Markeshia Ricks photo
With just a week to go until Election Day, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill told a room full of seniors that when it comes to voting, the crisis isn’t voter fraud. The real crisis is that not enough people are participating in the a fundamental part of democracy by voting.
“I bet this is a crowd that votes,” Merrill said to the residents of Tower One and Tower east Tuesday afternoon. “Our generation — and I include myself in that generation — grew up believing that it is your duty as a citizen to vote. I am concerned that our next generation just doesn’t have that same attitude.”
Merrill joined Mayor Toni Harp, State Sen. Marty Looney, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Stamford Mayor David Martin to make one last plea to voters to support a ballot question on Nov. 4 that would clear the way for the state to have early voting and a less restrictive absentee balloting process. The question would amend the state constitution to enable everyone — not just people with an excuse — to mail in their votes ahead of Election Day. (Click here for a story giving arguments on both sides of the question.)
Merrill pointed to two practical reasons why people should vote “yes”: the 2011 snowstorm and Hurricane Sandy. She said both happened just before elections. The first brought down trees and trapped people in their homes. The second put polling places under water a week before elections.
When people realized that the weather might impact the elections, many asked about whether they could receive an absentee ballot. Merrill said even in such extreme circumstances, the answer was “no.”
“That seemed ridiculous to me,” she said.
Connecticut voters are allowed to vote by absentee ballot only if they are sick, have a documented disability, or are going to be out of town on election day. Merrill said if the restrictions are lifted then voters won’t need an excuse.
State Sen. Looney said some opponents like to say that people have 14 hours to vote on election day and that it is plenty of time to vote. But that’s not exactly true for people who commute, who have children, who care for an older parent, or who otherwise have an obligation they must meet every day, he said. He said most people only have a short window before they go to work, or when they get off work to vote.
Looney said the reality is that voting is a narrowing funnel. Of those who are eligible to vote, many don’t register. And of the number who do register, many of them don’t turn out to vote. And many of them don’t turn out to vote because it’s not convenient enough.
“We need greater flexibility,” he said.
U.S. Rep. DeLauro urged the crowd to vote in favor of the amendment and do something the state hasn’t done in 80 years — change the system.
“I know all of you are going to vote,” she said. “You are activists and you don’t pass up a chance to vote. Vote ‘yes’ on this questions and make voting easier. It is un-American to make voting more difficult and we are not going to tolerate it.”
Mayor Harp put in a plug for voters to support both the statewide constitutional amendment and the local amendment that allow the city to continue to address issues of economic development, blight and reduce unemployment under the City and Town Development Act.
Harp said the city has used the act since 1975, and has taken advantage of its authority under the act to redevelop public housing complexes such as Brookside, Rockview and Ribicoff Cottages in West Rock.
