The closely watched 2018 election day has arrived, with lengthy pre-election campaigning giving way to a single frenetic day of different candidates, campaigns and parties working to turn out the vote.
After months of campaigning, the choice is now in the hands of the voters, from among a lengthy list of candidates for different offices.
Voters will chose one of Connecticut’s United States senators, New Britain’s member of the United States House of Representatives, governor and lieutenant governor, New Britain’s state senator, state representatives, the secretary of the state, the state treasurer, the state comptroller, the state attorney general and the judge of probate for the district including New Britain.
The most closely watched local election is in the Twenty Fourth State Assembly District, where Democratic incumbent Rick Lopes is being challenged by Republican candidate Sharon Beloin Saavedra.
But the 2018 election is especially closely watched nationwide, since it is the first real chance the voters have to weigh in on the administration of Republican President Donald Trump. Trump has, himself, made the case that voting for Republican candidates is voting in support of him and his policies.
While votes received by Republican candidates will largely be seen as validation of Trump, and victories for Democrats as a rebuke to the Republican president and his party, candidates for different offices are also seeking support for themselves individually and based on state and local issues.
Read more: Nov 6th Candidates and Where to Vote in New Britain in 2018.
Voting districts, polling places and hours of voting
Voting in New Britain takes place at seventeen polling places in the city. New Britain has fifteen voting districts, but Voting District 5 has three polling places, including two located senior housing complexes.
| Voting District | State Representative District | Polling Place | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | Vance Village School | 183 Vance Street |
| 2 | 24 | VFW Post 511 Hall | 41 Veterans Drive |
| 3 | 24 | Roosevelt Middle School | 40 Goodwin Street |
| 4 | 24 | Gaffney School | 322 Slater Road |
| 5 | 25 | New Britain Senior Center | 55 Pearl Street |
| 5-1 | 25 | School Apartments | 50 Bassett Street |
| 5-2 | 25 | Graham Apartments | 107 Martin Luther King Drive |
| 6 | 25 | Angelico's Restaurant | 542 East Main Street |
| 7 | 25 | Generale Ameglio | 13 Beaver Street |
| 8 | 25 | International Church | 40 Acorn Street |
| 9 | 25 | Chamberlain School | 120 Newington Avenue |
| 10 | 26 | Saint Francis Church Hall | 1755 Stanley Street |
| 11 | 26 | Holmes School | 2150 Stanley Street |
| 12 | 26 | Pulaski Middle School | 757 Farmington Avenue |
| 13 | 26 | St. John Paul II School | 221 Farmington Avenue |
| 14 | 22 | DiLoreto School | 732 Slater Road |
| 15 | 24 | Slade Middle School | 183 Steele Street |
The election on November 6, 2018 will be held between the hours of 6:00am and 8:00pm.
Read more: Voters’ Options for ID at the Polls.
Registering to vote on election day
People who are not registered to vote still have the opportunity to vote, thanks to Connecticut’s election day voter registration process.
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.
Read more: Registering to Vote on Election Day.
The polls close at 8:00pm, bringing an end to a long campaign season and long-awaited results of the voters’ decisions.
Editor’s note: Polling locations reported in this article are as they appeared on the city website as of November 5, 2018.
