By Richard Kaufman
Sentinel Reporter
In an election unlike any other, voter turnout in Greenwich is expected to reach record numbers.
Aside from perhaps a few emergency ballots that were handed out today, through yesterday there were 17,189 absentee ballots requested, with 14,775 of those returned, according to according to Fred Decaro, Greenwich’s Republican Registrar of Voters. There were about 800 overseas ballots.
“We’re essentially waiting to see what people are going to do with the [2,414] remaining ballots. I don’t believe we’re going to get back all of those,” Decaro said. “I believe some of those people went to the polls. But at some point, we will know either later tonight or tomorrow morning how many were dropped off and mailed in today and we’ll be counting those.”
Compared to the last presidential election in 2016, Greenwich had about 4,200 absentee ballots.
Voting opened at 6 a.m. in Connecticut this morning, and Greenwich residents rushed to the polls. In the first hour of voting, 2,856 people cast their vote. Between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., 173 people voted across Greenwich.
As of this writing, turnout in Greenwich was at 81% and climbing. The record, according to Decaro, is 85.7% from 2016. Decaro anticipates eclipsing that number.
“I would say that aside from the fact that too many people rushed to the polls this morning, creating lines where there didn’t need to be, it’s been a great day… Those who are coming now are walking in and walking out,” Decaro said. “We’ve had really excellent turnout in almost every district. It has really been great.”
The Democracy Cup is once again up for grabs. Greenwich won the award in 2016, which is given to the municipality in the state of Connecticut with the highest voter turnout. In 2018, West Hartford took home the trophy.
“I think that if we continue at this pace, we’re definitely in the running for the Democracy Cup,” Decaro said.
Polls in Connecticut will be open until 8 p.m. tonight.
