When the Nov. 5 election arrives, Connecticut residents who haven’t voted here in the past or have moved still have an opportunity to cast a ballot: through same-day voter registration.
As the name indicates, this means eligible residents can register to vote and cast their ballots all in one visit on Election Day. This year, as the general election features early voting for the first time in Connecticut, they can also benefit from same-day registration throughout that period.
Mansfield Democratic Registrar Anne Greineder said the main benefit of same-day voter registration is that would-be voters can still exercise their vote if they forget to register before the deadline. However, she warned, it is “a much more time-consuming process.”
More steps are involved, since voters have to undergo the process of registering and then voting — and that’s even if nothing goes wrong with their registration in terms of verifying identity or legal status.
For several cycles after Election Day registration was introduced in Connecticut in 2012, some municipalities — particularly those with college campuses — struggled to manage demand for the service.
In 2018, for a majority of Election Day, New Haven had only two people registering first time voters, and hundreds of people — many of them Yale students — had to wait in line for hours. About 60 ballots ended up being challenged in court after those people were sworn in en masse at 8p.m. as the polls closed. Meanwhile, in Mansfield, students from the University of Connecticut were similarly left waiting in long lines to register.
Christopher Prue, president of the Registrars of Voters Association of Connecticut, said college towns still constitute the largest demographic for same-day voter registration, along with those who forget to register before the deadline.
How to
So, what does the process entail?
Voters typically must register before a certain deadline; for this November’s general election Connecticut’s deadline is October 18. Under a bill Connecticut lawmakers passed in 2012, the state enacted same-day voter registration for general elections in an effort to expand voting opportunities. Connecticut is now one of 21 states that allow Election Day registration.
While eligible residents can register on Election Day, this year they can also register each day during the new early voting period, from Oct. 21 until Nov. 3 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 29 and 31.
According to the secretary of the state’s office, residents can apply for same-day registration if they:
- Turned 18 on or before Election Day.
- Are U.S. citizens living in the state.
- Committed a felony but are now released from prison, per a law changed in 2021.
Those who register on Election Day must bring:
- Proof of identity, such as a Connecticut driver’s license.
- Proof of residence, such as a copy of a utility bill with their name and address.
And don’t just show up at a polling place.
Some towns, such as Bridgeport and Vernon, boast multiple same-day registration locations, while others have just one location. The Secretary of the State’s office emphasizes that knowing your designated same-day registration site is essential to avoid confusion.
Who uses it?
According to the nonprofit Institute for Responsive Government, same-day voter registration provides more inclusivity to “transient populations,” which could include college students or those who have recently moved. Overall, the group concluded, it leads to higher voter turnout and lessens the likelihood of claims of voter suppression.
Based on Connecticut Secretary of the State Election Center statistics, Mansfield – home to the University of Connecticut – saw 11,547 voters in 2016, with 972 of those being same-day registrations. In comparison, in 2020, Mansfield logged fewer voters because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a total of 7,702 voters, including 203 same-day registrations.
In 2016 New Haven, a town with several colleges and universities, saw 42,444 voters, 973 of which were same-day registrations. In 2020, New Haven had a slight increase in voters, 42,685, but a decline of 771 same-day voters.
Registrars, meanwhile, are gearing up for a busy Election Day with the upcoming presidential election.
“I think the same-day registration for November’s election will be higher than in 2020,” Prue said. Still, he said he doesn’t expect “some giant number” because most everyone knows about the November election, either through media or social networks, and those who wish to vote are ensuring they can do so by calling to ensure they’re registered.
“Now is the time,” the registrars association president added. “I hope that folks start thinking about their registration and checking to make sure, because we want everyone to vote that wants to vote. Make your changes, register. … We just want to make sure everyone knows where they’re supposed to be so there’s not confusion or frustration on Election Day.”
Greineder said she also anticipates a resurgence in same-day voter turnout for the upcoming election, particularly among students.
“They always come to same-day registration, as much as we try to encourage them to register beforehand just for their own convenience,” Greineder said. “It’s just so much faster if you already register. You just go in, you check in and you vote.”
This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.
Kaily Martinez is a journalism student at the University of Connecticut. This story is republished via CT Community News, a service of the Connecticut Student Journalism Collaborative, an organization sponsored by journalism departments at college and university campuses across the state.
