This story is part of CT Mirror Explains, an ongoing effort to distill our wide-ranging reporting into a "what you need to know" format and provide practical information to our readers.
This article is part of CT Mirror’s Spanish-language news coverage developed in partnership with Identidad Latina Multimedia.
Next month, Connecticut voters will head to the polls to elect candidates for local positions in their city or town.
No statewide or national elections — like those for United States Senate and House of Representatives seats or for governor of Connecticut — are held in odd-numbered years. But on Nov. 4, many communities throughout the state will still elect officeholders to positions like mayor, city councilor, alder or board of education member.
Here’s what to know about the upcoming elections.
How do I know who’s running in my city or town?
The Secretary of the State’s office publishes sample ballots online for each city and town, which show the candidates running. You can find yours here.
Many Connecticut municipalities publish the sample ballots on their websites as well.
Where and when can I vote?
Polls will be open from Oct. 20 through Nov. 2 for early in-person voting. Early voting is a relatively new option for Connecticut voters — the state implemented it for the first time last year after the legislature approved it in 2023.
Early voting will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, including weekends. On Oct. 28 and 30, the polls will have extended hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Each municipality is required to have at least one polling location — typically at a town or city hall — and those with populations of 20,000 or more have the option to open multiple locations.
Your early voting polling location may be different from your Election Day polling place. Find your early voting location on the Secretary of the State’s website here.
On Election Day, polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can find your polling place here.
Can I vote absentee?
Possibly, if you meet certain requirements.
In Connecticut, you are only allowed to vote by mail for one of the following reasons: you’re an active member of the U.S. military; you will be out of town on Election Day; you will be serving as an election official at a different polling location; you can’t vote for religious reasons that day; or sickness or a physical disability will prevent you from making it to the polls on Election Day.
Absentee ballots for the Nov. 4 election became available on Oct. 3. To get one, you must first apply for it by sending a completed absentee ballot application to your town clerk’s office. You can download the application here or pick one up at your town clerk’s office.
A ballot will then be mailed to you, and after filling it out, you or a “designee” can return it by mail, drop it in a ballot drop box or return it in person to the town clerk. Full absentee ballot guidelines, including who qualifies as a designee, can be found here.
Last fall, Connecticut voters approved a constitutional amendment that allowed for universal (also known as “no-excuse”) absentee voting, paving the way for the legislature to pass a law allowing every voter to cast an absentee ballot. However, the legislature has not passed such a law, so absentee ballots are still only available to voters who meet the qualifying circumstances.
What if I’m not registered to vote?
Connecticut offers same-day voter registration during the early voting period and on Election Day.
During early voting, you can register at your polling place. On Election Day, you can register at your town’s Election Day registration site, which can likely be found on your municipality’s website.
What are some of the biggest races?
The two largest cities with mayoral elections in November are New Haven and Stamford. In both cities, incumbent Democratic mayors are running for reelection against Republican challengers.
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker is running for a fourth two-year term. His Republican opponent is Steve Orosco, a former MMA fighter and the founder of SMASH MMA, a mixed-martial arts events organization.
Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons is running for a second four-year term. Her Republican opponent is Nicola Tarzia, founder of a plumbing, heating and construction services company and former Stamford Board of Education member.
Norwalk and Hamden also have mayoral elections, but in those municipalities, candidates are running for open seats.
In Norwalk, the Democratic nominee is Common Council President Barbara Smyth, a retired teacher who defeated fellow council member Darlene Young in the primary. She’ll face off against Republican nominee Vinny Scicchitano, an auto repair shop owner and member of the Saint Ann’s Club of Norwalk.
Hamden’s Democratic nominee is former school board chair and longtime town official Adam Sendroff, who won a five-way primary race. His Republican opponent is Jonathan Katz, a paralegal who holds degrees in economics and international political economy from Fordham University.