The Registrar of Voters notified The Newtown Bee that it would be filing a complaint over election violations during the recent budget referendum.

Democratic Registrar of Voters LeReine Frampton told The Bee that she and Republican Registrar Erica Canfield were reluctant to file complaints but it was a necessary part of their jobs to help maintain election integrity and public trust.

“There are rules and laws that have to be followed; it is our job to make sure election laws are followed to ensure fair and honest elections,” said Canfield. “The town is fortunate to have two Registrars that can work together as the Gatekeepers of Democracy.”

“This is very difficult for Erica and I; it is our job to recognize the violations and report them to maintain the integrity of our elections,” said Frampton. “My grandson came home from school last Friday with a flyer stating to vote yes. There were violations being shown all over Facebook. It is our responsibility and our job to report these violations. Failure to do our job can cause us to lose our certification and our job. We work very hard to maintain the integrity of the election and to treat everyone equally.”

“Our office coordinates with the Board of Ed as well as many town departments to hold elections. We have to work together. Filing this complaint is not easy but it is our job,” stated Canfield. “For accurate voting information check out our page on the town website.”

Other violations include lawn signs at the schools telling voters to vote Yes, which were not switched to signs only telling residents to vote until May 11, said Frampton.

Frampton said the Registrars of Voters are the Administrators of Elections. In addition to conducting elections, the Registrars are responsible for voter education, conducting the annual Canvass of Voters, maintaining the accuracy of the voter registry list, the storage, maintenance and set-up of all election and polling place equipment, hiring and training all election officials and workers, working with school officials to assure polling places are secure, conducting supervised balloting at care facilities, election day registration and voting, maintaining the chain of custody for election equipment security prior to elections and during the mandatory two weeks following a vote, conducting post-election audits as mandated by the state and helping the Town Committees and Candidates in preparations for their caucuses. The Registrars are also responsible for town referenda.

Frampton told The Bee her office intends to file the complaint on the town website once it is completed so residents can see the specifics.

First Selectman Jeff Capeci said he did not think it was the first time such violations have happened, and attributed it to changing membership on the schools’ parent teacher associations. He said that as older members move on when their kids move on, “institutional knowledge” is lost and newer members do not realize potential restrictions on how they can promote the referendum.

“I’m not blaming anyone,” said Capeci. “I’ll be speaking with the superintendent about putting a process in place to make sure recurring things such as this no longer happen.”

Capeci said any process implemented would focus on ensuring newer members on PTAs are given information they need regarding referendums and other legal processes they may encounter in their roles.

Superintendent of Schools Chris Melillo agreed with Capeci’s assessment, and noted that it had been a decade since a PTA had faced a budget failing at referendum and needing to organize advocacy.

“They’re probably not aware of what they can and cannot do,” said Melillo. “I can safely say few or no current PTA members were on a PTA when the budget last failed in 2013.”

Melillo said it was a “lesson learned” and the town and the school administration have “a lot of work to do” in educating everyone on what is allowed during a referendum. He said it will likely be made part of the process of bringing in new PTA members.

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Editor Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.