pridkett t1_irpap0p wrote on October 10, 2022 at 12:17 AM

Also, remember, there’s an item on the ballot this election that would change the state constitution to allow for early voting. Connecticut is, even after Public Act 22-2, one of the hardest states to vote in. That’s because without a change to the constitution we can’t allow early voting like 46 other states + DC have.

Here’s the Ballotopedia link for more information on Connecticut Question 1 on Early Voting.

asspirate420 t1_irpihqz wrote on October 10, 2022 at 1:19 AM

yes I forgot! Your absentee ballot this year will have a question for the constitutional amendment, and included in your envelope will be a pamphlet explaining early voting, but since it statutorily has to be a “neutral explanation” it’s still kind of hard to tell what it’s really about.

Voting yes on the amendment won’t immediately enact early voting, it just allows the legislature to even begin thinking about it which is the big hurdle.

Jaybone56 t1_irpjs4t wrote on October 10, 2022 at 1:29 AM

I'm surprised you remember all this while you're impaired, how do I get a job working for the government while under the influence of a class 1 drug like you claim

intomeslow t1_irrsjvc wrote on October 10, 2022 at 3:33 PM

We're gonna need receipts here :P

its_guy_smiley OP t1_irplw2q wrote on October 10, 2022 at 1:47 AM

Oh my! That’s wonderful. We’re coming from Washington state where it’s all wonderfully easy mail in voting, and you get a statement from each candidate, pros and cons of each question etc all in the mail. Would love to get back to that.

asspirate420 t1_irpn4ve wrote on October 10, 2022 at 1:57 AM

We may get there one day. Absentee voting is easy in CT, you just have to ask for it. But some campaigns nowadays are mailing absentee ballots to people along with campaign mailers so more people are going along with it.

blondeambition39 t1_irqt3tv wrote on October 10, 2022 at 10:12 AM

The constitutional amendment on early voting doesn’t specify how it would be enacted, it would just allow it. Early voting may take the form of mail-in voting or in person voting, or some hybridization of both. This is truly a case of “you have to pass it to see what it will look like”.

In my opinion, there are pros and cons to early voting, but to me the worst con is allowing the self serving state legislature anywhere near a new voting process. They barely understand how voting works in our state as it is, and to let them loose on our voting statutes is a recipe for disaster.

pridkett t1_irr3uk2 wrote on October 10, 2022 at 12:20 PM

Right now we don’t have any sort of voting early or vote by mail aside from absentee because of the state constitution. Our absentee statute isn’t even “no excuse” absentee. Prior to the changes for COVID, where they allow to specify “sickness” to get an absentee ballot, you were signing an oath stating that you were gone for one of a few reasons. Connecticut is one of four states that makes it this hard to vote - along with New Hampshire, Alabama, and Mississippi.

It wasn’t a huge deal, but it became a big deal when you found out about travel less than a week before the election and the absentee ballot deadline had passed. The emergency absentee ballot guidelines did not list travel as a reason to get an emergency absentee ballot - it’s only unforeseen illness or being in a hospital. Thus, if you found out that you needed to travel or even had a large change in shift (let’s be honest, employers generally do not provide time off to vote), you would be disenfranchised for the election. I had this happen twice in six years - once for work and once for a funeral.

This is in contrast to other states where once I found out I just went to a county building and cast my vote early. Easy, peasy.