On Tuesday, November 2nd, voters go to the polls to vote for Mayor, City Council, Board of Education and other city offices in the 2021 New Britain city elections.
Citywide offices
By now, people have likely heard that Rep. Bobby Sanchez (D-25) is the Democrat running for Mayor of New Britain, seeking to unseat Republican Mayor Erin Stewart, who is running for a fifth term. But voters will also have their choice of candidates for an array of different legislative and executive seats.
The first office on the ballot is Judge of Probate for the Probate Court district that New Britain shares with Berlin. Attorney William Rivera, the Democratic candidate for Probate Judge, and Republican candidate Michael Carrier are running for the seat.
Democrat Bryan Sabin is running for Town Clerk against Republican incumbent Mark Bernacki (R) and Democrat Lanette Spranzo Macaruso is running for Tax Collector against Republican incumbent Cheryl Blogoslawski (R). Democratic incumbent Ron Jakubowski (D) is running for re-election as City Treasurer, and is being challenged by current Republican Ald. Daniel Salerno (R-AL).
While Rep. Sanchez is the Democratic Party’s candidate for Mayor, he is also cross-nominated by the Working Families Party. Voters voting for Sanchez can vote for him either on the Democratic Party or Working Families Party line.
Alfred P. Mayor is running as a petitioning candidate for mayor.
At-Large Council seats
The City Council consists of five At-Large seats, elected citywide, and ten Council members representing neighborhood-based districts.
For the At-Large Council seats, the Democratic candidates are incumbents Ald. Richard Reyes (D-AL), Ald. Chris Anderson (D-AL) and Ald. Francisco “Cisco” Santiago (D-AL) and Democrat Amy Labas and current Democratic Board of Education member, Dr. Violet Jiménez Sims (D).
The Republicans running for the At-Large Council seats are current Ward 1 Ald. Willie Pabon (R-1), Luz V. Ortiz-Luna, Matthew Malinowski, Alden Russel and Desiree Costa.
Democratic candidates Reyes, Anderson, Santiago, Labas and Sims, were, like Bobby Sanchez, were cross-nominated by the Working Families Party.
Ward 1
While the choices are the same, citywide, for most offices up for election, New Britain has a system of neighborhood representation on the City Council, allowing voters to choose two Council members, called Alderpersons, to represent their own area of the city.
There are five Council districts, called Wards, each of which elects two Council members to represent them.
Democrats Nate Simpson and Chris Porcher are running to represent Ward 1. Incumbent Republican Ald. Howard B. Dyson (R-1) and Republican Peter Scirpo are the Republican candidates.
Ward 2
The Democratic candidates for Council in Ward 2 are Democrat Angel Segarra and incumbent Democratic Ald. Colin Ivan Osborn (D-2). The Republican candidates are Jerrell Hargraves and Valerie Ruby Ingram.
Ward 3
In Ward 3, the incumbent Democrats, Ald. Iris Noemi Sanchez (D-3) and Ald. Aram Ayalon (D-3) are running for re-election. The Republican candidates are Sara Piatti and Jeffrey A. Gumbs.
Ward 4
Democrats Todd Arasimowicz and Basil Green are the Democratic candidates to represent Ward 4 on the Council. They are challenging the incumbent Republicans, Ald. Robert Smedley (R-4) and Ald. Michael Thompson (R-4).
Ward 5
Former Democratic Ald. Carlo Carlozzi (D-5) is joined by Democrat Lee “Tre” Brown III as the Democratic candidates to represent Ward 5. They are running against two current Republican Council members – Ald. Kris Rutkowski (R-5) and Ald. Paul Catanzaro (R-AL).
Board of Education
In the election for Board of Education, voters vote for up to three candidates and the candidates with the top five amount of votes are elected.
Democrat Eileen Ruiz joins incumbent Democratic Board of Education members Annie S. Parker (D) and Diana Reyes (D) for election to the Board of Education
The Republicans running for Board of Education are Anthony “Tony” Cane, Matthew T. Marino and current Republican Board of Education member Tina Santana (R).
Current Republican Board of Education member Nicholas D. Mercier (R) is running as a petitioning candidate for Board of Education.
Board of Assessment Appeals
Democrats Wyatt Bosworth and Candyce Scott are the Democratic candidates for Board of Assessment Appeals.
Republicans Sheryl Mala and Todd D. Cheney are the Republican candidates.
Voters vote for two candidates for Board of Assessment Appeals, and the top three are elected.
New Britain Voting Districts in 2021
| Voting District | Ward | Polling Place | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Vance Village School | 183 Vance Street |
| 2 | 1 | VFW Post 511 Hall | 41 Veterans Drive |
| 3 | 2 | Roosevelt Middle School | 40 Goodwin Street |
| 4 | 5 | Gaffney School | 322 Slater Road |
| 5 | 3 | New Britain Senior Center | 55 Pearl Street |
| 5_1 | 3 | School Apartments | 50 Bassett Street |
| 5_2 | 3 | Graham Apartments | 107 Martin Luther King Drive |
| 6 | 2 | St Jean Baptiste Société | 209 Smalley Street |
| 7 | 3 | Generale Ameglio | 13 Beaver Street |
| 8 | 3 | International Church | 40 Acorn Street |
| 9 | 2 | St Jean Baptiste Société | 209 Smalley Street |
| 10 | 4 | Saint Francis Church Hall | 1755 Stanley Street |
| 11 | 4 | Holmes School | 2150 Stanley Street |
| 12 | 5 | Pulaski Middle School | 757 Farmington Avenue |
| 13 | 4 | St. John Paul II School | 221 Farmington Avenue |
| 14 | 5 | DiLoreto School | 732 Slater Road |
| 15 | 1 | Slade Middle School | 183 Steele Street |
Registering to vote on Election Day
People who are eligible to vote, but who have not registered, can still do so on November 2nd. The deadline is passed for people to register to vote before this Tuesday’s election, but Connecticut gives people eligible to vote one important last chance – on Election Day, itself.
The Connecticut Office of the Secretary of the State says,
Election Day Registration permits anyone to register and vote in person on Election Day who meets the eligibility requirements for voting in this state and is not already registered, OR is registered in one town but has moved to another town. By law, a person is eligible to register and vote if he or she is (1) a US citizen, (2) age 18 or older, (3) a bona fide resident of the town in which he or she applies for admission, and (4) has completed confinement and parole if previously convicted of a disfranchising felony.
Election Day Registration is not available at your polling place, but is available at a designated EDR location in each town, beginning at 6 am and ending at 8 pm. You will register and vote at the designated EDR location in your town. Please plan to arrive early in the day as there may be long lines. You must be registered by 8 pm in order to vote. You will need to provide proof of identity and residency.
Election Day voter registration in New Britain is at City Hall, 27 West Main St., 1st Floor, Room 108.
The right to vote for people with past felony convictions
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 federal or out of state correctional institution or facility shall be eligible to have such person’s voting privileges restored upon release from confinement.
The Secretary of the State’s office also says that,
A person who has been:
• convicted of a felony; and
• committed to confinement in a State of Connecticut correctional institution or facility shall be eligible to have such person’s voting privileges restored upon release from confinement.
The Secretary of the State’s office publishes an information sheet that describes how someone with a previous felony conviction can register to vote.
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