IN THIS GUIDE: KEY DATES CANDIDATES FAQ GENERAL ASSEMBLY COVERAGE
Connecticut residents will head to the polls on Aug. 11 to cast ballots in party primaries for governor, U.S. Congress and state legislative and constitutional races. Many will have questions about where to vote, how to vote and for whom to vote when Primary Election Day rolls around. The Connecticut Mirror, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization, is here to help with this primary voter guide — a comprehensive look at the key dates to know ahead of Aug. 11, a one-stop-shop for election-related information.
KEY DATES FOR THE 2026 PRIMARY ELECTIONS
July 21
First day absentee ballots are issued
August 3
First day of early voting
August 6
Last day to register to vote by mail
August 9
Last day of early voting
August 10
Last day to request an absentee ballot and register to vote in person
August 11: Primary Election Day! Polls open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
FAQ
Any questions we haven’t answered here? Send us an email and we’ll try to answer them for you.
Am I eligible to vote? What if I’m unaffiliated with a party?
Connecticut residents are eligible to vote if they are a U.S. citizen and turn 18 on or before Nov. 3, 2026. If a person has been convicted of a felony, they must also have completed confinement.
You must be registered with a party to vote in that party’s primary elections. If you are unaffiliated with a party, you can register with one until 12 p.m. on Aug. 10. The deadline to change your affiliation from one party to another has passed.
How do I register to vote?
Those eligible to vote can visit the state’s online voter registration portal to sign up, apply in person to your town clerk or registrar, or download a paper form in English or Spanish and mail it in to your town’s registrar of voters office.
The deadline to register in person is 12 p.m. on Aug. 10. For voters affiliated with a party, the deadline to register by mail is Aug. 6, and your application must be postmarked or received by this date. The deadline for new voters and unaffiliated voters to register by mail was July 24.
What if I miss the deadline? Can I vote on primary election day or during early voting?
You can register every day at an early voting location from Aug. 3 through Aug. 9. Same-day registration is not available for primary elections.
Tell me about early voting. Who can vote? When does it begin? Where do I go?
Anyone eligible to vote in the primary election can vote during the early voting period. Early voting begins on Aug. 3 and runs through Aug. 9. Early voting locations will be posted on a rolling basis on the state’s Early Voting Locations page.
If you are unaffiliated with a party and wish to vote during early voting, you must register with a party by 12 p.m. on July 31.
Are polling locations the same on primary election day as they are during early voting?
No. Early voting locations can and will be different from regular polling locations. To find out where to cast a ballot on primary election day, registered voters can visit the secretary of the state’s voter registration lookup and polling place locator here.
What time are the polls open on primary election day?
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you are in line at 8 p.m., you will still be able to vote.
Do I need to bring an ID to vote?
No, but you can. Before you receive a ballot at the polls, you will be asked to provide a government-issued ID, a different ID with your name and photo, or a document such as a utility bill or checkbook that has your name and address. You may use your current driver’s license at the polls even if it is marked “not for federal identification.”
If you can not provide any of these, you will be asked to sign an affidavit instead.
Can I vote by using an absentee or mail-in ballot?
For the first time this year, anyone eligible to vote in the primary election can request an absentee ballot. Voters can submit requests through the Online Absentee Ballot Request Portal, or mail or hand-deliver a printed ballot to their town clerk. Voters no longer need to specify reasons for requesting an absentee ballot. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Aug. 10.
Absentee ballots will be issued and mailed to voters starting July 21. The ballot must be returned to the voter’s town clerk by using the United States Postal Service, in person at the town clerk’s office or in a drop box in their town. Voters must return their absentee ballot in the same envelope that housed the ballot and ensure that they print and sign their name on the envelope.
All ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Aug. 11 to be counted. Voters can check if their ballot has been received on the state’s Voter Registration Lookup and should contact their town clerk if their ballot has not been received.
For additional questions about absentee voting, contact the state Legislation and Election Administration at LEAD@ct.gov or (860) 509-6100.
I’m a college student. How do I vote?
Students eligible to vote in the primary can do so in one of two ways: vote by absentee ballot in your home town or register to vote in your college town.
GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES
The Democratic primary for governor is the only statewide primary this year and the first challenge to a governor for their party’s nomination since 1978, when Lt. Gov. Robert Killian failed to wrest the top spot from Gov. Ella T. Grasso.
Gov. Ned Lamont, a fiscal centrist and social progressive who is seeking a rare third term, is being challenged from the left by state Rep. Josh Elliott of Hamden.
Lamont, 72, of Greenwich is waging his fifth statewide campaign and his fourth for governor. Making national news as anti-war candidate in 2006, he won a Democratic primary against U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman in 2006, but Lieberman won his fourth and final term as an independent candidate. Lamont lost a gubernatorial primary to former Gov. Dannel P. Malloy in 2010.
Elliott, 41, was elected to the state House of Representatives in 2016, running with the backing of the Working Families Party for the seat then held by House Speaker J. Brendan Sharkey. Ultimately, Sharkey did not seek another term. Elliott helped resurrect the progressive caucus in the House. This year, Elliott is hedging his bets, running for reelection to the House while challenging the governor.
CT CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT CANDIDATES
All five of Connecticut’s U.S. House seats are on the general election ballot in November. But there are only three primaries in August: a Democratic primary in the 1st District and Republican primaries in the 4th District and the 5th District.
Democrats hold all five seats and have advantages again this year. The 1st District is the most heavily Democratic in the state, with a Republican last winning in 1956. Republicans haven’t won the 4th District since 2006 or the 5th since 2004. The 5th District is considered the most competitive in Connecticut.
Here’s who’s running in the congressional primaries:
Democratic primary in Connecticut’s 1st Congressional District
The district is centered around Hartford, wrapping around up to the northwest toward Torrington and down and over to Bristol. It is currently represented by Democrat John B. Larson.
Luke Bronin is the former mayor of Hartford, serving between 2016 and 2024. He served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010. Before becoming mayor, he worked in the Obama administration and served as general counsel to former Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. He won the party’s endorsement at the nominating convention.
Ruth Fortune is an estate lawyer and first-time candidate for elected office. She’s an appointed member of the Hartford Board of Education. Fortune failed to win enough support from local delegates at the nominating convention, but she secured the signatures needed via petition to get a spot on the August primary ballot.
Jillian Gilchrest is a state representative from West Hartford who has been in office since 2019 after unseating a longtime incumbent. Before her tenure in the General Assembly, Gilchrest served in leadership positions for the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut and the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence.
Larson has represented the district since 1999. He serves as the ranking member of the Ways and Means’ Social Security Subcommittee. Prior to Congress, he served in the Connecticut Senate and worked as a history teacher before his time in politics. This is the first time he’s faced a primary in his 28-year congressional tenure.
Republican primary in Connecticut’s 4th Congressional District
The district covers the southwestern corner, including Stamford and Bridgeport. It is currently represented by Democrat Jim Himes.
Michael Goldstein is a physician and attorney who has run to represent the district multiple times. He lost the Republican primary in 2022 but became the GOP nominee in 2024, eventually losing to Himes. In this year’s primary, Goldstein is the party-endorsed candidate.
Daniel Miressi is a former professional hockey player who coaches youth hockey and has worked in the hospitality industry. He’s run for elected office before, including in an unsuccessful race to unseat state Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, in 2022.
Republican primary in Connecticut’s 5th Congressional District
The district spans the western part of the state, including sections of Fairfield, Litchfield, New Haven and Hartford counties. It is currently represented by Democrat Jahana Hayes.
Republican challenger Chris Shea is a North Haven firefighter and retired Navy SEAL. He founded the nonprofit Hero to Hero, which encourages military veterans to consider a second career as first responders. Shea is the party-endorsed candidate.
Republican challenger Jonathan De Barros has worked as a mentor for at-risk youth. He shot and killed a man in 1996 and was convicted of murder, but it was overturned on appeal. He was granted an “absolute pardon” in 2022. He filed a defamation lawsuit against Republicans who have called him a murderer.
CT GENERAL ASSEMBLY CANDIDATES
The only Democratic primaries for state legislative nominations are in two Senate and seven House districts currently represented by Democrats. In all nine districts, whoever wins the primary is favored to prevail in November.
Two races to watch involve challenges to incumbents: Sen. Doug McCrory of Hartford in the 2nd Senate District and Rep. Patricia Dillon of New Haven in the 92nd House District.
McCrory’s role in delivering earmarks is the subject of a continuing FBI investigation. Dillon is the longest-serving member of the House seeking reelection and faces a generational challenge.
A third Democratic primary is a bit of an oddity. Rep. Jill Barry of Glastonbury lost the Democratic endorsement in a caucus to Moise “Moses” Carelus. He now faces a primary, but not from Barry. She is running as an independent.
On the Republican side, the only primary getting attention turns on the Republican Party working to defeat convention-endorsed candidate Jadon MacCormack of Brooklyn over his homophobic statements.
Rep. William Pizzuto of Middlebury is the only Republican incumbent facing a primary.
The Democratic contests
2nd Senate
*Maryam Khan of Windsor (* indicates the candidate won the party endorsement)
Douglas McCrory of Hartford
Ayana Taylor of Windsor
13th Senate (open seat, with Sen. Jan Hochadel retiring)
*Jack Fazzino of Meriden
Jim Jinks of Cheshire
4th House
*Julio Concepcion of Hartford
Venice Sotomayor of Hartford
10th House (open seat, with Rep. Henry Genga retiring)
*Angie Parkinson of East Hartford
Tyron V. Harris of East Hartford
31st House
*Moise “Moses” Carelus of Glastonbury
Anthony DiLizia of Glastonbury
92nd House
*Patricia A. Dillon of New Haven
Justin M. Farmer of New Haven
Eli Sabin of New Haven
97th House (open seat, with Rep. Al Paolillo running for state Senate)
*Leland J. Moore of New Haven
Wildaliz Bermudez of New Haven
118th House (open seat, with Rep. Frank Smith retiring)
*Toni Lombardi of Milford
Christopher Saley of Milford
The Republican contests
19th Senate
*Jason Guidone of Hebron
Mike France of Ledyard
50th House
*Jadon MacCormack of Brooklyn
Anthony J. Emilio of Pomfret
71st House
*William Pizzuto of Middlebury
Michael Grosso of Waterbury
Find your districts and candidates using the maps below.
COVERAGE
PROJECT CREDITS
Reporting: Lisa Hagen and Mark Pazniokas
Project Management: Stephen Busemeyer
Data Visualizations: Calista Oetama
Editing: Stephen Busemeyer