Balletto makes Connecticut’s Biden-Harris votes official.
Viewers nationwide didn’t see Nick Balletto lucky red-and-white-blue socks, but it did watch him officially include Connecticut voters’ voice Monday to the decision of who should serve as the next U.S. president and vice-president.
Balletto — a former Morris Cove alder, New Haven Democratic Party chair, and state Democratic Party chair — served as one of seven electors who met in the State Senate chambers to cast the state’s electoral votes officially for President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris.
The group of seven electors convened at noon. They met at first in the secretary of the state’s office, as required by statute. Then they voted to reconvene, as usual for the quadrennial ritual, in the State Senate chambers. There they had space to remain six feet apart while they kept their masks on to avoid spreading the coronavirus.
Each elector filled out two index card-sized pieces of paper. First they filled out a sheet with their choice for president. They deposited their sheets in a box said to have been made of wood from the legendary Charter Oak.
The group voted to elect Balletto as its “teller.” That meant that that, after the presidential votes were placed in the box, Balletto, an accountant by training, took it to the front of the room and counted the papers. Then he made a declaration:
“Madame chair, the teller would like to announce that Connecticut electors have cast seven ballots for Joseph Biden Jr. for president of the United States.”
Electors in all 50 states are performing the same ritual Monday. It just so happened that CNN switched live from Wolf Blitzer to the Connecticut Capitol so it could show Balletto making that announcement live.
The electors repeated the ritual with their choices for vice-president. Balletto again took the box, counted to seven, and made a second declaration:
“Madame Chair, the teller would like to announce that seven ballots have been cast for Kamala Harris for vice-president of the United States,” Balletto stated.
CT‑N broadcast the proceeding. You can watch it above. “Teller” Balletto appears at the 25:39 and 29:32 points in the video.
Balletto, who’s 54, had been in that setting twice before: He served as an elector in 1996 when the state voted for Bill Clinton. He served again in 2000 when the state went for Al Gore and running mate Joe Lieberman.
“It was unbelievable announcing someone you know in the process,” he recalled of casting the electoral vote for Connecticut’s Lieberman.
Balletto called casting an electoral vote “the greatest sense of democracy a citizen can have. I love the process. Out of all the things I’ve done in my life, it is one of the greatest honors bestowed on me.”
So he made sure to wear his “good luck” red-white-and-blue socks along with his red-white-blue bowtie, the ones he otherwise reserves for election day.
“You do get this overwhelming feeling. I felt this in my body when you’re about to announce. Especially today, when the president says he will not concede until the Electoral College meets and votes. This one meant more. It’s not a fait accompli until this is done,” Balletto said when it was all over.
“And to be on CNN was incredible.”
Brad Horrigan Photo
Secretary of the State Denise Merrill (pictured) closed the proceedings with remarks that in typical election year may have sounded rote. But not this year.
“Free and fair elections have always been a hallmark of our system,” she proclaimed. “The democratic process continues to recognize the will of our state.”
