Election 2024:
Your vote is your voice!

Voting is very important. It is your opportunity to choose the people that will run our government, make laws, decide how money gets spent, and much more. Who gets picked to run the government makes a big difference for people with disabilities and their families. If you do not vote, then you do not get a say in what happens.

The Connecticut No-Excuse Absentee Voting Amendment is on the ballot in Connecticut as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 5, 2024.[1]

A "yes" vote supports authorizing the Connecticut State Legislature to provide by law for no-excuse absentee voting, thereby allowing any voter to request a mail-in ballot.

A "no" vote opposes providing for no-excuse absentee voting, thereby retaining current law requiring that a voter must have an excuse to request an absentee mail-in ballot.

Access to absentee ballots was expanded, voters may be eligible to vote by absentee ballot if they are unable to go to their polling place on Election Day because of absence from their town for a period of time on Election Day, because of a sickness, or because of a disability. This includes voters who are unable to go to their polling place because of a sickness or physical disability or another person, or because of the continued presence of a sickness, such as COVID-19 virus. ALL registered voters in Connecticut can vote via absentee ballot. If you haven’t received your absentee ballot application yet, contact your Town Clerk. To make sure your vote counts, fill out your ballot and return it right away. You can return it by mail, but to be safe, all ballots and ballot applications can be dropped in the Official Ballot Drop Box right outside of your town hall.

Check your voter registration status here. Register to vote online here. Visit the Secretary of the State’s website or call 860-509-6200 to have all of your questions about voting answered.

“Who are you voting For” Visit the Connecticut Secretary of State for more information Civics101@ct.gov

This toolkit is also available in Spanish Civics101@ct.gov

Rights of Voters with Disabilities

• Right to Vote Using Any Method They Choose:

1.In-Person Voting

2. Paper/Manual Ballot or

3. Ballot Marking Device

• Vote Independently and Privately.

• Go to the front of the line or have your place in line held if your disability prevents you from standing in the line.

• Bring a service animal into the polling place.

•  View a sample ballot and receive instructions on how to use voting equipment

•  Vote even if you have a guardian unless the Probate Court has ruled that you are not competent to vote

•  To Get Information in other Formats. Braille, Magnified, or via Accessible Voting Machine

• Receive assistance completing your ballot by the person of the voter’s choice, with some exceptions. (Not employer, union or candidate on ballot unless an immediate family member)

• To Get a New Ballot if You Make a Mistake.

• Additional time in the voting booth regardless of the method of voting chosen

Generally, voters have a two-minute time limit. Requirement for access to the voting process allows for modification of the rule if necessary for a voter with a disability.

The Arc Connecticut Reminds Voters To Make A Plan to Vote

The State of Connecticut has valuable resources for voters who have disabilities:

https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Accessible-Voting

Find your candidates!

You can find candidates in your town by typing their first name, last name and/or district in the search bar. If you are unsure of who is running, or you don’t know your State House or State Senate districts find your districts here. Here is a list of the candidates running for legislative office in 2023.

More Information About the 2022 Candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State,

Senate and 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Congressional Districts who attended the 2022 Candidates Forum on Disability Issues:

English - HTTPS://vimeo.com/759624179/629b3b9cba

Captioned - https://vimeo.com/759622160/4c93fc9963

Spanish - https://vimeo.com/759622157/b3327701b6