By Andra Moss

Norfolk voters will head to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 7 for municipal elections, but there’s still time to register to vote or file an application for an absentee ballot.

Those who have Norfolk as a primary residence (the address used for filing federal income tax returns) and are registered to vote may cast their ballot at Norfolk Town Hall between 6 a.m. and 7:45 p.m. on Nov. 7.

Eligible residents still have time to register, either before the election or at the polls. Forms are available online or from Town Hall and must be returned to the town clerk before Nov. 7. Another option is to go to Town Hall on Election Day, register with the registrar of voters and vote the same day. A photo ID and proof of residence is mandatory.

Absentee ballots are also available if a registered voter must be absent on Election Day, says Town Clerk Linda Perkins. “Voters can apply for absenteeism up to the day before Election Day,” she says. “It is a quick process—they present the application form and then I prepare the absentee ballot packet and hand it to them. They can vote right away and turn in their ballot to me or drop it in the secure ballot box receptacle just outside the town hall door.”

Voters should contact the town clerk’s office with questions or to coordinate a time to vote absentee ballot by Nov. 6. “One vote can absolutely make a difference,” reminds Perkins.

In-person early voting should soon be an option. In 2022, Connecticut voters approved a constitutional amendment to allow in-person voting prior to the actual election day. Governor Ned Lamont subsequently signed Public Act 23-5 into law on June 7, 2023, creating an early voting system for elections in the state occurring after Jan. 1, 2024.