As Primary Approaches, Make Sure You’re Registered

Wilton’s registrars of voters, Tina Gardner and Carole Young-Kleinfeld, have set up a computer terminal in their office to allow residents to register online to vote. Above, Wilton resident and college student Phoebe Kamp registers to vote online in the Wilton registrars of voters office. They’re ramping up in advance of Connecticut’s primary election day on April 26, and are encouraging everyone to be prepared to vote by registering.

Connecticut law requires that voters must be enrolled party members to vote in primary elections. Electors who switch from one party to another must be members of the new party for at least three months in order to vote in that party’s primary. Please note that the Independent Party is currently a minor party in CT—like the Green, Libertarian, or Working Families. Membership in the Independent Party is not the same as being an unaffiliated voter in Connecticut.

Unaffiliated Wilton voters—members of no political party—may enroll in a political party by mail, online, or in person providing they have not been members of any party for at least 3 months. Check below for applicable deadlines.

Unregistered residents who wish to register to vote can do so online through the Online Voter Registration System.
To register online, you must have a valid CT driver’s license, permit, or photo ID card, and a signature on file with the DMV.
When applying online, remember to complete all the required fields as you go through the application. Understand that you are not a registered voter until you are approved by the Registrar of Voters. You’ll receive confirmation within three weeks. If you don’t get confirmation, check with your Registrar of Voters.

The deadline to register to vote in the primary, your registration must be delivered or postmarked by the following deadlines:

• 5th day before the primary if registering online or postmarked if by mail.
• By 12 p.m. the last business day before the primary, if registering in person.

In order to register to vote in Connecticut, you must be:  a United States citizen; a resident of Connecticut; and at least 17 years old to register and 18 years old on or before Election Day.

There is no Election Day registering on CT Primary Day.

To check your current voter registration status and party affiliation, check the Wilton Registrars’ Voter Look-Up site or contact the registrars of voters at 203.563.0111.