LOCAL

What you need to know before you vote in Plainfield Tuesday

John Penney
The Bulletin

A three-way first selectman race in Plainfield on Election Day is pitting the current officeholder against the town planner and a third-party candidate with plenty of experience in stumping for office.

Republican Kevin Cunningham, Democrat Mary Anne Chinatti and Libertarian candidate Dan Reale will square-off at the ballot box on Nov. 2 for the town’s highest elected office.

Cunningham, 63, served as the town’s top elected official from 2005-07 before losing the post and being re-elected in 2019. This election is the first political foray for Chinatti, 64, who was named town planner in June 2018. Reale, a 39-year-old paralegal, mounted three unsuccessful campaigns for U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney’s 2nd Congressional seat before setting his sights on the town’s first selectman seat in 2017 and 2019.

More:Meet the Plainfield candidates for first selectman

Here's what you need to know before you hit the polls Tuesday.

File photo

When is Plainfield’s municipal election?

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 2.

Where do I vote?

Plainfield has four villages and five polling districts: Two polling districts in the village of Plainfield, both vote at the Plainfield Town Hall auditorium, 8 Community Ave.; one polling district in Central Village votes at the Central Village Fire Department, 51 Black Hill Road, Central Village; one polling district in Moosup votes at the Moosup Village Fire Department, 37 S. Main St., Moosup: and one polling district in Wauregan votes at the Atwood Hose Fire Department, 24 Wauregan Road, Wauregan. Polling questions can be directed to the Town Clerk's Office at (860) 230-3011.

Is there early voting? 

Connecticut doesn’t allow early voting but the question is headed for a statewide vote next year.

Absentee voting: 

Updated COVID-19 rules allow anyone in the state to vote by absentee ballot. To receive an absentee ballot, complete and sign an application and mail or return it to your town clerk. Applications can also be placed in the town hall drop-off box. Absentee ballots can either be mailed or dropped-off in person to the clerk's office during business hours. The exterior town hall drop-off box can be used up until 8 p.m. on Tuesday to submit a ballot.

Are there any ballot questions? 

In addition to the municipal races, residents will also vote on whether to approve seven Town Charter revision questions ranging from finance board make-up to new appropriation threshold amounts.

Check your voter status. 

https://portaldir.ct.gov/sots/lookup.aspx; or at https://voterregistration.ct.gov/OLVR/welcome.do.

John Penney can be reached at jpenney@norwichbulletin.com or at (860) 857-6965