Connecticut

Connecticut Election Day 2024: Here's what to know

Published

2 years ago

September 10, 2024

Press Room

Connecticut Election Day 2024: Here's what to know

The 2024 presidential election is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Connecticut voters will cast ballots in federal and state races.

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris faces Republican Donald Trump for the state’s seven electoral votes.

In Connecticut’s 5th Congressional District, incumbent Rep. Jahana Hayes, a Democrat, again faces GOP challenger George Logan. There are also various down-ticket races for state legislative seats, as well as a ballot question on whether or not to change the state constitution to allow no-excuse absentee voting by mail.

Election Day 2024 is notable in Connecticut for one more reason: It marks the state’s first time offering early voting during a presidential election. Early voting kicks off on Oct. 21 and runs through Nov. 3.

Here are the key dates, voting information and races you need to know about.

Key dates
How do I register to vote?
Can I register and vote on Election Day?
What is early voting and how can I do it?
Where do I vote?
Do I need to show photo identification to vote?
I am or have been incarcerated. Am I eligible to vote?
What are some of the key races?
Learn more

Key dates

Oct. 18 – Deadline to register in person, via mail or online, for early voting, as well as voting on Election Day.

Oct. 21 – Early voting begins. Unregistered voters may also register to vote in person every day

of early voting at the early voting location.

Nov. 3 – Early voting ends.

Nov 4 – Deadline to request an absentee ballot. Deadline for a voter to return, in-person, an absentee ballot to the Town Clerk’s office.

Nov. 5 – Election Day (polls open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.) Deadline to return an absentee ballot by mail or to a drop box by close of polls.

How do I register to vote?

The cut off for voters to register to vote in person, via mail, or online is Oct. 18. There is same day registration available each day of the early voting period, and on Election Day.

Can I register and vote on Election Day?

Yes. You may register and vote in person on Election Day at a designated location in your town. That’s usually Town Hall, but check with your local registrars’ office.

You must meet eligibility requirements for voting in Connecticut and not already be registered. If you are registered in one town, but recently moved, you can register on Election Day to vote in your new town.

What is early voting and how can I do it?

Early voting is exactly what it sounds like: It’s a chance for registered voters to cast a ballot before Election Day. After voters seal their choices in an envelope, ballots will be secured, unopened, until Election Day.

Early voting is different from voting by absentee ballot, which requires a reason. Early voting is available to all eligible voters, provided they cast their ballots during the early voting period.

Early voting is open from Oct. 21 through Nov. 3 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) at the designated early voting location in each town. There are extended early voting hours on Oct. 29 and Oct. 31 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.).

Connecticut is one of the last states in the nation to offer early in-person voting. Early voting first rolled out in March to minimal turnout during the presidential preference primary. That low turnout raised concerns among some local officials, who said the law was underfunded and overly taxing for many part-time town officials. Early voting had a second go-around in August, to varying degrees of success. In Hamden, turnout was relatively high, but officials have said November will be the true test of the new state law.

Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas signaled this summer she is open to working with the legislature to adjust the law, but said she wants to see how many early voters turn out during the November election before any changes are made. Early voting was approved by the state legislature in 2023.

Where do I vote?

Early voting: Early voting locations will be listed by town as they become available. (Each town in Connecticut will have at least one early voting location, state officials say. Towns with more than 20,000 residents may have additional locations.)

Election Day: Registered voters can also look up their Election Day polling place.

Do I need to show photo identification to vote?

No. Instead of presenting ID, voters can, in most cases, sign an affidavit when poll workers ask for ID. The identification does not need to be a driver’s license. It also does not need to have a photo. Here is a detailed list of Connecticut’s in-person voter ID requirements.

I am or have been incarcerated. Am I eligible to vote?

Possibly. Eligibility depends on the nature of the crime and your current confinement status.

You are eligible to vote if:

You have been convicted of a misdemeanor and are currently confined (via absentee ballot).
You are in pretrial detention and have not been convicted of any crime (via absentee ballot).
You are convicted of a felony and have completed your confinement.
You are convicted of a felony and are currently on only parole or probation.
You are convicted of election statute felonies and have completed confinement and parole/probation.

You are not eligible to register to vote or vote if:

You have been convicted of a felony and are currently confined.

Note: To restore voting rights after confinement, you must register to vote, even if previously registered, according to the Secretary of the State’s office.

What are some of the key races?

After tight 2022 race, Logan again seeks to unseat Hayes

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, first elected to Congress in 2018, faces off against GOP challenger George Logan in Connecticut’s 5th Congressional District.

Hayes, 51, is a former National Teacher of the Year who has closely aligned herself with the progressive policies of the House Democrats during her time in Congress. She has touted her work on lowering the price of prescription drugs and improving care for military veterans as part of her 2024 campaign.

Logan, an engineer and former state senator, waged an unsuccessful, but competitive 2022 race against Hayes, losing by less than one percentage point. If elected, Logan would be the first Republican sent to Congress from deep-blue Connecticut since 2008 when Chris Shays lost to challenger Jim Himes.

Connecticut’s 5th District has been in Democratic control since 2006 when Republican Nancy Johnson lost to Chris Murphy, who later successfully ran for U.S. Senate.

Murphy faces GOP challenger for U.S Senate seat

Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy faces a challenge from GOP challenger Matthew Corey.

(Murphy was first elected to the Senate in 2012. His 2012 rise followed a Democratic primary featuring a cast of Connecticut politicians including future Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and Attorney General William Tong, then a state representative. Murphy ultimately went on to defeat GOP candidate Linda McMahon, the former WWE CEO and performer. McMahon would later land a spot as administrator of the Small Business Administration under former President Donald Trump.)

In many ways, Murphy’s time in Congress has been defined by the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. Since then, he has emerged as a national voice advocating for stricter gun control laws. He also speaks regularly on loneliness and is a member of the Senate’s Appropriations and Foreign Relations committees.

Corey, a Manchester resident and Navy veteran, is a small business owner. He ran unsuccessfully against Murphy in 2018. Corey faces an uphill battle again this year, as Murphy has already amassed a massive fundraising advantage.

CT voters face question to expand ballot access in future elections

A ballot question will also appear this November. The question will ask voters to amend the state constitution to allow for no-excuse voting by mail. Currently, state law requires voters to give a reason when requesting an absentee ballot, such as sickness or absence from town on Election Day.

If approved, this change would allow the legislature to vote on legislation to expand mail-in voting to all voters, according to the Connecticut Mirror. Many states allow no-excuse absentee voting.

If the measure fails, as a similar effort did in 2014, the legislature would not be permitted to vote to change the rules around no-excuse absentee voting. Instead, a question allowing the constitutional change would again need to be put before voters during a future election.

Other U.S. House seats also up for reelection in 2024

District 1

U.S. Rep. John Larson, a Democrat first elected to Congress in 1998, faces challenger Jim Griffin. Griffin was endorsed by Republicans without opposition in May.

District 2

U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, a Democrat who has represented the district since 2007, faces Mike France, a Republican and former Connecticut state representative who waged an unsuccessful campaign against Courtney in 2022.

District 3

Democratic U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, 81, who has represented the district since 1991 and has been re-elected ever since. DeLauro faces Republican Michael Massey, a New Haven resident.

District 4

U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, a Democrat who has held the district since 2009, faces Republican challenger Michael Goldstein, an ophthalmologist and lawyer.

Learn more

Connecticut Secretary of the State | Register Online to Vote | Important Voter Information

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Connecticut

Lamont signs law in Norwich to stop pay to contractors violating wages

Published

8 hours ago

July 1, 2026

Press Room

Lamont signs law in Norwich to stop pay to contractors violating wages

Connecticut is taking a step to make sure workers are paid fairly.

On June 30, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed Public Act 26-17, which enables the State Comptroller to issue a stop work order and withhold state funds to contractors that are not properly paying their employees.

The bill was signed on the construction site for Greeneville Elementary School, which is one of the four new elementary schools being built in Norwich. The State of Connecticut is reimbursing the city for 80% of the project, and the law applies to “any place where the state is making a payment,” Lamont said.

Wage theft can take many forms

It matters because wage theft can take many forms, from money taken from base pay, to money not given in benefits, Kimberly Glassman, director of compliance and government affairs for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 478, said.

Local 478 also has a presence in the Norwich school building project, with 10 to 20 union members working at each site daily, Glassman said.

What do state leaders think of the Greeneville site’s progress?

Lamont is impressed with how quickly the work is going.

“They told me that the walls went up in the last two weeks, so a lot of progress is happening,” he said.

During the bill signing, Norwich Mayor Swarnjit Singh touted the importance of using union labor and the value of project labor agreements.

“We are on time and on budget,” he said.

After the bill signing, Singh said its possible the Greeneville School building could be complete as soon as the first quarter of 2027, he said.

“They’re not wasting any time,” Singh said.

State Rep. Derrel Wilson attended the original Greeneville School as a kid, and still lives in Greeneville. He was credited as being one of the driving forces for getting the workers bill passed.

“It’s exciting seeing this revitalization for our neighborhood, seeing active construction and watching individuals rebuild our community,” Wilson said.

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Connecticut

US Supreme Court to consider challenge to Connecticut assault weapons ban

Published

18 hours ago

June 30, 2026

Press Room

US Supreme Court to consider challenge to Connecticut assault weapons ban

HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) – The U.S. Supreme Court said Tuesday it will take up an appeal challenging bans on the AR-15 and other semi-automatic firearms, including the ban in Connecticut and in the Chicago area.

Similar bans are in place in about a dozen states. The case is expected to be heard in the fall.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said the state’s assault weapons ban is lawful and that his office is prepared to fight the challenge in court.

“Connecticut’s assault weapon ban is lawful, lifesaving, and broadly supported. The gun lobby has flooded the courts in states across the country to get an assault weapons case up to this Supreme Court. We are prepared for this fight, and we are going to go in with everything we’ve got to keep these weapons of war off our streets, out of our schools, and away from our families,” said Attorney General Tong.

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Connecticut

CT poised to invest again in childcare, pay down pension debt

Published

1 day ago

June 30, 2026

Press Room

CT poised to invest again in childcare, pay down pension debt

by Keith M. Phaneuf, CT Mirror
June 30, 2026

Having racked up its ninth hefty budget surplus in a row, Connecticut is poised to expand a record investment in affordable childcare while taking another big chunk out of its legacy pension debt.

The $27.2 billion state budget for the fiscal year that closes Tuesday is on pace for a $412 million operating surplus — all of it earmarked by legislators and Gov. Ned Lamont for a special endowment for early childhood education.

A special savings program outside the formal budget should capture another $1.3 billion in income and business tax receipts. Most of that, roughly $1 billion to $1.1 billion, will go toward shrinking the state’s pension debt. The rest will boost Connecticut’s emergency reserve or “rainy day fund” to almost $4.5 billion — 18% of annual operating expenses, the maximum allowed by law.

“Making Connecticut more affordable means making it easier for families to live, work and raise children here,” Lamont wrote in a statement. “High-quality early childhood education gives children the strongest possible start in life while helping parents pursue careers, grow their incomes and contribute to our economy.”

Connecticut’s early childhood commissioner, Elena Trueworth, added in the statement that “This endowment represents a transformational commitment to Connecticut’s youngest children and the families who depend on high-quality early childhood education.”

Eligible families are expected to begin receiving no-cost childcare or partial assistance subsidized by the endowment starting in the 2027-28 fiscal year.

Saving for childcare was challenging this past year

The governor and his fellow Democrats in the legislature’s majority launched the Early Childhood Education Endowment with $300 million in June 2025. With a goal of adding thousands of affordable childcare program slots by 2030, officials dedicated future operating surpluses toward this effort. Separately, the special savings program outside the formal budget would remain focused on reducing pension debt.

That strategy hit a snag earlier this year.

While officials planned for another $300 million-plus operating surplus, rising Medicaid and fringe benefit costs — and smaller-than-anticipated corporation tax receipts — wiped out the entire projected fiscal cushion.

Lamont and lawmakers responded by raiding the off-budget savings program, moving hundreds of millions of dollars into the General Fund. That transfer, coupled with a last-minute surge in tax receipts, created the $412 million surplus now headed into the childcare endowment.

“We’re making a smart, long-term investment that will lower costs for families, strengthen our workforce, and ensure this support is available for generations to come,” Lamont said. “This is exactly why we have managed the state’s finances responsibly, so that when we have the opportunity to make transformational investments, we can do so without raising taxes or compromising our long-term fiscal stability.”

Officials dedicated $11 billion in surplus since 2020 to pay pension debt

Even with those adjustments to the off-budget program, the administration estimates Connecticut will still have saved $1 billion to $1.1 billion to deposit into its pension funds for state employees and municipal teachers. A final tally won’t be known until the comptroller’s office completes its formal audit of the last budget cycle in September.

Once that’s done, officials will have dedicated a total of about $11 billion from special savings to reduce pension debt since 2020.

Still, analysts project the state won’t have eliminated all unfunded pension liabilities before the 2040s.

Connecticut entered this fiscal year with more than $33 billion in unfunded pension obligations, according to analysts, and the state remains one of the most indebted per capita in the nation.

Most of that debt stems from inadequate saving by legislatures and governors for more than seven decades between 1939 and 2010, according to a 2015 report prepared for the state by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. By not saving properly, the state government severely restricted the potential investment earnings, forfeiting billions of dollars across seven decades.

As a result, mandatory pension contributions continue to place heavy pressure on state finances, drawing resources away from other programs and services.

Watershed debate on CT savings program expected next term

Meanwhile, Lamont’s critics say the savings program he embraces is too aggressive.

Between operating surpluses and off-budget savings programs, Connecticut has left an average of $1.8 billion unspent — roughly 8% of the General Fund — since new budget caps were enacted in 2017. By comparison, the two prior decades of state budgets produced an average annual savings of 0.1% of the General Fund.

In other words, critics say, the new system is forcing a single generation to retire a pension debt problem created by three — and that education, health care, municipal aid and other core programs are suffering as a result.

Many of Lamont’s fellow Democrats in the legislature — including state Rep. Josh Elliott of Hamden, who is challenging the governor for the party’s gubernatorial nomination — say Connecticut could retire debt at a more modest pace and invest far more in programs and direct aid to cities and towns.

The Republican gubernatorial nominee, state Sen. Ryan Fazio of Greenwich, called earlier this year for the state to reduce savings efforts in order to dramatically expand tax cuts for Connecticut’s middle class.

Legislative leaders from both parties have said they expect a debate over state government’s savings habits to dominate the next General Assembly term, which covers the 2027 and 2028 sessions.

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