What to know before you vote in Griswold Nov. 2
Matt GrahnElection Day is Nov. 2, when every town and city in Connecticut will hold votes on who gets to make local, day-to-day decisions.
This includes Griswold, which has multiple important town offices, including that of First Selectman, up for election this year. In Griswold, there are 7,945 active and 218 inactive voters, according to last year’s data from the Connecticut Secretary of State’s Office.
So, take some time to read up on some of the candidates running in this year’s election, and also take a look below for the basic, need-to-know information before stepping into the voting booth in Griswold.
When is the Griswold Election?
On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2, all voting will take place in the Griswold High School cafeteria, at 267 Slater Ave. It will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Town Clerk Valerie Pudvah said there are normally two polling places, one for Pachaug, and one for Jewett City. However, due to COVID-19, elections will be in the high school cafeteria because it’s a bigger place.
Is there early voting?
Connecticut doesn’t allow early voting, but it’s headed for a statewide vote next year.
For absentee ballots in Griswold, people can go online to the Connecticut Secretary of State’s website, or come to the Griswold Town Hall for an absentee ballot, after filling out an application for the ballot. Once they’re ready to submit an absentee ballot, Pudvah recommends they drop it in the drop box outside the town hall.
Mailing can also be done in the application for an absentee ballot, or submitting one, but Pudvah recommends not mailing them because of how close it is to Election Day.
Who are the candidates?
For the first selectman’s race, candidates are sitting First Selectman Todd Babbitt versus Republican Dana Bennett.
For selectmen, Democrat Richard Grabowski is running against Republican Richard Matters.
For town clerk, Democrat Pudvah is running against Republican Jaimee O’Neill Eaton.
More:A peek at the Nov. 2 election ballot in Griswold
For the Board of Finance, Democrats Gary Beaulac and Gordon “Butch” Santerre are against Republicans Alex Grzelak and Tom Palasky. In the vacancy race, Democrat Amanda Brycki is against Republican Valerie Grills.
For the Board of Education, Democrats Paige Proctor and Stuart R. Norman Jr. are against Republicans Mary Beth Malin and Shannon Webster. In the vacancy race, Democrat Jennifer Gauthier is against Republican O’Neill Eaton.
For the Board of Assessment Appeals, Democrat Lewis Button III is against Republican CeCe Norwid.
For Planning and Zoning, Democrat Courtland Kinnie is against Republican David Bennett. For the alternates, Democrats Peter W. Zvingilas and James Krueger are against Republicans Jena Rodgers, Melissa Cassidy and Rich Waselik.
For the Zoning Board of Appeals, Democrats Mary Ann Manning and Joseph Savino are against Republicans Chris Chastang and Duane Button. For the alternates, Democrats Santerre and Beaulac are against Republicans Greg Allard, Heather Edge, and Joe Carignan.
More:Griswold candidates answer Bulletin questions
There are two unchallenged races in Griswold. Linda Cote has both the Democratic and Republican endorsement for town treasurer, and Democrat Leona Sharkey has no opponent for tax collector.
Are there any ballot questions?
Griswold has no ballot questions this election.
Check your voter status.
Two of the ways to check involve the following websites.