Elections 2000

VOTER REGISTRATIONS FOR PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY 2008 puts Democrats up by 7 voters as of the end of the week Feb. 1; now Majority Party in Weston!

W E S T O N , C T V O T I N G H I S T O R Y : E l s e w h e r e i n C o n n e c t i c u t 2 0 0 9

Local Election turnouts
Town Meeting turnouts
CT Election turnouts
Presidential Election turnouts

2008
2004
2000

Information about voting

Apples and Oranges Department: hard to compare data when it comes from differing sources, not all the same years, etc.
For link to Office of Legislative Research in Hartford http://www.cga.ct.gov/olr/ (report on voter registration and actual voting in primaries) 1994, 1998, 2002, 2004 - includes data from three sources, one of which is F.E.C. Weston LWV study of Town Meeting involvement and position HERE. CT Secretary of the State's office keeps theofficial voting records

Small turnouts likely Tuesday in many towns
DAY
Article published Nov 1, 2009

Unlike last year's presidential election, crowds aren't expected for local races. A year ago, voter registration rolls swelled as residents didn't want to miss out on a historic presidential vote. On Election Day, as many as 80 percent of registered voters cast ballots in some towns. On Tuesday, with no national or statewide elections, registrars in most towns don't expect the long lines of a year ago, with turnout returning to less than half of the 2 million eligible Connecticut voters.

Even with the first-ever contested race for the Board of Finance and contested races for the boards of selectmen and education, Stonington officials don't expect a higher voter turnout than past municipal elections. In last year's presidential election, 80 percent of registered voters in Stonington cast ballots compared to the typical 20 percent that registrars predict will vote Tuesday.

"It's kind of sad that it can drop that much," Republican registrar Linda Camelio said.

Groton Town Clerk Barbara Tarbox said that the number of absentee ballots, usually a strong barometer for voter turnout, is only about two-thirds what it was in 2007. Tarbox said her office has sent out about 200 absentee ballots this year, mostly to residents serving overseas with the military, who automatically get ballots but vote infrequently.

Voters in towns like Waterford, where the first selectman's race is uncontested, might opt to stay away, but Republican Town Committee Chairman G. Brian Vachris hopes they'll be interested in the other offices that are up for grabs. Waterford Democratic registrar of voters Wendy Oviatt Pias predicts fewer than 30 percent will vote.

Whether the top spot on the ballot is contested or not often determines how many people will vote.

In North Stonington in 2005, the town had a 33 percent turnout when the first selectman ran unopposed. In 2007, with two candidates going head to head, 49 percent of voters went to the polls.

The last time Lyme had a contested first selectman race, in 2001, more than half of all registered voters came out to vote. Otherwise, the turnout is about 20 percent, with only the most faithful voters making the effort.

"There are people who remember that it is their responsibility to vote all the time," Lyme Town Clerk Ruth N. Perry said. "And that's a good thing. Because you don't want to complain about your local government if you don't take that opportunity to vote. ... I think voting is a privilege."

In some cities and towns, heartily fought races could drive people to vote.

A four-way mayoral race and contested races for both City Council and Board of Education in Norwich could result in a turnout around 40 percent, according to Democratic Registrar Nancy DePietro.

There seems to be interest in the council and school board races in New London, too.

Three questions that could change the way the town is governed could bring more people than usual to the polls in Montville, even though this election does not include mayoral candidates.

"This is the time when people have the greatest impact. This is when they decide who governs the town and controls the budget and taxes," Montville Democratic Registrar of Voters Lorraine Elliott said. "I'm hoping that the signs around town for the charter questions bring people out because they're curious."

Party officials in Griswold think a three-way race for the first selectman's seat could push the turnout past 50 percent, even though just one person turned out for two voter registration drives in the past month.

Local Elections: note--these are not all official numbers!

Municipal Election 1997 - 17% - (uncontested)
Municipal Election 1999 - 48% - (contested, Democrat win; Republican majority on the Board)
Municipal Election 2001 - 30% - (uncontested)
Municipal Election 2003 - (contested - Republican wins - we don't have numbers for registration, but there were @2536 votes cast for First Selectman [986 Democrats])
Municipal Election 2005 - 21% - (uncontested)
Municipal Election 2007 - 44% - (contested, Republican wins; Republican majority on the Board - 2656 votes cast for First Selectman [1212 Democrats])

Town Meeting Participation:

April 10, 2001 - ATBM - 10%
April 24, 2001 - Referendum - 34%
May 24, 2001 - Special Town Meeting - 3%
June 21, 2001 - Special Town Meeting - 3%
June 28, 2001 - Referendum - 30%
October 18, 2001 - Special Town Meeting - passed (% not available)
November 7, 2001 - Special Town Meeting - adjourned to Referendum
November 15, 2001 - Referendum - 65%
April 16, 2002 - ATBM - 3%
May 30, 2002 - Special Town Meeting - 2%
January 9, 2003 - Special Town Meeting - 4%
April 9, 2003 - ATBM - 3%
April 22, 2003 - Referendum - (est. 58%)

State Election:

1998 - 58%
2002 - 57%

Presidential Election 2008 cycle in Weston:
Turnout (our number - all the votes had not yet been counted and hour after the polls closed, when we left): 90.4% for the Obama-McCain contest. See article below--we were #1 for medium sized towns in CT! Also for the final turnout number...

Weston Wins Democracy Cup for Voter Turnout
Westport NEWS
By Anthony Karge
Posted: 11/28/2008 09:45:56 AM EST

The right to vote is often considered a privilege and, in Weston, voters did their civic duty. Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz announced on Monday that The Town of Weston won the 2008 Democracy Cup for its voter turnout.

Out of more than 6,000 registered voters, 90.84 percent cast ballots on Nov. 4. Weston had the highest turnout among medium-sized towns with 5,000 to 14,000 voters.

"Weston always does well in presidential elections," said Eileen Buckley, the republican registrar of voters. "We just have people very interested in voting."

She said that there was a large enrollment of young people for this election, but the Weston registar of voters didn't do anything special aside from the registration drives required by law.

"It's very exciting and very rewarding," she said.

First Selectman Woody Bliss could not be reached for comment because he was out of town. Originally, Avon was named the winner of the medium town category, but the office of the secretary of state issued a correction stating the Weston actually had the higher turnout.

New Hartford was the victor in the small town category while Newtown won in the large town group. For the first time ever, cities had their own category. Stamford was the winner with a turnout of 81.65 percent.

"This year's election was the most exciting in a generation," said Bysiewicz in a press release. "The involvement of citizens in the democratic process is the corner stone of our civic life and this year the voters of New Hartford, Weston, Newtown and Stamford proved they are leaders."

Each winner will host the Democracy Cup trophy until next year's elections. The trophy presentation ceremony is being scheduled for sometime in December. The Democracy Cup started in 2000. Westport was a winner in the medium town category in the inaugural year and again in 2006.

Presidential Election 2004 cycle in Weston:
Turnout: 90.27% this Presidential Election cycle--as of revised returns on turnout, Weston was not #1...we were #5 (previously #8, before three small towns elsewhere in CT were "eliminated" by "pilot error (our word)" in reporting: Roxbury 99.94% (still being reviewed), Washington 93.08%, Wethersfield 90.83%, Darien 90.47%, then Weston 90.27%!

100% Turnout Turns Out False
November 10, 2004 Hartford Courant
Staff Report

Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz fretted last week about how she would properly recognize three towns that reported 100 percent voter turnout in the presidential election.

She needn't worry.

The 100 percent figures for Hartland, Madison and Warren were the results of imperfect paperwork by local officials, not perfect attendance by voters, Larry Perosino, a spokesman for Bysiewicz, said Tuesday.

Unofficial statistics posted Tuesday afternoon on the secretary of the state's website corrected the turnouts as 79.39 percent for Hartland, 82.53 percent for Madison and 87.13 percent for Warren.

The site still lists Roxbury as having a turnout of 99.94 percent, with only one of the town's 1,727 registered voters failing to cast a ballot, but local officials could not be reached for confirmation.

Bysiewicz awards the "Democracy Cup" to communities with the best voter turnout. The cup is given to communities in three categories, based on population.

The unofficial statewide voter turnout was 78.69 percent, according to the latest unofficial figures. The election statistics are certified on Nov. 24.

Presidential Election 2000 cycle in Weston:

Primaries...

Although the dates were a couple of weeks off--the Primary was March 7 and the date of the numbers below is two weeks later--a comparison, courtesy of the Registrars of Voters, was made available to the League. These numbers measure VOTER INTEREST. In addition, the data showed Democrat registration up by one percent from the end of 1999 through the Primary; Republican registration was up by 1% as well. Unaffiliated voter registrations thus may have gone down...or new voters registered as a result of the Primary.

Of the 5,805 registered voters in Weston on March 21, 2000, 27% are Democrats, 41% are Republicans and 32% are inaffiliated; we estimate that approximately 20% of registered Democrats voted in their Presidential Preference Primary and almost 25% of Republicans voted in their's...
Presidential Preference Primary Results in Weston: An excellent turnout of affiliated voters...

Democrat
Gore - 285
Bradley - 328
Uncommitted - 7

Republican
Bush - 463
Keyes - 18
McCain - 653
Forbes - 5
Uncommitted - 2

The Presidential Election itself 2000 drew an 87% turnout of Weston voters.

Click here to link to two-page LWVCT flyer...

Where and When May I Register to Vote?

You may register to vote as soon as you move into a residence: there is no waiting period to be eligible. However, there are deadlines to enable election officials to prepare voter lists. You may complete a voter registration card at any town/city hall in Connecticut or pick one up at libraries, the Dept. of Motor Vehicles, other state agency offices, and on the Internet: www.sots.ct.gov .

Mail your card to Registrar of Voters, your town of residence. Election: Your application must be postmarked or received by a voter registration agency by the 14th day before an election. You may register in person at your own town/city hall with your registrar of voters until 7 days before an election.

Primary: Your application must be postmarked or received by your registrar of voters, or by a voter registration agency, by the 5th day before a primary. You may apply in person to your registrar until 12 noon on the last business day before a primary. If you are temporarily or permanently disabled, you may have a voter registration form mailed to you or may request your registrar of voters to come to your residence.