In case you haven’t heard, this year is a presidential election year which means United States adult citizens will be able to vote for a president this year. The two main candidates on the ticket this year are Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald J. Trump. There will be students who will be eighteen before the election day on November 5 and will be eligible to vote for the first time but do they know how and where?
So how do you vote? Many new eligible voters might have this question, here’s the essential information. You must register to vote before you are able to vote for a candidate. To register in CT you must be at least 17 years old and will be at least 18 years old at the next election. In Connecticut you should register 18 days before election day if you are planning on voting in person or by mail. However the state of Connecticut offers same-day registration on Election Day which means you can register at the polls on November 5th. However please note this process could take long due to lines. You can register online to vote at Vote.org. It takes a total of five minutes to register online.
When choosing how to vote once you are registered, you have two options, by mail or in person. In CT you can only request an absentee ballot (Mail ballot) if you have an illness preventing you from voting, absent from town during all the hours of voting, a physical disability, on active duty within the U.S. military, religious tenets forbid secular (non-religious) activity on Election Day, you are required to perform of duties as a primary, referendum, or you are an election official at a polling place other than your own during all the hours of voting on Election Day. Otherwise you have to go in person on election day. So where do you go to vote? In Torringing there are a total of five voting locations; Torrington Middle School, Coe Park, Torringford school, City Hall, and the Armory. You can vote any time on November 5th at these locations.
We understand that new voters might be nervous or hesitant about getting out there to vote however please note that your voice matters and it is your right to vote and represent yourself in the candidate of your choosing. To ease some of that stress or if you have any questions or problems about voting you can contact the Election Day Hotline at 1-866-733-2463. Or visit Vote.org for more information on voting and how to register.
