Election Prompts Waterford Democrats, Independents To Register

Tuesday was National Voter Registration Day, and it showed in Waterford Town Hall as more people – particularly Democrats and unaffiliated voters - continued to register to vote.

This September alone, 117 Waterford residents have registered to vote, with 20 of those registering Republican, 55 registering as Democrats and 44 registering as unaffiliated voters, according to Waterford Democratic Registrar Diana Cramer. More Republicans registered in the summer, presumably to vote in the Senatorial primary between Linda McMahon and Chris Shays, but since there have been far more Democrats registering to vote, Waterford Republican Registrar Patti Waters said.

Several people registered Tuesday, many of them young people, like 19-year-old college student Eleana Panagos. Panagos had today off from her college, LIM College in New York, for Yom Kippur and was registering to vote in her first presidential election.

“It makes me feel like an adult,” Panagos said, who said she was pulling for Mitt Romney.

How To Register

People can register to vote up to November 5th by noon, a day before the November 6th elections. People can register in person in Waterford Town Hall at either the registrar of voter’s office or at the town clerk’s office, which is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To register online, people can fill out a form online and then mail it in. That form must be received the day before Election Day, Cramer said. To register online, click here.

Town Hall be open extended hours on two upcoming special registration days, where people can come in and register in person, Cramer said. They are:

• Saturday, Oct. 20: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 30: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Absentee Ballots

People can apply for absentee ballots as of now, but ballots will be available on October 5th, Cramer said.

First, people apply for an absentee ballot, which they can do in person or through the mail, Cramer said. Then, as early as October 5th they are given a ballot, which must be mailed in and received by Waterford’s registrar’s office by Election Day, Cramer said.

Starting October 5th, people can apply for and receive an absentee ballot all in Waterford Town Hall, and can even fill out the ballot and turn it in all at the same time, Cramer said. The absentee ballots are kept locked up until Election Day, when they are all counted, she said.

The Races

Waterford residents will vote on the national races, as well as several local races. The major races are (with the candidates from both major political parties, with i meaning incumbent):

• President: Mitt Romney (R), i-Barack Obama (D)
• US Senate: Linda McMahon (R), Chris Murphy (D)
• US Congress, Second District: Paul Formica (R), i-Joe Courtney (D)
• Connecticut State Senate, 20th District: Mike Doyle (R), i-Andrea Stillman (D)
• Connecticut House of Representatives, 38th District: Tony Siragusa (R), i-Betsy Ritter (D)