Wilton’s 2026 Primary Election Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Candidates, Early Voting, Absentee Ballots and More

This guide will be updated if voting information changes before Primary Day.

Wilton Democrats and Republicans will both have primaries on Tuesday, Aug. 11. Democrats will choose their candidate to run for governor, and Republicans will select a challenger to U.S. Rep. Jim Himes.

To vote in a Democratic or Republican party primary, a voter must be a registered member affiliated with their respective party. Unaffiliated voters are not able to vote in Connecticut primaries.

This year, each party has only one key primary race to consider. Candidates for most statewide offices were endorsed at their parties’ state conventions without primary challenges, leaving just one contested race for each major party.

Who Can Vote in Wilton

To be eligible to vote in the primary in Wilton, a voter must be:

• a Wilton resident (and a U.S. citizen)
• registered to vote in Wilton
• a registered member of either the Democratic or Republican party
• 18 years old as of Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (17-year-olds who turn 18 before Election Day can vote in the primary but must be registered as a Democrat or Republican.)

Only registered Democrats may vote in the Democratic primary.

Only registered Republicans may vote in the Republican primary.

Unaffiliated voters cannot vote unless they change affiliation by the deadline.

The 411 on Voter Registration — Making Sure You CAN Vote

To vote in a Democratic or Republican party primary, a voter must be registered and affiliated with the respective party. Voters can check their registration status on the state website.

If you are in Wilton and:

• ❌ currently registered as a Democrat or Republicans and want to change your party affiliation, it’s too late to do so for the Aug. 11 primary. Voters who switch parties must wait three months before voting in their new party primary.
• ✅ currently registered as an unaffiliated voter, you still have time to change your affiliation with a party and vote in the primary.
• ✅ a new resident or a first time voter, you can register for the primary as long as you register with a party.

How to register:

• ❌ Same-day voter registration is not available for primaries
• ✅ In person at the Wilton Registrars of Voters office (Wilton Town Hall, 238 Danbury Rd.). The last day for in-person registration is Monday, Aug. 10 at noon. A special enrollment session will take place on Tuesday, July 28 (Check the Registrars’ page on the Town website for times.) Applications are also available at the Wilton Library and Wilton Social Services.
• ✅ Online through the Connecticut Secretary of State‘s office or DMV. Online applications are not instantaneous registrations; they must be approved by Wilton’s registrars. The deadline is July 24 to vote in the Aug. 11 primary.
• ✅ By mail with a completed Voter Application Card sent to the Wilton Registrars of Voters. Applications must be postmarked by July 24 to vote in the Aug. 11 primary.

Wilton’s Registrars of Voters Annalisa Stravato and Karen Birck strictly follow the dates and deadlines established in the CT Secretary of State’s election calendar. They encourage all voters to check there for clarification.

Where, When and How to Vote in Wilton

In-person Voting

• 📌 Where: Both primaries will be held in the lobby of the Clune Center at Wilton High School (395 Danbury Rd.). Polling locations at Cider Mill and Miller-Driscoll schools will not be open.
• 🗓️ When — Tuesday, Aug. 11: Polls will be open 6 a.m.-8 p.m.
• 🗓️ When — Early voting Monday, Aug. 3 through Sunday, Aug. 9: This also takes place in the Clune Center lobby. Early voting hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. with extended hours on Aug. 4 and Aug. 6 from 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Absentee Voting

Connecticut law changed in May 2026, allowing “no-excuse” absentee voting. Now, all registered voters have the option of using absentee ballots in both primaries and elections. The new law removes all restrictions limiting eligibility to vote by absentee ballot.

• Tuesday, July 21: Absentee ballots will become available in the Wilton Town Clerk‘s office (Wilton Town Hall, 238 Danbury Rd.)
• Monday, Aug. 10: The last day to obtain an absentee ballot
• How to turn in an absentee ballot: Absentee ballots must be returned to the Town Clerk’s office — either by mail, in person at the office, or in the secure ballot box. Absentee ballots cannot be presented at polling locations, either during early voting or on primary day.
• How to obtain an absentee ballot: Voters must submit an application to the Town Clerk. The application can be obtained from the CT Secretary of State’s website, or the Wilton Town Clerk’s office, either in person or by mail. Applications can be mailed, returned in person or dropped in the secure ballot box located at the back door of Town Hall (across from Police Headquarters). (The secure ballot box has video surveillance.)
• Deadline — Tuesday, Aug. 11 at 8 p.m.: Absentee ballots must be received by the deadline in order to be counted. Ballots received after Election Day are not counted in Connecticut, even if mailed with an earlier postmark. The ballot box at Town Hall is checked multiple times a day, up until Aug. 11 at 8 p.m.

The Democratic Party Primary

In the Democratic primary, voters will be choosing between two candidates who are competing in the race for governor at the top of the ticket:

• Incumbent Gov. Ned Lamont, who received the party endorsement at the state convention
• State Rep. Joshua Elliott, the deputy speaker who represents Hamden in the 88th district, who is challenging Lamont’s bid for a third term. Elliott received support from 25% of the party delegates at the convention — much higher than the 15% required to trigger a primary.

Whoever wins will face State Sen. Ryan Fazio, who Republicans endorsed at their state convention. Fazio currently represents the 36th state senate district, which includes Greenwich, New Canaan and portions of Stamford.

Governor and lieutenant governor races are a single ticket in the general election:

• Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz will run alongside Lamont for the third time.
• Fazio’s running mate is Matthew Corey, who has not held elected office but has made multiple runs for the state legislature since 2012 as well as a bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy.

Wilton Democratic Town Committee Chair Tom Dubin said the primary is an opportunity for Democrats to celebrate their accomplishments and called for a show of unity behind Lamont as he faces a primary challenge:

“Wilton’s delegates unanimously supported Ned Lamont at this year’s Connecticut State Convention, and our DTC has likewise enthusiastically endorsed him for a third term,” Dubin wrote in a statement to GOOD Morning Wilton. “Governor Lamont has struck a Goldilocks balance between fiscal responsibility and progressive, Democratic values… This is a time when Democrats need to loudly embrace our own successes.”

The Republican Party Primary

In hopes of unseating nine-term U.S. Rep. Jim Himes in November, Wilton Republicans will have a primary to choose their candidate for the U.S. District 4 congressional race.

• Michael Goldstein, a physician who also holds a law degree, is making his third bid for this seat. He lost the Republican primary in 2022 before advancing to the general election against Himes in 2024.
• Daniel Miressi, a former professional hockey player with hospitality industry experience who currently holds a variety of youth coaching positions, according to his website

As in 2024, Goldstein secured the party endorsement at the Republicans’ state convention in May, but Miressi garnered enough support to force a primary runoff.

Wilton Republican Town Committee Chair Andy Warren says “every vote matters.”

“The Aug. 11 primary is an important opportunity for Republican voters to choose the candidates who will represent our party in November,” Warren said. “I encourage every eligible Republican to take a few minutes to learn about the candidates, make a plan to vote and participate in the process. Strong communities are built by engaged citizens, and every vote matters.”

Other State Races

Wilton falls in the 26th State Senate District. After State Sen. Ceci Maher announced she would be stepping down at the end of her second term, Democrats saw two candidates vying for the nomination — State Rep. Lucy Dathan, a New Canaan resident representing District 142 (New Canaan/Norwalk) and Weston First Selectwoman Sam Nestor, who was endorsed by Maher. In May, Nestor secured the nomination at the Democrats’ state convention and will face Republican Alma Sarelli in November. Sarelli is an elected member of the Westport Representative Town Meeting and previously served on the Westport Republican Town Committee Executive Committee.

At the Democrats’ state convention, State Rep. Savet Constantine secured her bid to run for reelection the 42nd State House District without a primary challenge. No Republican candidates have filed to run in that race in November.

Four other state races — secretary of state, attorney general, comptroller and treasurer — will also be decided in November, without primary contests.

Outside of Wilton, former Wilton Town Administrator Matthew Knickerbocker is running as a Democrat for state senate in district 32, which includes Bethel, where Knickerbocker previously served as first selectman, among other posts. He received the party’s endorsement at the state convention and will face incumbent Eric Berthel in November.