EAST HAVEN, Conn. — Voters have known for some time that they are permitted to vote either in person or via absentee ballot, but there is another voting option here in Connecticut that came to light here on Election Day.
At the Mamauguin School in East Haven, FOX61 saw a couple of voting officials bringing a ballot out to a car and the officials were asked what was happening.
The person in the car, Nancy Walsh, was just as surprised but was thankful, given health issues that make it very difficult for her to walk into the polling place. But there was a solution.
"So, we offer curbside voting," said Tina Headley, who is East Haven's special head moderator. "That can be for any resident that comes to vote in the district. They just let someone know inside the polling location."
Then, at that time, a registrar from each of the two political parties will come out to the car with a ballot, Headley says.
"This was great," said an appreciative Nancy Walsh. "We drove up and the lady came over and said this was an option and I said 'oh it's great.' It's tremendously convenient and very friendly."
Connecticut voters should know curbside voting is also a state law, according to the Secretary of the State's office.
"And it can be for any physical need, various reasons that they may have that they can't go inside and vote," Headley added.
No matter how they cast their ballots, voters had very definite reasons for voting.
"Mostly probably like the economy, inflation, [supply] shortages and having to deal with you know I work at Sikorsky and you know parts shortages and just material type issues," said Jameson LaValley of Wallingford.
One voter voiced her frustration. She feels some state and local candidates don't do a good enough job getting their message out to voters as to where they stand on certain issues.
"I'm not sure if it's because of the years of COVID but not a lot of campaigning going around," said Marlene Tiedemann of North Haven.
One thing all voters agree on is it feels empowering to slide the ballot into the vote tabulator.
"I had a voice," said Stephani Martinez of West Haven. "I said what I wanted to say. These are the people who I want to represent me and I picked those people and I put my card in the slot."
The Secretary of the State's office also responded to a question from a viewer about what writing instruments may be used to fill in the ballot bubbles. The answer: Pens, pencils or markers are legal. But red ink is not permitted.
Tony Terzi is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at tterzi@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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