💥 Protect Yourself. Plan Your Vote! 💥  Because of COVID-19 and active voter suppression, you should make your plan now for how you are going to vote during this important election year. You can either vote in person or vote by mail, using an Absentee Ballot.

Here are 5 easy steps for planning your vote!

• 👉 1) You can vote early through the mail! You can request an Absentee Ballot if you fear contacting COVID as a reason! The Secretary of State’s Office will be mailing Absentee Ballot applications to all active, registered voters on a rolling basis starting September 8th through September 11th. If you do not receive an application in the mail, Click here to download an application to request your Absentee Ballot. Applications are available in English and Spanish. Absentee Ballots will not be mailed out until October 2nd, but you can mail in your application now!

• 👉 2) You must return your application and ballot ASAP! The Secretary of State’s Office is encouraging voters to use the ballot drop boxes to return absentee ballot applications AND the ballot themselves. From Secretary Merrill, “the USPS has made clear that they are not a reliable method for delivering election mail.” Once your application arrives in early September and your Absentee Ballot arrives in early October, you can either a) mail it back to the Town Clerk or b) Drop it off at one of the drop boxes located outside 999 Broad Street or 45 Lyon Terrace until 8pm on Election Day.

• 👉 3) REMEMBER: Never allow anyone to pressure you to vote using an Absentee Ballot! In Bridgeport, we have a huge problem with political campaigns targeting and manipulating voters to use ABs as a way to rig elections. Only a family member or your designee are allowed to help you complete and mail your ballot. It is illegal for someone working on behalf of a campaign or political party to take your ballot from you!

• 👉 4) If you don’t want to rely on the mail, you can vote in person! All polls will be open on Tuesday, November 3rd from 6:00am – 8:00pm. Face masks, social distancing, and other protections will be required. Please leave a lot of time if you’re planning to vote in person to anticipate longer lines. Another option for voting in person is walking into the Town Clerk’s Office at 45 Lyon Terrace and completing an application and filling out your ballot on the same day. You can do this in early October, once Absentee Ballots are available.

• 👉 5) Bridgeport voters will cast votes for President, U.S. House of Representatives, State Senate, State Representative, and Registrar of Voters. For more information and to check your voter registration, read our FAQs below!

Tuesday, November 3rd is Election Day!

• The winner of the August primaries face each other on the November ballot.
• All voters – even voters not affiliated with a political party – can vote in November.
• In 2020, Bridgeport voters will vote for President, U.S. House of Representatives, State Sentate, State Representative, and Registrar of Voters.

You can locate your state and local voting districts by using the local maps:

• City Council Voting Districts
• State Representative Voting Districts (also called “Assembly Districts”)
• State Senate Voting Districts
• State Election Polling Locations
• Congressional Voting Districts (for U.S. House of Representatives)

You can check your voter registration and polling location here: http://www.dir.ct.gov/sots/LookUp.aspx

You can check your voter registration and polling location here: http://www.dir.ct.gov/sots/LookUp.aspx

The ACLU of Connecticut has a few easy-to-use resources that might come in handy the next time you need quick access to information about your constitutional rights around voting! Click here to Know Your Rights!

You can find your sample ballot above and research the candidates, their platforms, and their websites. FaithActs for Education, a local Bridgeport-based organization, also publishes an online voter guide that features candidate profiles and interviews ahead of every election. You can read through the Bridgeport Voter Guide here!

• You can register to vote by mail by downloading, printing, and mailing your registration from here: http://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Register-to-Vote/Voter-Registration-Application-English-and-Spanish 
• If you have a state-issued ID, you can register to vote online here: https://voterregistration.ct.gov/OLVR/welcome.do
• You can register to vote in person at the Registrar Of Voters Office any day, even on Election Day. During a Primary Election, only voters who are not registered with a party may register to vote on Election Day. The Registrar’s Office is located at Margaret E. Morton Gov. Center, 1st Floor, 999 Broad Street, Bridgeport, CT 06604. Phone: (203) 576-7281
• For more information, please visit https://www.vote.org/state/connecticut/