Election 2020: Guilford Voter Guide

GUILFORD, CT — Voters in Guilford will head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, for the 2020 general election.

In addition to the presidential and congressional races, all state House of Representative and Senate seats are up for grabs. Voting will be different this year thanks to a law which allows absentee ballot voting for all voters in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

You can check your voting status on the Secretary of State's website, where you can also find your polling place.

There are two ways residents can vote:

Absentee Voting

The Secretary of the State office has mailed absentee ballot applications to all active registered voters in the state. Voters can also download the application online.

Those who want an absentee ballot will have to fill out the application and select a reason for requesting one. All voters are eligible to check the top box that lists "COVID-19" as a reason for requesting an absentee ballot.

Applications then need to be sent to the voter's local town clerk office. They can be dropped in the secure drop-off box in front of town hall, hand-delivered in person to the office or mailed in.
The processed applications were sent beginning Oct. 2.

Ballots must be completely filled out according to the accompanied instructions, including signing the inner envelope. You can drop off your voted absentee ballot in the secure official drop box in the front of the Town Hall (next to the bike rack), or mail it through the USPS.

Ballots must be received by the close of polls in order to count.

Voting on Election Day

Polls in Connecticut are open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. You can use the Secretary of State’s website to find your polling place.

Regular voter registration must be received or postmarked by the 7th day before Election Day. Registration can be done in person with the local registrar of voters office by the 7th day before an election.

Connecticut also allows for Election Day registration at designated centers in each town. People must be registered by 8 p.m. in order to vote using Election Day registration.

For questions about voting in Guilford, contact the Guilford Registrar of Voters at (203) 453-8028 or visit the website here.

Here are the key contested races that will be on the ballot for Guilford voters:

President/Vice President

Joe Biden/Kamala Harris (Democrat)

Donald Trump/Mike Pence (Republican) - Incumbent

Jo Jorgensen and Chip Cohen (Libertarian)

Howie Hawkins and Angela Walker (Green Party)

U.S. Congress

U.S. House District 3

Rosa DeLauro (Democrat) - Incumbent

Margaret Streicker (Republican)

Justin C. Paglino (Green Party)

Local State Senate Race

12th Senatorial District

Christine Cohen (Democrat) - Incumbent

Joe LaPorta (Republican)

Local State Representative Races

Vincent Candelora (Republican) - Incumbent

Vincent Mase (Democrat)