Local officials said Tuesday that they’ve issued 516 total absentee ballots for the Nov. 7 municipal election, and have received back 305 to count.
The overall figures appear to be rising as a result of COVID-19, when larger numbers of residents availed themselves of absentee voting. Even so, data indicate that absentee voting will be down from the midst of the pandemic two years ago, according to Town Clerk Claudia Weber.
While the town counted just 158 absentee ballots for the local election in 2019—a year that saw a contested first selectman race—the total jumped to 453 in 2021, Weber said.
This election season, requests for ballots have been “steady,” though the overall figure also is less than in even-numbered election years, she said.
“It’s been steady this time but it’s slower than a national or state election,” Weber told NewCanaanite.com.
Asked about the uptick in absentee ballots from 2019, she said, “There are so many new people in town and in some cases they’re coming from states where early voting might be available.” (Gov. Ned Lamont in June signed a bill that will allow for early voting in Connecticut starting next year.)
Here’s a snapshot of absentee ballot activity as of Tuesday, one week before the election:
Absentee Ballots—Oct. 31, 2023
Source: Town Clerk
# Issued # Returned
Democrats 178 106
Independent 1 1
Republican 210 124
Unafiliated 127 74
This year, voters will take to the polls to decide contested races for first selectman and Board of Education.
“I encourage people to come and get an absentee ballot if they think they’re going to be out of town that day, or if they have another qualifying reason, which could be sickness,” Weber said. (Absentee ballot information can be found here on the Town Clerk’s page on the town website.)
According to campaign finance disclosure statements filed Tuesday (as required by law), the Republican Town Committee reported total individual contributions so far this year of $105,735. GOP First Selectman candidate Dionna Carlson’s campaign reported an aggregate of $38,082 in individual contributions, according to documents on file with the Town Clerk.
The New Canaan Democratic Town Committee in its own Oct. 31 finance disclosure statement showed that it had received $58,635 in individual contributions so far this election year. Democratic First Selectwoman candidate Amy Murphy Carroll’s campaign as of Oct. 31 had raised $29,094.51 from individuals, according to her Form 20 filing with the Town Clerk. Murphy Carroll additionally has received $4,500 total from committees—likely the DTC—according to the filing. (Carlson has received no money from committees, according to her form).
In terms of expenses, both candidates and local committees spent money on advertising (including with this publication), meet-and-greet events, signs and fundraisers. Murphy Carroll’s expenses include $2,165.43 with Avon-based New Way Strategies, while the DTC’s expenses include $255.94 paid Oct. 10 to New Way Strategies and $623.36 to Facebook in several separate payments for ads, according to the Oct. 31 DTC filing. The DTC lists no “in-kind donations not considered contributions” in its campaign disclosure forms. The RTC’s filings list a total of $2,006 in those types of donations, including three book-related items from the spring—designated as “Books Children” from Tuttle Twins Publisher of Lehi, Utah ($149 value), “Books” from Houston-based Brave Books ($92) and “autographed books” from Fox News in New York City ($185).
Interestingly, two former elected officials that have served as Republicans in New Canaan contributed to the DTC this spring, according to the organization’s July 10 Form 20 filing with the SEEC. Christa Kenin, who served on the Town Council, contributed $500 to the DTC on April 19 (see page 9) and Tucker Murphy, who served on both the Town Council and Board of Education, contributed $125 on April 12 (page 6). Both checked “Yes” next to a box asking whether the contribution was associated with an event.
Here’s a look at the New Canaan voter count breakdown as of Oct. 1:
New Canaan Voter Count—Oct. 1, 2023
Source: Registrars of Voters
Democrat Republican Unafilliated Other Total
27.1% (3,372) 36.5% (5,027) 35.2% (4,853) 1.1% (155) 13,767
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