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AARP AARP States Connecticut Voters

How to Vote in Connecticut’s 2024 Elections

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Important dates and election information:

Key dates:

  • Presidential primary: Tuesday, April 2
  • State primary: Tuesday, Aug. 13
  • General election: Tuesday, Nov. 5
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Voting at a glance:

  • Absentee voting: Only certain voters can request an absentee ballot, including those who cannot appear at their assigned polling place on Election Day due to absence, sickness or physical disability.
  • Early in-person voting: Any registered voter may cast their ballot early during the early voting period.
  • Voting at the polls: Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. You won’t need to show an ID, unless you’re a first-time voter.


Voting in Connecticut

What to know about recent changes

Laws passed in 2023 may affect how you cast your ballot in the 2024 elections:

  • The presidential primary was moved to the first Tuesday in April, which is April 2 in 2024. Previously, the presidential primary took place on the last Tuesday in April.
  • Connecticut offers early in-person voting. Voters will have four days of early voting for the presidential primary and special elections; seven days for the state primary; and 14 days for the general election.
  • Voters in the November general election will decide on a constitutional amendment to allow no-excuse absentee balloting.

Redistricting in 2021 changed certain boundaries of some state legislative and U.S. congressional districts and may affect which candidates appear on your ballot.

Voter Registration

Register online, by mail or in person.

  • Online: Use the state’s online voter registration system by Friday, March 15, to register for the presidential primary. You must have a current and valid driver’s license, learner’s permit or nondriver photo ID issued by the state Department of Motor Vehicles and a signature on file with the DMV.
  • By mail: Print out a voter registration form, complete it and mail it to your registrar of voters. For new voters, mailed applications must be either postmarked or received by Friday, March 15, to vote in the presidential primary. If you’re an unaffiliated voter registering with a party, your application must be received (not just postmarked) by that deadline (Friday, March 15) to cast your ballot in the presidential primary.
  • In person: Visit your registrar of voters or town clerk, or a state or public agency that offers voter registration, such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, state library or social service agency by Friday, March 15 to register to vote for the presidential primary. 

You'll need to show a copy of a current valid photo ID.

Check your registration status through the state’s voter portal.

Registering to vote on Election Day

Same-day registration is not available on Election Day or during early voting for primary elections.

Primary voting and party affiliation

Only voters who are registered with a party may vote in that party’s primary.

For voters already registered with a party, the deadline to switch your party to vote in the presidential primary was Tuesday, Jan 2. If you’re a new or unaffiliated voter, you may register with a party online or by mail by Friday, March 15, or in person by noon on Monday, April 1. Use the state’s online voter registration system or contact your registrar of voters.

Ways to vote

Requesting an absentee ballot

Absentee ballots are only available to voters who cannot appear at their assigned polling place on Election Day for an approved reason. These include sickness, physical disability, military service, religious reasons or duties as an elected official. You’re also eligible for an absentee ballot if you are out of town for part of Election Day, if you are a caregiver to someone with an illness or disability, or if you or someone you are taking care of has a condition that could be aggravated by exposure to a disease such as COVID-19.

Unless you have a permanent disability, you must submit a separate application for each election in which you qualify to vote absentee.

Apply for an absentee ballot:

There is no deadline for applying by mail, fax or online, although election officials encourage you to apply as early as possible to ensure your ballot arrives in time. If it’s close to the election, you should request a ballot in person from your town clerk.

In the event of an unforeseen illness or physical disability within six days of the polls closing, you can submit an emergency application for an absentee ballot.

Information about absentee ballots for military and overseas voters is available on the secretary of state's website.

Returning your absentee ballot

Return your ballot by mail, via drop box or in person.

  • By mail: Mail your completed ballot to your town clerk. For the presidential primary, your ballot must be received (not just postmarked) no later than 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2.
  • Via drop box: Deposit your completed ballot in your local drop box before the close of polls on Election Day. For the presidential primary, that’s 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 2. Find your local drop box via the state’s voter portal.
  • In person: Hand-deliver your completed ballot to your town clerk by the close of business on Monday, April 1 for the presidential primary. An immediate family member (or your designee if you are ill or have a disability) may deliver your ballot for you through 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, April 2.

Log in to the state’s voter portal to check the status of your ballot.

Voting in person before Election Day

For the presidential primary, you may cast your ballots early in person from Tuesday, March 26, through Thursday, March 28, and on Saturday, March 30 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Check with your registrar of voters for locations.

Voting at the polls on Election Day

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Use the state’s voter portal to find your assigned polling place. If you’re in line before the polls close, you’ll be allowed to vote.

Voter identification

A driver’s license or photo ID is not required to vote in Connecticut, unless you’re a first-time voter. You will be asked to show identification at the polls, but may instead sign an affidavit attesting to your identity.

If you’re a first-time voter, you’ll need to show a photo ID, such as a current and valid driver’s license, or a nonphoto identification such as a current utility bill or bank statement that shows your name and address. Find more information about voter ID requirements on the secretary of state’s website.

Voting with a disability

If you have a permanent disability, you can apply to your town clerk to automatically receive an absentee ballot for each election.

An accessible ballot marking device is available at every polling place and early voting and same-day registration locations. If you need assistance casting your ballot, either in person or via absentee ballot, you may choose someone to help you, as long as that person is not your employer, union representative or their agent, or a candidate whose name appears on the ballot. A candidate may only provide assistance if the voter is an immediate family member.

Find more information about accessible voting, including assistance for people living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, on the secretary of state’s website.

More information about candidates

Key races:

  • U.S. President
  • U.S. House: All 5 districts
  • U.S. Senate: 1 seat
  • State House: All 151 seats
  • State Senate: All 36 seats

Find sample ballots on the secretary of state’s website when they’re available.

Editor’s note:  This guide was updated on Jan. 2, 2024, with new information about voting in the 2024 presidential primary.

Natalie Missakian covers federal and state policy and writes AARP’s Fighting for You Every Day blog. She previously worked as a reporter for the New Haven Register and daily newspapers in Ohio. Her work has also appeared in the AARP Bulletin, the Hartford Business Journal and other publications.

Also of Interest:

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