Early voting is officially underway in Connecticut, where residents have begun casting ballots to decide who will appear on the ballot for governor as well as in several congressional races. When the doors opened Monday morning, people were already lined up, an early sign of interest in a primary season that is shaping up to be busier than usual across the state.
At Norwalk City Hall, Shirley Vines was first in line to cast her ballot. "I like to count. So I'm here to vote," she said. Election workers reported a strong early response, undeterred by the weather. "We're having a very good turnout so far. Considering the rain, it's quite nice," one said, as voters filed in through the morning.
Part of what is drawing people out is how much easier the state has made early voting. In previous years, electors would place their ballots into an envelope that would then be opened and counted on election day. This year, voters instead feed their ballots directly into a scanning device called a tabulator, and for the first time ever anyone can vote early without needing to give a specific reason.
While summer primaries are usually slow, this year features two unusually big races that have added urgency to the campaign. At the top of the ticket, Governor Ned Lamont faces a rare challenge from within his own party, taking on progressive candidate Josh Elliott in a contest that has turned pointed in its closing stretch.
Elliott has gone on the attack against the incumbent. "Here's Ned with nearly a billion dollars running the most unequal state in America," he said in one broadside. Lamont's own campaign, meanwhile, has cast him as focused on the state, telling voters that while his opponents are busy attacking him, the governor is busy protecting Connecticut. Polls show Lamont with a double-digit lead, but one that is narrowing.
The primaries extend well beyond the governor's race. Fourteen-term Congressman John Larson is fighting for his political future against three fellow Democrats, while Republicans are choosing candidates for the 4th District in southwest Connecticut and the 5th District in the northwest. The combination has given an otherwise quiet summer ballot an unusual amount at stake.
With turnout on the line, officials are encouraging residents not to sit the contest out. "For those thinking of sitting this primary out, I would tell them to come and vote early. It makes a difference," one said. Early voting runs through Sunday, with the primary itself set for next Tuesday.