Newtown Registrars of Voters LeReine Frampton (D) and Erica Canfield (R), and Republican Town Clerk Debbie Halstead all spoke to The Newtown Bee this week, reflecting on some of the challenges they faced in the August 11 primary, and offering advice on how to best navigate the voting process that will be in place for the November 3 presidential election.

In Connecticut, town clerks are charged with handling absentee voting administration in their respective communities. Registrars are responsible for administering everything related to in-person polling, canvassing, and maintaining voter rolls, as well as verifying and officially tallying absentee ballots that are transmitted to them after being received by town clerks.

Until the COVID-19 pandemic turned the entire process upside down, the bulk of votes for any election or municipal referendum were cast in person at voting precincts — of which there are three in Newtown. Absentee ballots were submitted by a comparatively fractional number of qualified voters who, for a limited number of reasons, were unable to vote in their district in person.

But this year, as a precaution aimed at minimizing virus transmission, Governor Ned Lamont, on the recommendation of Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, issued an executive order that permitted anyone concerned about their health or possible exposure to cast Democratic or Republican primary votes by absentee ballot. A special session of the state legislature late last month took that measure one step further by authorizing “no fault” voting for the November election.

That means all registered voters can opt out of reporting to one of the three Newtown voting locations, and instead cast their presidential votes by absentee ballot.

While Newtown’s town clerk and registrars encountered myriad issues, the main points they each made this week implored voters to utilize the absentee process, to follow the ballot instructions meticulously to be sure the vote is qualified, and to cast their ballots early.

“This isn’t like paying your taxes or bills,” Canfield said, “you don’t want to put this off until the last few days.”

Both Frampton and Halstead echoed Canfield’s recommendation, suggesting that as soon as ballots become available October 2, voters should go directly to the clerk’s office, complete an absentee ballot application, get their ballot on the spot, and complete the process in one visit.

“That way they can be done with it nice and early, and they can be sure their ballot will be counted,” Frampton said.

Online Absentee Applications

Alternately, Newtown voters can find a ballot request online, print it out, and either mail it or drop it in the secure absentee ballot box located outside the Municipal Center at Fairfield Hills.

Once they receive a ballot in the mail, they should complete it carefully, following each point of direction, and then mail the completed ballot back — or, again, drop it in the box outside the municipal offices. The box is located just outside the door opposite the Newtown Community Center on Simpson Street.

“Voters really need to be sure they follow the directions on the ballot,” Frampton said. “There are specific points of information that have to be included, a specific location where they need to sign, and it’s really important that they insert only one ballot per ballot envelope.”

Halstead added that no matter how many voters live in a residence, they each must complete their own ballot and must mail them separately.

“If a husband and wife both put their ballots in one envelope, then both ballots will be ruled invalid,” Frampton added. “Nobody wants to see that happen.”

Halstead said following the primary, she and a number of other clerks have asked Merrill to streamline the process to make it simpler for voters and election officials to process ballots.

“Primary ballots were verified by either voter identification number or ballot serial number,” Halstead said, “and we had problems just entering the ballot information into the state’s system. It kept slowing down or crashing, which slowed us down as we were trying to process the crush of ballots. So we’ve been told they are trying to increase bandwidth to prevent that.”

Despite emptying the on-site ballot box numerous times each business day and making daily trips to the local post office to pick up trays of ballots, Halstead said there were still a couple of occasions that were nearly overwhelming. The late interference of Tropical Storm Isaias was also a compounding factor, as it became necessary to extend a two-day grace period for absentee ballots to be delivered.

On primary day, August 11, the registrars office received 2,002 ballots, with 480 more coming during the grace period.

“And we’re still receiving ballots in the mail,” Halstead said August 25 — twelve days after the grace period ended. “That’s why voters should either get or download and file their absentee ballot application now, or as soon as they receive it in the mail.”

Invalidated Ballots

While most of the primary ballots were completed correctly and counted, Frampton and Canfield believe just under 100 were invalidated.

“The majority of those were rejected because ballots were not enclosed and sealed in the inner (of two) envelopes, or they were not properly sealed, or not signed,” Frampton said.

Halstead said she was notified ballot applications will be sent to every registered voter in Connecticut possibly as soon as this week. But that does not prevent voters from getting and filing their own right now by mail or by dropping them in the ballot collection box at the Municipal Center.

The town clerk encourages voters to make use of the drop box, even though it is a new and unfamiliar.

“Most of the ballots we received were by mail — on a few occasions, 500 to 600 in a day,” she added.

Filing for and casting absentee ballots early will also be a big help to registrars on Election Day, Frampton said.

“We expect between half and two-thirds of Newtown to vote by mail, and that’s a big spread,” she said. “But having those ballots filed early will help us allocate staff between polling locations and verifying absentee ballots.”

Voters planning to cast ballots in person will be subject to safety guidelines similar to those in force on primary day, and will be directed to vote at their usual district locations — the middle school, Reed School, or Head O’ Meadow School — rather then the single location used for the primary. Voters should look for signage with specific entry, exit, and safety information at each site.

“We had huge signs [at the primary] directing people where to go, and we still had people going to the wrong locations — a few to two wrong locations — and a number claimed they didn’t see any signs,” Frampton said.

To download and complete an absentee ballot application now — CLICK HERE