State Rep. Stephanie Thomas (D-143), serving her first term representing Wilton in the Connecticut General Assembly, has been named Vice-Chair of the Government Administration and Elections Committee.
“I am honored to serve on this important committee, especially at a time when confidence in our elections is being threatened,” Thomas said in a press release. “Thanks to the hard work of our registrars of voters and town clerks, Connecticut voters were able to enjoy accessible and secure ballot access in November’s general election.”
Thomas also mentioned two of the hot-topics that will likely come before legislators in the 2021 session–absentee ballots and early voting.
“The Committee looks forward to engaging with the public on ways to improve our voter registration and absentee ballot system moving forward. I also hope the state will join the majority of the country by moving forward with legislation to make early voting possible,” she said.
The Committee met Wednesday, Jan. 13 for the first time since legislators were sworn in. In addition to taking up early voting and online applications for absentee ballots, the committee will likely consider automatic voter registration and other issues that were cut short in the 2020 session.
“When campaigning this fall, nearly every voter I spoke with – Democrat, Republican or unaffiliated – expressed relief to have additional options on how they could vote. Many did not feel comfortable going to a polling place, while others knew they would have a hard time making it to the polls on Election Day. I encourage everyone to make their voice heard as we tackle these issues in the legislature,” Thomas said.
Updates on the GAE committee, including previous or upcoming hearings, can be found online.