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State Sen. Will Haskell representing the 26th District (L) with town resident Shiva Sarram at New Canaan polling places on Nov. 3, 2020. Contributed
Update 6:10 p.m.
State Sen. Will Haskell (D-26th) said on Tuesday evening two hours before polls closed that he’s feeling “cautiously optimistic.”
“Most importantly, we are seeing just incredible voter turnout,” he told NewCanaanite.com.
Haskell added, “We should all celebrate that this election for the first time in Connecticut voting had been convenient and accessible.” The state should look to creating long-term measures that will allow constituents to participate in elections “in a plan of their choosing,” he said.
State Rep. Tom O’Dea (R-125th) on left, with Bill Lalor of the Wilton RTC and Kim Healy, who is challenging for the 26th state Senate seat, on Nov. 3, 2020. Contributed
Update 1:45 p.m.
State Rep. Tom O’Dea (R-125th), who is unopposed this year, said he’d been at the polls in Wilton and New Canaan since 6 a.m.
“It’s great seeing such a large turnout this Election Eay,” O’Dea told NewCanaanite.com in an email. “I am proud and honored to have bipartisan support in my reelection and I look forward to representing the 125th District for a 5th term.”
State Rep. Lucy Dathan (D-142nd) outside the Saxe Middle School polls on Nov. 3, 2020. Credit: Julia Stewart
Update 11:45 a.m.
State Rep. Lucy Dathan (D-142nd) came to the polls in New Canaan at Saxe Middle School in the morning. “It’s a beautiful day and I feel very fortunate to be able to stand here at the polls with my family greeting voters and answering questions,” she told NewCanaanite.com in an email. “I’m getting a warm reception from my constituents, whom recognize that we have to continue moving our district forward not backward. I will work towards that end for Connecticut.”
Her challenger, former state Rep. Fred Wilms, told NewCanaanite.com in an email that he’s “getting great reactions from the voters today.”
Update 10 a.m.
Republican Ryan Fazio is running for the 36th state Senate district. Here he is outside the polls at NCHS on Nov. 3, 2020. Credit: Michael Dinan
Ryan Fazio, a Republican challenging state Sen. Alex Kasser (D-36), said as he greeted voters outside the polls at New Canaan High School that he’s “feeling good.”
“People are turning out in droves because they’re excited to vote,” Fazio told NewCanaanite.com. “They understand that while there’s also a national election going on, we have serious problems in the state of Connecticut that we need new leadership to solve.
Here’s an hour-by-hour tracker of voter turnout on Election Day 2020 that we’ll update throughout the day (in the 2016 election, 79.4% of the electorate had voted by the time polls closed, including absentees):
New Canaan Election 2020: Voter Turnout, Hourly Count
| Hour | Votes 2020 | % of electorate (2020)* | Votes 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 to 8 p.m. | 53 | 82.1% | 234 |
| 6 to 7 p.m. | 150 | 81.8% | 705 |
| 5 to 6 p.m. | 291 | 80.7% | 579 |
| 4 to 5 p.m. | 290 | 78.8% | 508 |
| 3 to 4 p.m. | 363 | 76.8% | 495 |
| 2 to 3 p.m. | 466 | 74.3% | 492 |
| 1 to 2 p.m. | 441 | 71.1% | 532 |
| 12 to 1 p.m. | 502 | 68% | 594 |
| 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. | 812 | 65.6% | 878 |
| 10 to 11 a.m. | 821 | 59% | 886 |
| 9 to 10 a.m. | 717 | 53.4% | 891 |
| 8 to 9 a.m. | 756 | 48.4% | 961 |
| 7 to 8 a.m. | 784 | 43.2% | 940 |
| 6 to 7 a.m. | 730 | 37.9% | 886 |
| Premarked absentees | 4,778 | 32.8% | 1,431 |
| Total* | 11,954 | 11,027 |
*cumulative percentage tracked throughout the day
Fred Wilms, a former state representative challenging for the 142nd House seat, and fellow Republican Tom Butterworth, a New Canaan Town Councilman, outside the polls at Saxe Middle School on Nov. 3, 2020. Contributed
Original article
In an election that’s seeing extremely high number of absentee ballots, New Canaan constituents on Nov. 3 will vote for candidates seeking offices including U.S. president, U.S. House of Representatives, state Senate and state House.
Here’s a look at voter turnout in New Canaan in recent national election years:
New Canaan Voter Turnout, Recent National Election Years
| Year | Voter Turnout |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 11,066 |
| 2012 | 10,941 |
Voters lined up outside New Canaan High School to cast ballots on Nov. 3, 2020. Credit: Dr. Anna Simonis
According to Town Clerk Claudia Weber, absentee ballots issued this year are up 257% from 2016 (5,654 compared to 2,200), and as of 12 p.m. Monday they’ve been returned this year at a rate of 86% (4,856 total) compared to 77% in 2016 (1,694).
Here’s a voter registration summary of New Canaan:
New Canaan Voter Count—Nov. 1, 2020
| Total | Rep | Dem | Unaf | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Townwide | 14,554 | 5,758 | 3,696 | 4,907 | 193 |
An estimated 100 people were lined up at 5:55 a.m. on Nov. 3 to cast their ballots in person on Election Day. Credit: Michael Mauro
According to sample ballots issued by the Connecticut Secretary of the State (see below): candidates for U.S. Representative (CT-4) are Democrat Jim Himes (incumbent), Republican Jonathan Riddle and Independent Brian Merlen; candidates for state Senate (26th) are Democrat Will Haskell (incumbent) and Republican Kim Healy; (36th) are Democrat Alex Kasser (incumbent) and Republican Ryan Fazio; candidates for state house (142nd) are Democrat Lucy Dathan (incumbent) and Republican Fred Wilms. Town resident and state Rep. Tom O’Dea (R-125th) is running unopposed for re-election.
Voters lined up outside the polls at Saxe Middle School on the morning of Nov. 3, 2020. Contributed
New Canaan Registrars of Voters Joan McLaughlin (Republican) and John Amarilios (Democrat) also are on the ballot.
Not sure where you’re going to vote? Check here. Here’s a map of New Canaan voting districts.
Here are sample ballots (only reproduced here to orientate voters to the layout of the ballot):
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Michael, the % of Electorate column heading seems to be confusing at best. I now see you mean to convey Cumulative % of Electorate.
Correct, we will track it throughout the day. In 2016, 79.4% of the electorate voted, including absentees.