In East Lyme, early voting welcomed by some but not others
Mar. 26—EAST LYME — Kristin DeLea, back home in Niantic for just a few days in between helping her daughter take care of a new baby in Kansas, was surprised to find that voting in the presidential primary fit right into her schedule.
"I had it on my calendar to make sure I picked up my absentee ballot, and when I called this morning they said there was early voting," the registered Democrat said. "I couldn't believe my luck."
Tuesday marked the first day of early voting in Connecticut, which last year became the 47th state in the nation to offer the expanded framework.
DeLea was among 45 voters who cast their votes by 4:40 p.m., ahead of the 6 p.m. closing time. There were 25 Democrats and 20 Republicans.
The new law allows for four days of voting ahead of the presidential primary, seven days ahead of any congressional or state legislative primaries this summer and 14 days in advance of the presidential election in November.
DeLea was welcomed to the Registrar of Voters Office in the East Lyme Community Center by the registrar and deputy registrar from each of the two major parties. Amid balloons and streamers, the four women constituted a crowd in the small space tucked between the Youth Center and Parks and Recreation Department offices.
Democratic Registrar of Voters Wendi Sims confirmed DeLea's voter registration status as required in the state where only voters registered in either the Democratic or Republican Parties are eligible to vote for their respective candidates. Sims found DeLea in the system, checked her off as having been given a ballot, and printed out two stickers: one for DeLea's ballot envelope and one for the registrars' records.
Republican Deputy Registrar Ashley Perkins, at Sims' side, marked off DeLea's information in the paper binder of registered voters.
After DeLea filled out the ballot in one of several fold-out booths along the wall and put it into the envelope, she signed and sealed the package for presentation to Republican Registrar of Voters Mary Smith. The registrar scanned the envelope into the computer system before watching DeLea drop it into an American flag-festooned voting box.
The new $1,000 scanner was part of the $6,500 cost to conduct four days of early voting in advance of Tuesday's primary, according to Smith.
Democratic Deputy Registrar Melissa Victor said the ballots will be stored in a fireproof safe in the office until Primary Day.
"The only time we're touching those ballots again is when we take them out of the box and separate them and store them," Victor said. "That is it, until the actual voting day. And that is when they get counted."
Sims noted the town got permission from the Office of the Secretary of the State to store the ballots in the registrar's office rather than the town clerk's vault since early voting is not held in the town hall as it is in many towns. She said that's because the East Lyme Town Hall is not accessible to those with disabilities.
The town a year ago signed a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice after a complaint was filed with the federal agency. The town has until the end of 2025 to complete the upgrades that will bring it into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Predetermined results
Republican David Craig was returning a book at the library ― which shares space with the registrars' office, Parks and Recreation Department and Senior Center in the Community Center ― when he spotted an Early Voting sign in front of the building.
He cited ballot security as one of his key concerns, adding he was satisfied with the registrars' explanation of the process for storing and counting the early votes on Primary Day.
But Craig said early voting is not his personal preference. He pointed to the existing absentee ballot process as a way to accommodate people who can't make it to the polls.
State law allows absentee votes from active members of the armed forces and those who will be out of town on Primary Day, have an illness or physical disability that prevents them from voting in person, or will be working as an election official at a polling place.
Other than that, he said everybody should vote on the same day.
"And it shouldn't be a national holiday," he said, referencing a move to expand participation by giving Americans the day off from work. "We should be patriotic enough to get out and vote."
Connecticut's primary comes as 32 states have already held theirs, including 15 on Super Tuesday at the beginning of this month.
On the Republican side, only Donald J. Trump remains in the running. The three other candidates listed on the Connecticut ballot have dropped out of the race.
President Joe Biden is the sole remaining candidate for the Democrats, with his three competitors likewise bowing out.
For DeLea and Craig, it's still important to exercise the franchise even though the outcome is predetermined.
DeLea described participation as a good habit to get into.
"I think you get complacent," she said of those who fall out of the habit of voting. "I just think it's really important to stay engaged regardless of what the choices are."
Craig said it's important to know how many people voted for a primary candidate, "irrespective of when they voted."
In the registrars' office, the election officials described early voting for the primary as a good test run for the Aug. 13 primary that will include any contested races for U.S. Congress or the state legislature ― and for two weeks of voting ahead of the November election.
Sims said early voting for the general election will likely be held in the larger Olive Chendali Room of the Community Center.
In the meantime, she said voting officials will "work out the kinks on our end and the state's end."
Early voting in cities and towns across the state will continue from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on March 27, 28 and 30. The primary will be held 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 2.
