Power Outages Prompt Polling Place Changes

Farmington will have to go ahead with local elections Tuesday, despite the fact that 50 percent of the town remains without power.

Election officials from Farmington went to court on Monday to ask a judge to allow the town to delay its elections.  A judge denied the request Monday evening, according to Edward Leary, Republican Registrar of Voters in Farmington.

Farmington residents should vote at their regular polling places except for those who normally vote at Westwood Upper Elementary School.  That polling place has been moved to Irving A. Robbins Middle School, according to police. 

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill on Monday held a news conference about Tuesday's municipal elections and said polls will be open in most Connecticut cities and towns from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, except in Andover, Bethany, Naugatuck, Union and Woodbridge,which held their municipal elections in May.

Gov. Dannel Malloy said on Monday that Connecticut Light & Power employees who cannot vote because they are out restoring power can vote by absentee ballot.

The following polling locations have been moved:

• Avon: District 3, Roaring Brook School, polling place is moved to Avon High School.
• Bloomfield: All voters should now go to their normal polling location
• Farmington: Everyone votes in their normal polling place except for those who vote at Westwood Upper Elementary School.  Those people will now vote at Irving A. Robbins Middle School. 
• Newington: Ruth Chaffee School District 2 in Newington will be voting at town hall, Anna Reynolds School District 3 in Newington will be voting at Martin Kellogg School rear entrance on Tom-Lin Road. John Wallace School Districts 5 and 8 in Newington will be voting at John Paterson School located on corner of Church Street and Halleran Drive.
• Plymouth: Voting for District 1 has moved from H.S. Fisher Middle School to  Plymouth Town Hall, in the community room.
• Simsbury: All polling places are moved to the Henry James Memorial School.
• Somers: All polling places have moved to Somers Town Hall, in the lower level.
• South Windsor:  District 1 voters who usually vote at Pleasant Valley School will vote at Firehouse Co. 1,District 2 voting moves from Eli Terry School to South Windsor Public Library and District 5 voting moves from TE Middle School is moved to South Windsor High School.
• Stafford: Voting for districts 1, 2 and 3 is moved to Community/Senior Center at 3 Buckley Highway.
• Vernon: North East School, Center 375 and Vernon Center Middle School voting have moved to North East School. Voting for Rockville High School, Skinner Road School and Lake Street School has moved to Center 375.
• West Hartford: no change to polling places.

Voters can also go to the Secretary of the State’s website to see if their polling place has been moved or see if they are registered to vote and look at town and city ballots. 

Merrill and the State Elections Enforcement Commission are once again opening the Election Day hotline 1-866-SEEC-INFO (1-866-733-2463) to report problems at the polls. 

The two agencies are also providing an email alert contact for voters to use if they encounter any difficulties casting ballots on Primary Day.  Both the hotline and the email alert will be checked throughout the day by staff from both agencies.

Voters who do use the hotline or email to describe problems can either state their name or report issues anonymously, but are asked to state the town and polling place where they are observing the problems and provide as many specifics or details as they can. 

Leave Comments