votersguide

Click above to return to Weston LWV main page...
The first step in the election process: register to vote online with the LWVUS: http://www.lwv.org/voter/register.html

Local Election 2003 review:

Weston League of Women Voters Online Voters' Guide '03 (Victorious candidates indicated by wider borders).

Answers to LWV questions (same as in FORUM) - only for contested races - online (click on candidate photo).
***Weston LWV Debates on Town TV Channel 79, Saturdayand Sunday (Monday--not shown)***
**Viewing times for Board of Selectmen: 9am, 2pm and 7pm**
*Viewing times for Board of Education: 11am, 4pm and 9pm*

A B O U T T H E N O V E M B E R 4 , 2 0 0 3 E L E C T I O N . . . pictures of the last weekend at the Center;

GET ACTUAL VOTE TOTALS HERE:

Republicans by the numbers;
Democrats by the numbers.
Photographs of candidates (informal)HERE;

CHARTER REVISION ON BALLOT: for votes totals, click HERE.
Debate for First Selectman/Board of Selectman over; debate/forum for Board of Education (2 year term) with remarks from other candidates on the ballot over, too. Click HERE for photo story on Board of Education debate...
One example, generic, of how you set up a debate.
What happens when? Election-cycle dates to remember - the calendar
How many Westonites are registered in which Party?

B A C K G R O U N D I N G . . .

What are CT's Campaign Finance laws?
Duties of office for Board of Education, according to CT Statutes, CT Department of Education?
What does the Charter say about duties of office in Weston government?

THE DEBATES/FORUMS FOR THE CANDIDATES ARE NOW OVER. WE HOPE THEY WERE EDUCATIONAL FOR ALL VOTERS:

Wednesday, October 22
7:30PM
Weston Library Community Room
Selectmen's Debate
Moderator: Carole Fanslow, Greater Bridgeport LWV

How did it go? Standing room only in the Weston Library Community Room, EXTREMELY polite, many, many questions asked, answered. Best question: the last one...the questioner tallied up all the suggestions and promises made during the course of the debate...and asked how we would pay for them (?). Weston FORUM, Westport NEWS, MINUTEMAN all present; delayed tape shown on Channel 79. Weston LWV video team producing its own version for play on Channel 79 the week beginning Monday, October 27th.

Saturday, October 25
10:30AM
Weston Town Hall Meeting Room
Board of Education Forum and Debate
Moderator: Jean Rabinow, Greater Bridgeport LWV

How did it go? Standing room only, this time at the Town Hall Meeting Room. Polite, but the candidate interaction did create sparks. Not as MANY questions as for the Board of Selectmen - perhaps because this moderator encouraged "back and forth" - but they were all about education and the betterment of the community.

2 0 0 3 E L E C T I O N C A L E N D A R :
October 3 - printed absentee ballots become available - see above...
October 18 - special Saturday in-person registration session (10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.)
October 21 - for most voters, last day to register in person; for most voters, last day to mail in application to register special Tuesday in-person registration session (9:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m.)
November 3 - last day to register if rights (age, citizenship, residence, military discharge) matured after Oct. 21
November 4 - Election Day (polls open 6:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m.) deadline for cancelling absentee ballots: 10:00 a.m.
http://www.weston-ct.com/registrars.htm

R E G I S T R A T I O N F I G U R E S:
As of August 13, 2003 there were 6,044 voters registered in Weston. Democrats number 1,610 (26.64%); Republicans come to 2,143 (35.46%); Unaffiliated voters top them all at 2,285 (37.81%). There are 6 other individuals enrolled some other way.

T H E   B A C K G R O U N D
W h a t    a r e    t h e   C T    c a m p a i g n   f i n a n c e    l a w s ?   C l i c k   H E R E

D u t i e s    o f     o f f i c e :   W h a t    d o e s   t h e   W e s t o n   C h a r t e r   r e q u i r e ?

C l i c k H E R E   f o r   l i n k   t o    C h a r t e r    o n    T O W N    W E B S I T E ;
The Town of Weston Charter was adopted in 1979 and contains twelve (12) "Articles."   Crafted by citizens, members of a Charter Revision Commission some years ago, it has served the community well for these many years. A recent Charter Revision Commission is studying and is expected to propose minor changes - to be voted on this November 4. The Weston LWV has monitored their activity, and reports from our OBSERVER CORPS are on-line HERE.

A R T I C L E     5    O F   T H E W E S T O N    T O W N     C H A R T E R   ( pa g e s 1 4 - 1 7 o n - l i n e   v e r s i o n ) :
E l e c t i v e O f f i c e r s ,    B o a r d s   a n d    C o m m i s s i o n s - p a g e s   1 1 - 1 5 ( a c t u a l   p a g i n a t i o n )

What does the Charter say is the role of Boards and Commissions in Weston? There are pages and pages related to responsibilities of the First Selectman, Board of Education, Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance, and again, many pages devoted to Town Meeting and the Annual Town Budget Meeting. But what about the simple things?
Basic facts (i.e. term of office) appear in Article 5. How these groups operate can be found elsewhere. Every Board and Commission complies with Article 10, "Conduct of Business, Elected and Appointed Boards and Commissions" including rules about election of officers, minutes and executive session. Since the Charter was adopted in 1979, a Board of Ethics was created by ordinance of the Board of Selectmen after study (and after a study and consensus by the Weston LWV).

B o a r d   o f   E d u c a t i o n :

In the distance, the Board of Education headquarters (from the Hurlbutt bus drop-off);
R E L A T E D   T O   B O A R D    O F    E D U C A T I O N   D U T I E S . . .

C T     G E N E R A L     S T A T U T E S   ( E d u c a t i o n ) . . .
F o r l i n k   t o   S t a t e   D e p a r t m e n t   o f   E d u c a t i o n .