Exercise Your Right To Vote

To the Editor:

It is no secret that I am a supporter of the town budget, especially the education budget. I strongly feel that this year’s budget is a very responsible one, although it is extremely lean without much room for possible rising costs (like oil and electricity). If you would like more budget information, please check out www.NewtownSOS.com. But, I am not going to go on about the budget, what I am going to go on about is voting!

Voting is our right and responsibility! Less than 100 years ago, I wouldn’t have had the right to vote. Shame on me if I throw that opportunity away. Last year, many Newtowners did! Last year, during the budget referendum, less than one-third of Newtown’s eligible voters actually voted. How can this be? I assume that you value your right to vote as much as I do. So I took the time to talk with the people at the registrar of voters and this is what I learned about voting in the referendum.

Obviously, you can vote if you are a registered voter in Newtown, but did you know you can also vote if you are not registered? Yes, you can vote if you paid taxes on property (in 2003) that is valued at $1,000 (such as land, a house, a car, etc) and you are a United States citizen, 18 years old and haven’t committed a felony. All you have to do is bring ID to the middle school on April 27 and check in at the “Grand List” table, then you can vote.

Now maybe you didn’t vote last year because you were out of town. Well, you can call the nice voters registrar people at 270-4250 and they will send you an absentee ballot application. Too busy to make the call? Get the application online at www.newtown-ct.gov, under town departments, click on the Registrar of Voters, and scroll to the bottom for an application to send in. Once they receive your application, they will send you a voting ballot within one month of the actual referendum vote. Make sure you complete it and send it in before April 27! You also can go to the town clerk’s office after April 6 and complete a ballot right there. The town clerk’s office is even open on Saturday, April 24, from 9 am to 12, for those of you who find out at the last minute that you will be out of town the day of the referendum vote. So no excuses about you aren’t going to be in town for the referendum, the registrar of voters and town clerk’s office have made it so easy for you.

So now consider yourself informed on voting on the referendum. Make sure your spouse gets there to vote, make sure your parents get there to vote, but most importantly honor those who fought for your right to vote by getting out there and voting! See you at the middle school on April 27 between 6 am and 8 pm.

Sincerely,

Jill Bontatibus Beaudry

36 Queen Street, Newtown                                           March 29, 2004