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About 50 people stood in line to vote at Hartford City Hall around 2:30 p.m. for the November 2024 presidential election, officials said. One guard said there were "too many to count" when asked about turnout earlier in the day. Credit: Jessika Harkay / CT Mirror

On Tuesday, Nov. 4, Hartford residents will vote for Board of Education candidates in the city.

The Board of Education oversees the public school system, sets educational goals, approves budgets and hires key personnel like the superintendent, a post held by Dr. Andraé Townsel since July 1.

There are nine members on the board, four elected in municipal elections and five appointed by the mayor, plus two non-voting student members. 

In 2027, Hartford residents will vote for board of education members again, along with other city-wide elections including mayor, city council and treasurer. Those elected on Tuesday will have two-year terms.

Who is running in Hartford?

On this year’s Hartford ballot, four incumbents are running for reelection to the Board of Education. 

The only candidate for the Working Families Party is the current chair of the board, Shontá M. Browdy. 

Before being on the Board, Browdy has served on School Governance Councils and PTOs and facilitated education forums across the city. A Hartford native and Weaver High School alumna, Browdy has served in Greater Hartford’s NAACP. Browdy is also the secretary for the Greater Hartford African American Alliance and volunteers for the Capital City Track Club.

Three candidates are from the Democratic party.

Current Vice-Chair of the Board, Francoise C. Deristel-Leger, has worked for Hartford Public Schools as a teacher and is currently developing a public Montessori program in Norwalk. The first generation Haitian is also an international education consultant, serves on Hartford’s Democratic Town Committee and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated Hartford Alumnae Chapter.

Executive Director of the Student Loan Fund Cristher Estrada-Perez is a Boricua community organizer, educator and graduate of Hartford neighborhood schools. Estrada-Perez was a lead contributor to the Equity Informed School Climate Assessment and launched a statewide campaign with unions and nonprofit leaders to spread awareness and resources about the PSLF limited waiver. 

Second Vice-Chair of the Board, Tyrone V. Walker has been a Hartford resident for 20 years and has volunteered for over 15 years with community-based organizations, including True Colors, Inc., an LGBTQ youth advocacy and mentoring organization. Beyond serving on the Hartford BOE, he is the board chair for the Center for Leadership & Justice and worked professionally at Pratt & Whitney.

Where and when can I vote?

Polls opened on Oct. 20 and will be open until Nov. 2 for early in-person voting. Early voting is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, including weekends. On Oct. 30, the polls will have extended hours, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The early voting site in Hartford is 550 Main St.

A voter’s early voting polling location may be different from their Election Day polling place, since it depends on the district and where residents are registered to vote.

The General Election will be held on Tuesday. All 24 polling locations will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Residents can find their polling place on this city of Hartford website.

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, residents can register at their polling place. On Tuesday, residents can register at Hartford’s Election Day registration site.

Can I vote absentee?

In Connecticut, absentee voting is available for specific reasons, including:

  • Serving as an election official at another location
  • Active military service
  • Being out of town on Election Day
  • Illness or disability
  • Religious beliefs preventing in-person voting

Absentee ballots for the Nov. 4 election became available on Oct. 3. To get one, residents must first apply for it by sending a completed absentee ballot application to Hartford’s clerk’s office. The application is available here.

To check the status of an absentee ballot or to find the nearest drop box, visit here.

Mariana Navarrete Villegas is a Community Engagement Reporter for The Connecticut Mirror, covering Hartford. She recently graduated from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism with a master’s degree in Bilingual Journalism. Previously, she was the Community Engagement and Video Assistant at Epicenter-NYC and a Podcast Intern at The Take, Al Jazeera English’s daily news podcast. As a reporter, she has covered stories from New York to Florida, California, Panama, and Mexico, focusing on labor rights, immigration, and community care. She also hosts 'La Chismesita,' a community radio show in New York that archives oral histories through conversations with women community leaders. Originally from Mexico, Mariana spent her teenage years in Panama. She holds a B.A. in Global Studies with a minor in Psychology from Saint Leo University, where she interned at the International Rescue Committee.