CONNECTICUT, USA — Question:
Doreen wrote, “I received my application for absentee voting in the mail on 6/30/2020. My elderly husband and his elderly mother haven’t received theirs yet. Is there a certain date/deadline to be receiving these applications in the mail?”
Answer:
Applications were mailed out in several batches starting on June 26. The last batch went out on Monday, July 6. If you did not receive an application this week, you should contact your local registrar of voters in the town where you live. You will have to confirm: you are a registered voter. You are registered as a Democrat or Republican. You are not on the inactive voter list. Voters have until August 6 to change their party affiliation to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary on August 11.
FOX61 has also received emails about people who are deceased receiving applications for absentee voting.
If you receive an application for someone who has died or moved, write “Return to Sender” on the envelope and put it in the mail. Contact your town’s registrar of voters. The Connecticut Department of Health notifies the town registrar’s office when someone dies and that person is taken off the voter rolls. However, if someone died out of state, the town may not get the notification from the other location.
For more information, click here.
Question:
A viewer wrote, “Why are veterinary hospitals continuing with curbside only? We are allowed to go to doctors, dentists, salons, shopping, so what is the explanation for the lack of opening the doors for pet care?”
Answer:
FOX61 spoke with Dr. Gayle Block, who owns Town and Country Veterinary Associates in Vernon. She said the reason we are seeing so many vets offices and hospitals stick with curbside drop off only is that it’s not necessary to have people inside the office to provide good medicine and veterinary care for animals. Veterinarians are considered essential, so they did not need to close during the pandemic. The CDC and veterinary groups have issued guidance and many vets are abiding by that guidance to keep patients and staff safe. Many providers do require appointments ahead of time and are not accepting walk-ins. Dr. Block says her office will be allowing people in with their pets starting very shortly, but there will be strict protocols in place.
Question:
Gerard asked, “Is there any news on when the nursing homes in CT will reopen for visitors?”
Answer:
FOX61’s Keith McGilvery asked Governor Lamont about nursing home visitations.
“We were pretty strict early on at the height of the pandemic. Now that the infection rate is a lot lower, we’re working with the nursing homes in particular, making sure we can get access there so loved ones can be able to see each other. We test, or at least get protocols same people going in and out. We’re working with each and every nursing home for those relationships to be re-established safely,” said Governor Ned Lamont.
No timeline has been set yet, but the Governor is working with nursing homes. There are some that are allowing outside visitation already. For example, Middlewoods of Newington has set up an outdoor space for socially distanced visits with family.
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