Steady Habits: A CT Mirror Podcast
News:Politics
This week’s Connecticut primary doesn’t feature any big statewide races or a contested race for a presidential nomination. But it’s actually a lot more interesting than it’s ever been, because it’s a test run for a new, expanded absentee ballot system in the state, meant to keep people safe from Covid-19.
Letters went out weeks ago from the Secretary of State’s office, asking registered voters if they wanted an absentee ballot for the primary. They got hundreds of thousands of requests back.
But some of those requests came back as undeliverable, some were returned to the sender because of issues with printing, and then, when it came time to get out the ballots, reports from town clerks came back that tens of thousands of requested ballots weren’t sent.
All of these complications are compounded by Connecticut’s notorious home rule, which makes sure that every town is going to handle elections differently, and our history of being very restrictive with mail-in voting, which hasn’t exactly gotten us used to this way of doing things... Neither of these are new.
But what is new is the turmoil at the US Postal service, which is currently in chaos because of changes being forced upon it by the Trump administration.
So, how did this new, temporary mail-in ballot system work? And what can it tell us about the BIG election in November?
Lawmakers have approved a no-excuse mail-in voting system for the general election, but not beyond...will this be the moment where Connecticut actually breaks one of its most confounding steady habits?
I talked with the state’s top election official, Secretary of the state Denise Merrill last week to find out. She’s been pushing for reforms for years, and I asked her what we can expect to learn from this unprecedented primary.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Steady Habits Presents: In the Room with Linda Greenhouse
Steady Habits Presents: In the Room with Treasurer Erick Russell
Steady Habits Presents: In the Room with AG William Tong
Steady Habits Presents: In the Room with Gov. Ned Lamont
Steady Habits Presents: In the Room with Chris Murphy
Probation, parole and commutations: The Breakdown
Linda Greenhouse analyzes the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court term
CT Mirror's 2023 Legislative Recap
A Conversation with Gov Ned Lamont
Keith Phaneuf's Big Budget Review 2023
Reporter Roundtable: The 2023 Legislative Session
Mark Pazniokas and the Politics of 2023
Growing CT's economy through science and technology
Hospital housekeepers say they're the essential workers who've been forgotten
Fatal blazes highlight problems with fire inspection in Connecticut cities
Affordable housing misses out on stimulus spending in Connecticut
What does Leora Levy's primary victory mean for the Connecticut GOP?
Cash Bail in Connecticut Part 2: What can we learn from New Jersey?
Cash Bail in Connecticut Part 1: A Growing Problem
GOP Senate primary heats up in Connecticut
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