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2 of 3 sample ballots, now available for actual voting at the City Clerk's office.
Registered Democrats in Wards 1, 3, and 18 can now start voting in the Sept. 9 aldermanic primaries,.
That’s because Tuesday is the first day, per state law, that absentee ballots are available in those races.
Eligible voters can apply for and cast absentee ballots in person at the City Clerk’s office on the second floor of 200 Orange St. They can also apply for and mail in absentee ballots by going here or here.
Connecticut law allows voters to receive and cast absentee ballots if they can’t make it to the polls on Sept. 9 — to quote directly from the Secretary of the State’s website — “because of sickness or physical disability (not necessarily your sickness or disability), active service in the Military, religious tenets forbid secular activity on the day of the election, [or] duties as an election official at a polling place other than your own during all of the hours of voting.
The only Democratic primary elections set to take place on Sept. 9 are the following:
• In downtown’s Ward 1, Yalies Norah Laughter, Elias Theodore, and Rhea McTiernan-Huge are all seeking to replace first-term Democrat Kiana Flores, who is not seeking reelection. All three candidates have petitioned their ways onto the primary ballot.
• In the Hill’s Ward 3, incumbent Democrat Angel Hubbard is running again against challenger Miguel Pittman. Hubbard has received the Democratic Town Committee (DTC) endorsement for the position. Pittman, a registered Democrat, petitioned his way onto the Democratic primary ballot; he’s also received the Republican Party and Independent Party endorsements for the Nov. 4 general election.
• In Morris Cove’s Ward 18, DTC-endorsed candidate Leland Moore is running against challenger Zelema Harris, who petitioned her way onto the primary ballot. Both are seeking to replace incumbent Democrat Sal DeCola, who is not seeking reelection.
There was also going to be a primary in the Ward 16 alder race. However, incumbent Democrat Jose Crespo wound up dropping out — and officially withdrawing his candidacy – after a host of local politicians backed his opponent, Magda Natal. That means there won’t be a primary in the Fair Haven ward after all.
Whoever wins these three primaries on Sept. 9 will advance to the November general election as the official Democratic nominee.