As Registrars of Voters, we love the excitement that comes with every primary and election. Of all the elections we administer, the Presidential Primary however, is the day when tensions run highest if people think they are registered in a particular party, and then find out they are not.
The laws of the state of CT only allow members of the Democratic or Republican parties to vote in their respective primaries.
Please, check by visiting our website at https://www.greenwichct.gov/1191/Voter-Information-Lookup to make sure you are in the party of your choice. Too often people come to vote on primary day and say “I’ve voted for XYZ party for thirty years”, only to find out that they never registered as a member of that party. How you vote in the general election is private and does not mean you are registered with a party.
If you want to change from Republican to Democrat or vice-versa for the Primary, by Connecticut law the deadline passed on January 28th. If you are a Democrat, your only option is to vote in the Democratic Primary. Likewise, if you are a Republican, you can only vote in the Republican Primary.
If you are not registered in any party you are Unaffiliated, and you may register in either party and vote in its primary. Please go to https://www.greenwichct.gov/582/Voter-Registration for detailed information about voter registration deadlines. April 27th at noon is the last available opportunity to register if you are not yet registered or to register with a party if you are unaffiliated. This last opportunity is only available in person at the Registrars of Voters office in Town Hall. Registration can be done online, by mail, or by visiting our office. More information on all of the methods can be found at https://www.greenwichct.gov/597/Other-Ways-to-Register.
Please, take action now so that you are not surprised and disappointed on April 28. There is no Election Day Registration for a primary. It’s important you check your registration in advance.
In addition, please be advised that we are closely reviewing all of the news regarding COVID-19. And we are participating in weekly calls with the Secretary of the State. At this point, the Democratic and Republican Primaries are still on. We are focused on appropriate social distancing, best practices for sanitizing surfaces, and continuing to make your voting experience a pleasant one.
Fred DeCaro III
Registrar of Voters
Town of Greenwich
