West Hartford Election Guide 2020

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Voters in West Hartford 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.

Voters can check their voting status on the Secretary of State's website, where they can also find a list of polling places.

There are several 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 applications will then be processed locally and will begin to be sent out Oct. 2.
Ballots must be completely filled out according to the accompanied instructions, including signing the inner envelope. Ballots can be hand-delivered to the town clerk office, placed in the drop-off box or mailed in. 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. Voters can use the Secretary of State’s website to find a respective polling place.

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

Click here for sample ballots.

The following are the key contested races that will be on the ballot for West Hartford voters:

In the 5th state Senate district, its Democrat Derek Slap versus Republican Phillip Chabot and independent Joelle Nawrocki.

Its Democrat Jillian Gilchrest versus Republican Rick Bush for the 18th District state House seat.

See more local election information and profiles of those who responded to a Patch questionnaire here.

For the local registrars of voters site, click here.