances, set the local budget for the town and the schools, as well as maintain and manage the tax base of the town.

If you voted in the federal election in 2008 you were one voice in 169 million registered. (About 133 million showed up to cast a vote).

86 million democrat - 55 million republican - 28 million others registered.

Of those voters there were 132,645,504 total voters out of an eligible voting age population of 212,702,354, which gives you a 62.4% participation rate.

For the elections held at the state level here in Connecticut as of 2010 the total number of registered voters is a hair over 2 million.

The largest group of registered voters in Connecticut is unaffiliated, accounting for 831,962 voters. There are 743,580 registered Democrats and 413,854 registered Republicans.

So when 73 percent of the state voters turnout, your voice is one in 1.46 million.

You as the voter in Wallingford during a municipal election are one of about 25,000 registered. During our last municipal election only 35.6 percent of the registered voters turned out.

Your voice there is one of about 8,900.

Where do you think your voice is the loudest?

Where do you think your voice is best heard among all the noise?

Wallingford is your town – get informed, get involved and VOTE on Tuesday November 8th

FROM WALLINGFORD – Hey kids, it’s time to show up

As originally published in the Record Journal Sunday, September 27th, 2009

It was also cross posted to my personal blog – From the Mind of Jason Zandri

The item regarding the Charter Revision vote is out of date and no longer relevant but the rest of it as timely as it ever was.

 

According to some research I have done recently, in the 2008 Presidential election the number of Wallingford peo­ple registered to vote aged 18 to 30 that came out and voted was about 2,800.

For people aged 60 to 72 that number was a little more than 4,000.

Both age sets encompass a span of 12 years.

In 2008, 22,000 of the nearly 26,000 reg­istered voters in Wallingford generated an 85 percent voter turnout rate.

In the 2007 local election the number of people aged 18 to 30 that came out to vote in Wallingford was about 500.

Of the nearly 4,200 people aged 18 to 30 that were registered to vote only 500 showed up—that is a paltry 12 percent.

For people aged 60 to 72 that number was about 2,800 out of 4,700 or 60 per­cent.

When we talk about the impact for bet­ter or worse of the largest voting block the discussion always focuses around the older folks but it is not just because they are larger in size (as they are so by only about 500 voters) but rather due to the fact that they show up in greater numbers. In order to get to 2,800 voters showing up in a voter block for the 2007 local elec­tion you have to include everyone aged 18 to 47 — a bracket of 29 years.

That is a total of 11,400 registered vot­ers to yield the same 2,800 turnouts.

Let me say it again— you have to lever­age 11,400 registered voters from the 18 to 47 demographic to get the same turn out number of people aged 60 to 72 where 2,800 out of 4,700 showed up.

2,800 people aged 60 to 72 out of 4,700 is 60 percent.

2,800 people aged 18 to 47 out of 11,400 is 25 percent.

I understand that the numbers in total drop below 50 percent for local elections; in 2007 voter turnout was 46 percent.

The reason for this is mainly due to the younger generation of people not show­ing up.

This is especially concerning tome as a parent of four little children. At 40 years old I am in with a group of people that seem not to be willing to take control of their own destiny for themselves or their families.

Say whatever you want about how you can’t change things, politics is all dirty and it caters only to this group or that group or whatever— it becomes a self ful­filling prophecy when you don’t show up to vote.

I feel that local elections impact you more than any other election you could participate in. All the voters are from Wallingford, there is no other election that you could have a greater impact on by just voting.

In a Presidential election you are cast­ing your important vote among millions of others; in Wallingford it is one vote of about 12,000 or so.

Your locally elected officials directly af­fect everything from what you are charged in taxes by way of the budget and what allocations get handed off to support the schools that your children are attend­ing and so on. They provide the platform and funding for or removing it from all the local services you may use.

There are many changes offered to the voters in the 2009 election from the in­cumbents that are running for office again to all the newcomers throwing their hats into the ring.

There are changes being proposed to the Town Charter. This document dic­tates the guidelines of how elected offi­cials are to discharge their duties in serv­ice to you and the town and it is the first time any changes are being offered in 18 years.

You as a voter directly get your say as you get the opportunity to vote “yes” or “no” to each of the proposed changes.

Democracy at its best— all you need to do is show up.

Town of Wallingford – Historic Election results

Let’s make 2011 the year of 50.1 percent turnout.

In 2009 the number dropped to 36% (and I have been telling people incorrectly 37%)

Vote November 8th

FROM WALLINGFORD – Hey kids, it’s time to show up

As originally published in the Record Journal Sunday, September 27th, 2009

It was also cross posted to my personal blog – From the Mind of Jason Zandri

The item regarding the Charter Revision vote is out of date and no longer relevant but the rest of it as timely as it ever was.

According to some research I have done recently, in the 2008 Presidential election the number of Wallingford peo­ple registered to vote aged 18 to 30 that came out and voted was about 2,800.

For people aged 60 to 72 that number was a little more than 4,000.

Both age sets encompass a span of 12 years.

In 2008, 22,000 of the nearly 26,000 reg­istered voters in Wallingford generated an 85 percent voter turnout rate.

In the 2007 local election the number of people aged 18 to 30 that came out to vote in Wallingford was about 500.

Of the nearly 4,200 people aged 18 to 30 that were registered to vote only 500 showed up—that is a paltry 12 percent.

For people aged 60 to 72 that number was about 2,800 out of 4,700 or 60 per­cent.

When we talk about the impact for bet­ter or worse of the largest voting block the discussion always focuses around the older folks but it is not just because they are larger in size (as they are so by only about 500 voters) but rather due to the fact that they show up in greater numbers. In order to get to 2,800 voters showing up in a voter block for the 2007 local elec­tion you have to include everyone aged 18 to 47 — a bracket of 29 years.

That is a total of 11,400 registered vot­ers to yield the same 2,800 turnouts.

Let me say it again— you have to lever­age 11,400 registered voters from the 18 to 47 demographic to get the same turn out number of people aged 60 to 72 where 2,800 out of 4,700 showed up.

2,800 people aged 60 to 72 out of 4,700 is 60 percent.

2,800 people aged 18 to 47 out of 11,400 is 25 percent.

I understand that the numbers in total drop below 50 percent for local elections; in 2007 voter turnout was 46 percent.

The reason for this is mainly due to the younger generation of people not show­ing up.

This is especially concerning tome as a parent of four little children. At 40 years old I am in with a group of people that seem not to be willing to take control of their own destiny for themselves or their families.

Say whatever you want about how you can’t change things, politics is all dirty and it caters only to this group or that group or whatever— it becomes a self ful­filling prophecy when you don’t show up to vote.

I feel that local elections impact you more than any other election you could participate in. All the voters are from Wallingford, there is no other election that you could have a greater impact on by just voting.

In a Presidential election you are cast­ing your important vote among millions of others; in Wallingford it is one vote of about 12,000 or so.

Your locally elected officials directly af­fect everything from what you are charged in taxes by way of the budget and what allocations get handed off to support the schools that your children are attend­ing and so on. They provide the platform and funding for or removing it from all the local services you may use.

There are many changes offered to the voters in the 2009 election from the in­cumbents that are running for office again to all the newcomers throwing their hats into the ring.

There are changes being proposed to the Town Charter. This document dic­tates the guidelines of how elected offi­cials are to discharge their duties in serv­ice to you and the town and it is the first time any changes are being offered in 18 years.

You as a voter directly get your say as you get the opportunity to vote “yes” or “no” to each of the proposed changes.

Democracy at its best— all you need to do is show up.

Secretary Bysiewicz Clarifies Law Prohibiting Campaigning Within 75 Feet of Polling Place on Election Day

- Statement -

Secretary Bysiewicz Clarifies Law Prohibiting Campaigning Within 75 Feet of Polling Place on Election Day

Hartford: Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz today issued the following memo to Registrars of Voters and Town Clerks in Connecticut regarding the Connecticut General Statutes Section 9-236 that prohibits campaigning within 75 feet of any polling place on Election Day.

TO:      All Registrars of Voters and Town Clerks

RE:       STATE LAW PROHIBITING CAMPAIGNING WITHIN 75 FEET OF POLLING PLACE ON ELECTION DAY

Over the past few days, there have been several media reports suggesting that this office issued a directive to local election officials that voters who wear World Wrestling Entertainment (“WWE”)  t-shirts, hats or other apparel to the polls should be turned away from the polls.  These reports misstate the law and misconstrue the statements from this office. 

Section 9-236(a) of the Connecticut General Statutes states: “On the day of any primary, referendum or election, no person shall solicit in behalf of or in opposition to the candidacy of another or himself or in behalf of or in opposition to any question being submitted at the election or referendum, or loiter or peddle or offer any advertising matter, ballot or circular to another person within a radius of seventy-five feet of any outside entrance in use as an entry to any polling place or in any corridor, passageway or other approach leading from any such outside entrance to such polling place or in any room opening upon any such corridor, passageway or approach….”

In applying this statute, this office has never issued a blanket prohibition or declaration prohibiting any particular type of apparel.  The only clothing, items or apparel prohibited by Section 9-236(a) are those that “solicit” for or against a candidate or ballot question.  Each local moderator must assess each situation on a case-by-case basis.  In past elections, this office has consistently recommended that voters wearing t-shirts bearing the likeness or campaign logo of candidates, be asked to button their jackets when other voters have complained. 

In preparing for this election, be advised that it is the position of this office that simply wearing WWE apparel at the polls, including apparel with the trade name or logo of the WWE or the name or photograph of any WWE entertainer that does not display the name or photograph of Linda McMahon, U.S. Senate candidate, or the name or logo of Ms. McMahon’s campaign does not trigger a violation of Section 9-236.   

Further, even when an individual is found to be wearing campaign material in violation of the 75 foot restrictions, they should never be told to leave the polls.  They should be simply asked to remove or cover the item or apparel in question.  Once this is accomplished, the individual should be allowed to vote.  Once the individual leaves the polls and is outside 75 feet, they are free to display their support for the candidate of their choice.

We hope that you find this helpful.  Of course, please call us if you’d like to discuss this further, and as always, we are available for consultation on Election Day.

Av Harris
Communications Director
Connecticut Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz
(860) 509-6255 ofc
(860) 463-5939 cell
av.harris@ct.gov