To the Editor:

My Dad, Joe Hemingway, is running for selectman in Newtown, but that’s not what this letter is about. It’s about voting. I am a junior at High Point University in North Carolina, and I won’t be in Newtown for the election. Before I left for school, I filled out an absentee ballot application and mailed it to the town clerk, asking for the ballot to be sent to me at school. Imagine my surprise when I got a call from my Mom telling me the ballot was at my house! Apparently, the town clerk’s office messed up. When my Mom did some more digging, it became clear I wasn’t the only one they messed up with.

In the United States, we are lucky to have the right to vote. If my Mom hadn’t caught this, that right would have been taken from me. What about the parents who put their kids’ mail in a pile until they come home for Thanksgiving? Too late for them to vote! This may seem like a little mistake, but it’s a big deal for an office that is in charge of sending out hundreds of absentee ballots in an election often decided by single digit votes. If you requested an absentee ballot, you might want to think about calling the town clerk and making sure they didn’t mistakenly take away your chance to vote as well.

The town clerk is an elected position, and I hope you’ll think carefully about who you vote for. In her letter last week the current town clerk claimed she was experienced and qualified. After this, I’m not sure that’s the case. Sara Frampton is going to improve the efficiency and communication of the office, bringing it into the 21st Century. I hope you’ll join me I supporting her!

Maggie Hemingway

10 Overlook Knoll, Sandy Hook                               October 6, 2009