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Democracy Cup Goes To Newtown For Highest Election Day Turnout

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Democracy Cup Goes To Newtown For Highest Election Day Turnout

By John Voket

Connecticut’s 2008 Democracy Cup may have been presented to the Newtown registrars of voters and town clerk, but it belongs to everybody who played a role in preparing for or becoming involved on Election Day, according to Democratic Registrar LeReine Frampton.

“When you think about it, it’s really amazing how many people are involved in the voting process along with the voters,” Ms Frampton said following a brief town hall ceremony honoring the community December 3.

Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz traveled to Newtown, as well as Stamford and Weston this week, to award the people of those communities the 2008 Democracy Cup for experiencing the highest voter turnout on Election Day. Newtown (88.97 percent), Weston (90.84 percent), New Hartford (94.78 percent), and Stamford (81.65 percent) are the 2008 winners of the Democracy Cup in various population-based categories.

The honor is bestowed annually for communities with the highest voter turnout on Election Day. All of the winners of the 2008 Democracy Cup are first-time honorees.

Ms Frampton said the long list of helpers, who made the process of voting on Election Day flow smoothly, starts with the school district.

“Each of the schools had to make some changes in procedures and parking. Their custodial staff collected tables and chairs to save us rental fees. We use their truck to transport the election equipment to and from the polls. Fifteen high school students served as election workers. And the culinary class prepared dinners for our poll workers,” Ms Frampton related.

When an incorrect polling place was inadvertently advertised in an area newspaper, she said School Superintendent Janet Robinson worked with the first selectman’s office to get the message out so voters would not be inconvenienced. The local IT Department designed a program for the town website showing residents where to go to vote. And local business Superior Signs produced billboard-sized placards within two hours, which were posted at schools directing voters to their correct polling place.

In addition, Ms Frampton said, the Highway Department helps move equipment and change signs all across town that help keep citizens informed. And the Police Department works with the registrars to help prevent traffic congestion on election days.

She also credits local politicians who get out and go door to door, and even those annoying political calls to help motivate people to get involved and vote.

“The town clerk’s office broke records for the number of absentee ballots issued and kept the website updated with important dates leading up to the election,” she said. “The Edmond Town Hall Board of Mangers supplied the polling place for District 3-2 and rooms for training poll workers ahead of time. And The Newtown Bee was wonderful about getting information out that we needed voters to be aware of.”

Ms Frampton said senior housing representatives helped coordinate locations for supervised absentee balloting, assisting those that otherwise would not be able to vote. And local senior care and medical facilities permitted registrars to visit with residents requesting absentee ballots.

“Our dedicated poll workers are critical to the process,” she said. “They go through the training process, have to be at work on Election Day at 5:15 am, and they know they will not get out until after 8 pm.”

When voters call, members of the registrars’ office staff provide information, and work throughout the year updating records and processing registrations.

“I know I must be forgetting some, but this is just a small sampling of the many people assisting in the voting process,” Ms Frampton said. “Elections don’t just happen. It takes many people and a lot of hours all year long.”

Ms Frampton said voters may not be aware how many people, some who do not even reside in Newtown, work very hard to make voting in Newtown legal, honest, fair, and convenient.

“But none of that matters if the voters don’t show up, so we want to especially thank voters again for making their vote and their voice heard on November Fourth,” she said.

During her presentation this week, Ms Bysiewicz said this year’s election was the most exciting in a generation.

“Scores of new voters — young and old — went to the polls to make their voices heard,” she said. “The involvement of citizens in the democratic process is the cornerstone of our civic life and these towns can be proud of the example they have set for the rest of the state.”

Co-sponsored by the East Haddam Civic Association since 2000, the Democracy Cup was created as a way to encourage voter participation in each year’s elections. Under Democracy Cup criteria established by Secretary Bysiewicz, towns with fewer than 5,000 registered voters are considered small; municipalities with between 5,000 and 14,999 voters are considered midsized, towns with more than 15,000 and 49,999 registered voters are considered large towns.

This year, for the first time, cities with more than 50,000 registered voters are their own category.

Scot Mackinnon, co-founder of the Democracy Cup and East Haddam Civic Association member, was in attendance at the local event. He said Newtown’s 88.97 percent turnout figure was among the highest in the nation

“Typically, while smaller municipalities have an easier time getting voters to the polls, urban centers, like Stamford, New Haven and Hartford, are gaining ground [as well],” he said. “This is a trend worth celebrating.”

Senator John McKinney, who attended the local event, said he was particularly proud because he represents two of the state’s four 2008 Democracy Cup winners, Newtown and Weston.

First Selectman Joe Borst said Newtown should be very proud to have won the cup for the first time.

“The 2008 election was very well run, and we saw very early on that the historic Presidential race heightened the people’s interest,” he said. “Voters were motivated to get involved, they are concerned with what is happening in the world, they are connected to the issues.

Mr Borst said local voters wanted to make an impact and make things better in the world.

“And voting is one definite way to accomplish that,” he added. “We hope our high voter turnout is a permanent trend.”

Each winning town will be able to host and display a Democracy Cup trophy through next year’s November elections.

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