Tuesday, October 27 is the last day to register to vote, unless you plan to do so day-of at the polls. Residents looking to register in Meriden Tuesday morning were not pleased with the process after struggling to get in touch with anyone.
NBC Connecticut watched as resident after resident approached Meriden’s registrar door in the morning confused. Those we spoke to said they called and could not connect with someone in the office to help with the registration process.
It was just before 10:30 a.m. when someone came to the door to let people know neither registrar was there and she was working alone.
“Neither of them are here?,” asked NBC CT's Jennifer Joas.
“No, not right now. Kathy should be in shortly,” the woman said.
She explained you could slip registration forms under the door,
“I don’t see where it says to slip it under the door," said Joas.
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After Joas pointed this out, they put up a sign explaining the process.
Tuesday afternoon, NBC Connecticut spoke with Meriden Democratic registrar Maureen Flynn over the phone.
She said she was out getting coffee at the time in question and her Republican counterpart did not want to speak to the media at that time.
As for them not picking up the phones, Flynn said people could leave a message and they would call right back. She said there has never been a problem before.
"They were here at 8 o’clock. I saw them when I came in, so whoever said that was mistaken," said Meriden City Manager Tim Coon.
Coon said he too advised registrar staff to put up signs because it’s hard to hear people knocking on the door with the pandemic precautions that are in place in the office.
Secretary of the State Denise Merrill said while COVID-19 is complicating registrar interactions, there needs to be a reasonable way to accommodate people.
Merrill said her office is looking into what she heard happened Tuesday morning in Meriden.
“No it is not acceptable. This is the one day of the year that registrars are required to be in their office by law,” said Merrill.
