Senior house students at Stanwich School got the opportunity to learn more about the upcoming election with a presentation from Greenwich’s Republican Town Committee chair, Stephen Walko, as part of a week-long civil discussion highlighting the two major political parties.
“When you hear about Republicans and Democrats, whether it be in the state legislature or in congress, really you should be thinking about what is the other branch, whether that be the President or the Senate,” said Walko. “In Connecticut, we are effectively governed by one party, and it’s been like that for quite some time. Democrats control the governorship and they control the state senate.”
Following a short video highlighting Republican values, Walko quizzed the students on their political knowledge while outlining issues that are circulating in an election year.
“Out of the 2.2 million registered voters in the state, about 37 percent are Democrats and about 20 percent are Republicans,” Walko told the group of over 40 students. “Unaffiliated voters count for 42 percent of all registered voters.”
In Greenwich, Republicans outnumber both Democrats and the unaffiliated, Walko said, but the unaffiliated are very close behind.
Walko reminded the soon-to-be voters that they can register to vote at the age of 17, if they turn 18 before the election. He explained same-day voter registration and the concept of voter identification.
“There’s a big debate over voter ID, or voter integrity,” said Walko, who asked the students why and why not identification should be shown at the polls. “What if I show up and it’s not really me? It is not the law; however, in places like Connecticut, it’s preferable. Most of your parents show ID, and it makes the process much easier. The argument against it is that you are alienating the people who don’t have the means to get an ID.”
The RTC Chair gave an overview of the governing bodies that make up Greenwich, including the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) and the Board of Estimation and Taxation (BET).
“Although many of the elections this year are not local this time around, in next year’s elections there are local elections,” said Walko. “It’s critically important that you remain engaged in that conversation.”
Students also learned about the Electoral College and how it affects their vote in Connecticut.
“In Connecticut, we have seven individuals who get to cast the vote for President,” said Walko. “So when your parents go and cast their vote for the President, quite frankly they are casting a vote, technically, for the individuals who are then going to be voting for the President in the Electoral College.”
Students asked questions regarding gun control, abortion and organized labor as part of a Q & A session afterwards.
The Democratic Town Committee (DTC) will visit Stanwich School next Tuesday, when DTC Chair Jeff Ramer will lead a similar assembly for upper class students.
