New Haven Votes

Dear Friend of New Haven Votes,

I wanted to remind you that, as we mentioned in our previous newsletter, THIS THURSDAY, JULY 2 at 6pm there will be a public hearing at the New Haven Board of Alders on the issue of redistricting errors that have affected more than 700 voters in New Haven, and what is being done to address them. The City Services and Environmental Policy Committee (CSEP) will hear testimony from the public about their questions and concerns, as well as hearing from the Registrars' office. 

Here (and below) is the official notice of the meeting.

We strongly urge you to testify in person or in writing to [email protected]. You can also send questions to us, and we will make sure they get shared with the CSEP Committee. 

Also I wanted to share with you this article about the 20th anniversary of the New Haven Democracy Fund which was celebrated last week. The Democracy Fund remains the only municipal public financing program in Connecticut and a testament to New Haven's commitment to civic innovation and clean elections. Mazel tov to them!

That's all for now. Thanks for your attention and support, and please stay tuned for an email in the next few weeks about upcoming voter registration opportunities.

New Haven Votes Coalition 

newhavenvotes.org

Dear Friend of New Haven Votes,

I just wanted to provide you with a few updates about voting and elections in New Haven:

* New Haven Democracy Fund 20th Anniversary Celebration, Thursday, June 18, 3:30-6pm, Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale

New Haven's landmark program for public financing of mayoral elections is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month! The original Democracy Fund ordinance was passed in June 2006 following years of difficult advocacy, and the clean elections program it created (still the only public financing program for municipal elections in Connecticut) remains a testament to New Haven's spirit of civic innovation.

The Democracy Fund is holding a celebration that will take place this Thursday, June 18, 3:30-6pm at the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale (155 Temple Street) The first part of the event will be two panel discussions about the history of the Democracy Fund and placing the Fund into state and national contexts. Panelists include former CT House Speaker Chris Donovan and Aaron McKean of the Campaign Legal Center in Washington, DC. The discussion panels will be followed by a reception beginning at approximately 5:20pm, also at the Omni.

The event is free and open to the public, though RSVPs are appreciated ([email protected] or [email protected]). You can also share the event on Facebook here.

* Redistricting Errors: Check to See If You Were Affected; Public Hearing on Voting and Redistricting Errors, July 2 (Details TBA)

You may have seen the news that it was discovered in recent weeks that over 700 New Haven voters have been erroneously voting in the wrong state assembly districts through no fault of their own, due to a failure by elections officials to properly update poll books after the last decennial redistricting.

These errors occurred in multiple locations across the City, so the effects have been widespread, though it is very unlikely that any election outcomes were impacted.The largest number of affected addresses were on the borders of the 94th and 96th state assembly districts (i.e. addresses outside these districts were mistakenly assigned as being inside the two districts).

Steps are being taken to correct these errors and notify the affected voters, and we are engaged in those efforts and discussions. Unfortunately the Secretary of the State's "Find Your Legislator" lookup tool may still be inaccurate. 

HOW TO FIND YOUR ACTUAL DISTRICT: The best way to determine if you were affected is to compare your address with the district maps here (and shown below). After consulting the maps, if you suspect that you may have been voting in the wrong state assembly district, contact the Registrars' office immediately. Please let us know if you have specific questions about any of the above!

Also, we are expecting that there will be an upcoming public hearing at the City Services and Environmental Policy (CSEP) committee of the New Haven Board of Alders about these redistricting errors. That hearing is expected to take place on Thursday, July 2 at 6pm. We urge all New Haven Votes Coalition partners and allies to attend and voice their questions and concerns. More details on this hearing TBA.

* Universally-Available (No-Excuse) Absentee Ballot Legislation Takes Effect July 1

As we mentioned in our last newsletter, on the final day of the legislative session, the CT Senate passed legislation that lifts the last barriers to universally available or "no-excuse" absentee voting in Connecticut, successfully culminating a long advocacy journey to bring Connecticut into line with other states around the availability of early voting and absentee ballots. The absentee ballot legislation (HB 5001) was one of our top priorities for this legislative session -- thanks to everyone who testified on behalf of this long-overdue reform. Governor Lamont subsequently signed the legislation into law. The passage of this law will make absentee ballots universally accessible (no excuse required), which voters had authorized the legislature to implement in a constitutional amendment back in 2024. 

Please note: completing an absentee ballot application will still be required for a voter to receive an absentee ballot (though no "excuse" is required), unless a voter is approved to be on the permanent absentee ballot list. The absentee ballot application will be re-designed to reflect these changes. We know there may be some public confusion about whether the AB application is still required, so please let us know if you are hearing specific questions or areas of confusion from voters! As always, we want to know what voters are concerned or confused about as changes to election laws are implemented.

Read more about the legislation here.

* Citizens' Police Academy -- Applications Are Open  The New Haven Police Department (NHPD) is holding an upcoming Citizens' Academy which is an excellent opportunity to participate in the relationship-building that supports community policing and to see what the officers of NHPD experience during their patrol shifts. 

Topics such as SWAT, community engagement, patrol operations, use of force, and specialized units will be covered. Scan the QR code for more information or click here.

* Connecticut Citizens' Assembly on Property Tax Reform

Also mentioned in our previous newsletter but worth repeating! The CT State Comptroller recently made an exciting announcement about the formation of a Connecticut Citizens' Assembly to examine the issue of property tax reform in the State of Connecticut. The Connecticut Citizens' Assembly is a collaborative effort between the Office of the Comptroller and the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM), Yale Institute for Social and Policy Studies (Yale ISPS), and the UConn Political Science Department, bringing together partners committed to strengthening democratic problem-solving in the state of Connecticut. We hope everyone will take time to learn more about the Assembly, its goals and theoretical underpinnings. Please encourage your networks and constituents to learn more about the CT Citizens' Assembly as well!

Deliberative democracy and citizens' assemblies can be a powerful tool for enhancing civic engagement and restoring trust in the democratic system, and we're excited to see to see such a prominent and practical application of these tools here in Connecticut.  

______________________________

Well, I think that's it for now. Thanks for your support and advocacy, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.

Aaron G.

Coordinator, New Haven Votes Coalition

newhavenvotes.org

Facebook.com/NewHavenVotesCoalition

Dear Friend of New Haven Votes,

I just wanted to provide you with a few updates, including the passage this week of important election reforms by the Connecticut General Assembly, that I hope you will consider sharing with your networks and constituents:

* Universally-Available (No-Excuse) Absentee Ballot Legislation Passes CT General Assembly!

On the final day of the legislative session, the CT Senate passed legislation that lifts the last barriers to universally available or "no-excuse" absentee voting in Connecticut, successfully culminating a long advocacy journey to bring Connecticut into line with other states around the availability of early voting and absentee ballots. The absentee ballot legislation (HB 5001, no Public Act No. 26-42) was one of our top priorities for this legislative session -- thanks to everyone who testified on behalf of this long-overdue reform. Once it is signed, the legislation will make absentee ballots universally accessible (no excuse required), which voters had authorized the legislature to implement in a constitutional amendment back in 2024. 

Please note: completing an absentee ballot application will still be required for a voter to receive an absentee ballot (though no "excuse" is required), unless a voter is approved to be on the permanent absentee ballot list. The absentee ballot application will be re-designed to reflect these changes. We know there may be some public confusion about whether the AB application is still required, so please let us know if you are hearing specific questions or areas of confusion from voters! As always, we want to know what voters are concerned or confused about as changes to election laws are implemented.

Read more about the legislation here.

* Party Switch Deadline for August Primary is May 11 Voters who are switching parties (i.e. changing their registration from one party to another) and who wish to vote in the Tuesday, August 11, 2026 primary, must complete their party switch by May 11. (Please note this does not apply to unaffiliated voters.)

Party registration changes can be done by simply filling out the standard Connecticut voter registration form and checking the party registration box. Please encourage your friends, neighbors and constituents to double-check their party registration before May 11 if they plan to vote in the August primary!

* Candidate Forum for the 92nd State Rep District For voters in the 92nd State Representative District, there will be a Democratic candidate forum happening on Friday, May 8 at 6:30pm at Southern Connecticut State University, sponsored by SCSU Democrats. All the Democratic candidates running in the primary are expected to be in attendance.

If you know of other candidate forums taking place in the 92nd (or anywhere else), please let us know so that we can share!

* Connecticut Citizens' Assembly on Property Tax Reform

Last week the CT State Comptroller made an exciting announcement about the formation of a Connecticut Citizens' Assembly to examine the issue of property tax reform in the State of Connecticut. The Connecticut Citizens' Assembly is a collaborative effort between the Comptroller and the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM), Yale Institute for Social and Policy Studies (Yale ISPS), and UConn Political Science, bringing together partners committed to strengthening democratic problem-solving in the state of Connecticut. We hope everyone will take time to learn more about the Assembly, its goals and theoretical underpinnings -- and if you were one of the residents randomly selected to receive an invitation to participate in the Assembly, we hope you will accept the invitation to move forward and complete the application process. Please encourage your networks and constituents to learn more about the CT Citizens' Assembly as well!

Deliberative democracy and citizens' assemblies can be a powerful tool for enhancing civic engagement and restoring trust in the democratic system, and we're excited to see to see such a prominent and practical application of these tools here in Connecticut.  

______________________________

Well, I think that's it for now. Thanks for your support and advocacy, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.

Aaron G.

Coordinator, New Haven Votes Coalition

newhavenvotes.org

We just wanted to provide you with a few updates about important elections- and voting-related legislation:

* SB 386, Ranked Choice Voting legislation that we support, passed out of committee this week. It now goes to the floor of the Senate for a possible vote. Thanks to everyone who testified in support of this pro-voter reform.

* This week the Government Administration and Elections (GAE) committee is holding a public hearing on several important bills, including No-Excuse Absentee Voting (HB 5001) that was constitutionally authorized by voters in November 2024, but we have been waiting for the legislature to pass legislation that would create an actual statutory framework for this type of voting.

As with other voting rights advocates, this is our major priority for this legislative session. While it is too late to sign up to testify in person, we strongly urge you to support the bill with written testimony to the GAE Committee. => Watch the hearing live on YouTube or catch it on demand on CT-N. => Submit written testimony in support of legislation that builds on HB 5001 (written testimony doesn't have the same deadline as live testimony). Feel free to contact us if you would like to see some talking points. * We also support SB 395: An Act Studying Efforts to Increase Voter Participation and Authorizing Municipal Pilot Programs to Promote Such Efforts, a bill that would create a task force or study committee to look at "universal voting" and other ways to increase turnout.

_________________________

Thanks for your support and advocacy, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.

Aaron Goode

New Haven Votes Coalition

newhavenvotes.org

Below is some useful (hopefully) information related to election- and voting-related bills that will be considered in a public hearing this week by the Government Administration and Elections (GAE) committee in Hartford, information on primary elections for ward co-chair coming up this Tuesday, March 3 in some parts of New Haven, and the schedule of city budget workshops and public hearings between now and May 14. We hope you will share with your friends, neighbors, constituents, and community networks as appropriate.

* Public Hearing on Important Election & Voting Bills This Week in Hartford

This Wednesday, March 4 at 10:30am the Government Administration & Elections Committee of the CT General Assembly will hold a public hearing on some significant election bills, including such important subjects as youth voter registration and ranked choice voting. We urge you to make your voice heard on these critical pieces of legislation, and more information is provided below. Please note that we are still waiting to see legislation for the implementation of no-excuse or universal eligibility absentee voting (you may recall this was authorized by voters in November 2024, but no action was taken by the legislature in 2025 to actually implement it), and we will notify you when there is a hearing on that legislation, which is a top priority for us and other voting advocates. 

HJ 32 - Resolution Concerning Pre-Registration of 16- and 17-Year-Olds to VoteThis joint resolution would initiate the process of adopting a constitutional amendment to permit "pre-registration" of 16- and 17-year olds so that when they apply for their driver's license at age 16-17 they would automatically be entered into a centralized voter registration database (while remaining ineligible to vote until turning 18), similar to what is offered to other voters when they receive services at the DMV. In the past we have urged the GAE to approve this pro-voting and pro-youth reform, which is currently offered in more than 15 states, and we are doing so again this year.  SB 386 - An Act Concerning the Use of Ranked Choice Voting in Party Caucuses, Conventions, and Primaries, Including Presidential Preference Primaries and in Certain Municipal Elections  We think this is a pro-voter reform that does not mandate ranked choice voting (except for the presidentiial preference primary) but permits its use in a variety of contexts, including a 'local option' that would allow municipalities like New Haven to experiment with ranked choice voting for certain elections if (and only if) this change was authorized by the Board of Alders. 

Register to speak or submit written testimony on these bills here. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or if you would like help with some talking points.

* City Budget Workshops and Public Hearings

The municipal budgeting process has begun! See below for the schedule of public hearings and workshops on the FY 2026-27 municipal budget, beginning with a budget overview workshop on March 9. The three public hearings are scheduled for March 19, March 31, and April 29. For the workshops, the public is encouraged to attend but there is no public testimony.

Learn more here about the mayor’s proposed budget. Make sure your voice is heard on the city’s fiscal priorities!

Read more at our website here.

* Ward Co-Chair Primary Elections in Wards 3 & 29

Registered Democrats in Ward 3 and Ward 29 should be aware that there is a contested primary election for ward co-chair positions taking place on Tuesday, March 3. Read more about those races here and here. 

Tool for finding your ward number. 

Read more about the ward co-chair primary at our website here. 

____________________

Thanks for your ongoing support, and please do not hesitate to contact us with your questions and concerns.

Aaron Goode

New Haven Votes Coalition

Newhavenvotes.org

Registered Democrats in Ward 3 and Ward 29 should be aware that there is a primary for ward co-chair positions taking place on Tuesday, March 3.

See below for the schedule of public hearings and workshops on the FY 2026-27 municipal budget, beginning with a budget overview workshop on March 9.

Early voting for the Ward 7 special election begins today. The hours are 10am - 6pm

There will be a special election for Ward 7 Alder on Tuesday, February 17. Polls are open 6am - 8pm.

New Haven voters should be reminded that there is a Board of Education race on the ballot this year. Only District #1 is electing a representative in this cycle. If you reside and are registered to vote in Wards 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, or 26, then you are in District 1, and the Board of Ed race will appear on your ballot.

There will be a forum for the three alder candidates in ward 13 happening this Saturday, sponsored by the Quinnipiac East Management Team (QEMT).

One of the questions we get asked frequently is: Didn't we (Connecticut voters) pass a referendum for no-excuse absentee ballots last year? Do I still need an "excuse" to request an absentee ballot?

The answer is yes! Last year's referendum permitted the CT General Assembly to adopt a statutory change allowing for no-excuse absentee ballots but, by itself, the constitutional amendment that was effectuated by the referendum didn't make that change. So you will still need to check one of the boxes affirming that you have a legitimate excuse for requesting an absentee ballot.

Active service in the Armed Forces of the United States;

Absence from the town during all of the hours of voting;

Sickness; (Sickness can include the presence of COVID-19 in the town you reside in);

Religious tenets which forbid secular activity on the day of the election, primary or referendum;

Duties as a primary, election or referendum official at a polling place other than one’s own during all of the hours of voting;

Physical disability.

Meanwhile, early voting is now available to ALL voters.

How to Obtain an Absentee Ballot

We strongly recommend that all voters check out a sample ballot and familiarize themselves with who and what's on the ballot before heading to the polls.

DID YOU KNOW: For the first time this year, there are TWO early voting locations in New Haven!

=> City Hall, 165 Church St., 2nd Floor

=> Southern CT State University, Schwartz Hall, 320 Fitch St.

For voters in Westville, West Rock or Beaver Hills, you may want to use the new early voting location at SCSU! Early voting begins October 20 and continues through November 2. Contact us or the Registrars' office with questions, and happy voting!

Below is a list of polling places for the November 4 general election and here is the official notice of election from the City Clerk's office. If you have any questions, you can contact us (203-350-3795), or contact the Registrar of Voters office (203-946-8035). Happy voting!

A mayoral debate sponsored by the New Haven Democracy Fund has been scheduled for September 30. If you cannot attend in person, it will be live-streamed and recorded. We will be live-streaming the debate from our Facebook page.