FARMINGTON — The regular deadline to register for the Nov. 3 election is Friday, Oct. 16. Early voting opens three days later, on Monday, Oct. 19, on the third floor of the new Town Hall at 20 Monteith Drive, and runs every day through Sunday, Nov. 1.
Miss Friday and you can still vote. It just takes one more stop.
To see your own ballot and polling place, pick your precinct or type your address on our Farmington elections page.
Registering
Through Friday, Oct. 16. Register online at MyVote.CT.gov/register, by mail, or in person. State law requires registrars in every town to hold a registration session Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Farmington's Registrars of Voters are at Town Hall, 20 Monteith Drive, 860-675-2367. You can check whether you are already registered with the state's voter lookup.
After Friday. Connecticut lets you register and vote on the same day, in person, at two kinds of places:
- During early voting, at the early voting site, during early voting hours.
- On Election Day, at Town Hall, 20 Monteith Drive, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Not at your neighborhood polling place.
Bring proof of identity and of where you live. The state's advice is to come early, because the line can be long.
Early voting, Oct. 19 to Nov. 1
Early voting is at Farmington Town Hall, 20 Monteith Drive, in the third-floor Training Room. That is the new Town Hall, in the former Farmington High School, the 1928 Building. The town says signs inside will point the way.
The hours are the same every day except two:
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, weekends included, Monday, Oct. 19 through Sunday, Nov. 1
- 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27 and Thursday, Oct. 29
Those are the only two days you can vote early before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
Two things are new this year, according to the Secretary of the State's office: you put your finished ballot straight into the tabulator, the counting machine, instead of sealing it in an envelope, and you both print and sign your name when you check in.
Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3
Polls are open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at four places:
- Precincts 1 and 2: Irving Robbins Middle School, 20 Wolf Pit Road
- Precincts 3 and 4: West Woods Upper Elementary School, 50 Judson Lane
- Precincts 5 and 6: Community/Senior Center, 321 New Britain Avenue, Unionville
- Precinct 7: Town Hall, 20 Monteith Drive
The state's voter lookup shows your precinct and polling place.
Absentee, now for anyone
Starting this year, you no longer need a reason, such as illness or being out of town, to vote by absentee ballot. Ballots have been available since Oct. 2.
Apply at MyVote.CT.gov, or in person at the Town Clerk's office in Town Hall. Questions go to the Town Clerk at 860-675-2380. Monday, Nov. 2, is the last day a ballot can be issued, with a few exceptions, such as a voter who suddenly falls ill.
Mail your completed ballot or put it in the state's drop box directly outside Town Hall, and it has to arrive by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. Received, not postmarked. If you hand it to the Town Clerk yourself, the state's election calendar sets an earlier deadline: Monday, Nov. 2.
What is on the ballot
Every Farmington voter picks a governor and lieutenant governor, a member of Congress, a state senator, a state representative, a secretary of the state, treasurer, comptroller and attorney general, a judge of probate and a registrar of voters. There are no ballot questions.
- Governor and lieutenant governor: Ned Lamont and Susan Bysiewicz (Democratic, Working Families); Ryan Fazio and Matt Corey (Republican, Independent)
- Congress, 5th District: Jahana Hayes (Democratic, Working Families); Chris Shea (Republican)
- Judge of Probate: Paul R. Bedard (Democratic), unopposed
- Registrar of Voters: Beth Kintner (Democratic); Ann Newbury (Republican)
Which state senator and state representative you see depends on your precinct. The ballot writes precincts as district and number, so 1-2 means District 1, Precinct 2. Farmington's sample ballots come in three versions:
- Precinct 1-2: State Senate, 6th District: Rick Lopes (Democratic, Working Families) and Tremell Collins (Republican). State House, 21st District.
- Precincts 1-3 and 2-5: State Senate, 5th District. State House, 22nd District: Rebecca Martinez (Democratic, Working Families) and Richard Mette (Republican, Independent).
- Precincts 1-1, 1-4, 2-6 and 2-7: State Senate, 5th District. State House, 21st District.
In the 5th Senate District, Derek Slap (Democratic) is unopposed. In the 21st House District, Mike Demicco (Democratic, Working Families, Independent) faces Gary Palumbo (Republican).
The rest of the statewide offices: for secretary of the state, Stephanie Thomas (Democratic, Working Families, Independent) and Peter Lumaj (Republican); treasurer, Erick Russell (Democratic, Working Families) and Fred Wilms (Republican, Independent); comptroller, Sean Scanlon (Democratic, Working Families, Independent) and Jennifer S. Tooker (Republican); attorney general, William Tong (Democratic, Working Families) and John Bolton (Republican).
The town's sample ballots are posted on its website.
Who can vote
Unlike the August primary, which was limited to Democrats and Republicans, this ballot goes to every registered voter, party or no party. That matters here: of Farmington's 18,748 active voters as of Aug. 3, the town counts 8,123 as unaffiliated, more than either party. Democrats number 6,267 and Republicans 4,107.
This coverage is supported by Farmington Storage, 155 Scott Swamp Road, the only storage facility in Connecticut with Museum air. The deadline to register is Friday. The deadline to clear out the garage is whenever you say it is. 860.777.4001 📦
Jack Beckett has now explained the new Town Hall's third floor to Farmington voters twice this year. He is on his first coffee and pacing himself. ☕
The Farmington Mercury covers Farmington from the records up: town government, the police log, zoning, schools and elections. Our motto is "Always last to breaking news." A registration deadline is the one thing we refuse to be last on. farmingtonmercury.com 📰