City Clerk Helps Over 1,000 Cast Last-Minute Absentee Ballots

Over 1,000 voters showed up at the Hall of Records this weekend to receive and cast absentee ballots — with in-person assistance.

As with the primary election this August, the City Clerk’s office held several days in which eligible voters could show up to the Hall of Records to apply for and receive their absentee ballots in person. After marking their votes on clipboards, each voter sealed the requisite nesting envelopes with the help of a City Clerk staffer and deposited the ballot in the official ballot boxes outside the building.

The option offered people concerned about the spread of Covid-19 one last chance to avoid the polls Tuesday while also casting a ballot.

While all Connecticut residents have the option of voting by absentee ballot this election due to Covid-19, many registered voters have reported delays and other hiccups in receiving ballots. In response, the City Clerk’s office has created a hotline — (203) 946‑8342 — for those still experiencing issues with the absentee voting process. Voters can still call to request absentee ballots on Monday.

“The phone’s been ringing off the hook,” City Clerk Michael Smart said on Sunday.

On Sunday afternoon, the in-person absentee voting operation had moved inside the Hall of Records entryway due to the rain. City Clerk staff including Lizz McCray and Aryella Edwards (pictured) assisted voters from behind face shields, masks, and gloves; they disinfected the voting materials regularly.

For several voters, the choice to fill out absentee ballots at 200 Orange St. rather than voting in person on Tuesday or requesting an absentee ballot ahead of time was simply a matter of a last-minute change in plans, often inspired by social media posts.

Maria Shevelkina decided to vote via an absentee ballot after breaking her leg several weeks ago; she said she wanted to avoid relying too much on her leg by standing in line on Tuesday. She found out about the City Clerk’s in-person absentee voting system from a friend’s Instagram post.

Creative writing teacher Mindi Englart also came to the Hall of Records after seeing a social media post from Arts Paper Editor Lucy Gellman.

“I think this is so cool,” she said of the City Clerk’s in-person system. ​“I thought I wasn’t eligible [to vote by absentee] because I didn’t request a ballot ahead of time.”

The system is basically like early voting, she added — an option she wishes Connecticut would adopt.

Real estate agent Valencia Goodridge said she decided to vote absentee after learning that her work schedule would make in-person voting difficult.

The largest issue on her mind as she cast her vote for Joe Biden was Covid-19, she said. ​“President Trump handled it poorly.”

According to Smart, over 600 people voted at the Hall of Records on Saturday; over 500 people braved the rain to vote the next day.

“People are just anxious,” said Smart, describing the atmosphere around voting throughout the city. ​“We’re gonna do what we have to do to make it work.”