Registering to Vote on Election Day

With the deadline passed for people to register to vote for the upcoming November 6th election, Connecticut gives people eligible to vote one important last chance – on election day, itself.

The deadline to register by mail or in person for the 2018 election expired on October 30th, as did the deadline to register to vote online. Anyone missing that deadline is not eligible to vote at their neighborhood polling place this year.

But, according to the Brennan Center, Connecticut is one of sixteen states that allow people who are eligible to vote to register to vote on election day and then vote in that election.

The Connecticut Office of the Secretary of the State says,

You may register and vote in person on Election Day if you meet the eligibility requirements for voting in this state and you are not already registered, OR you are registered in one town and want to change your registration because you currently reside in another town.  Election Day Registration is not available at your polling place.  Contact your local registrar of voter’s office for information about your town’s designated EDR location and ID requirements.  You will need to provide proof of identity and residency.

New Britain’s location for election day voter registration is at City Hall, 27 West Main Street, on the first floor, in Room 108.

The Office of the Secretary of the State explains voter eligibility by saying that, if a person can answer yes to three questions, they are eligible to vote in Connecticut:

• Are you at least 17 and turning 18 before Election Day?
• Are you a United States citizen living in Connecticut?
• If you have been convicted of a felony, have you completed confinement and parole?

A common misconception in Connecticut is that a felony conviction precludes people from voting permanently. This is untrue in Connecticut. The Secretary of the State’s office says that,

A person who has been convicted of a felony and committed to confinement in a State of Connecticut correctional institution or facility or community residence shall be eligible to have such person’s voting privileges restored upon the release from confinement, and, if applicable, parole.

The Secretary of the State’s office says that people with felonies from other states or federal courts must also pay any fines before registering to vote.

The Secretary of the State’s office also says that college students have two options for voting. They may vote by absentee ballot in their home town, or they may vote in the city or town where they reside as a college student.

The times to register and vote on election day, Tuesday, November 6th, are between 6:00am and 8:00pm.

Editor’s note 11/03/2018: This article was updated to cite the Brennan Center as a source.