As Voters Expand Ballot Access, GOP Lawmaker Favors Rollback of Voter Registration Option

by Hugh McQuaid

December 9 @ 11:30 am

Credit: Studioroman / Canva

Less than a month after many Connecticut residents utilized Election Day voter registration to participate in the 2024 election, a leading Republican on the legislature’s government administration committee has argued the policy should not exist.

“There should not be same-day registration,” Rep. Gale Mastrofrancesco, R-Wolcott, told the CT Examiner last month, “because there’s no way to verify that voter on the same day that they’re voting.”

Mastrofrancesco, the ranking House Republican on the legislature’s Government Administration and Elections Committee, was interviewed as part of the Examiner’s coverage of Connecticut voters’ decision to expand voting options by approving a constitutional amendment to allow no-excuse absentee balloting.

A strong majority of voters approved that amendment on Election Day, giving state lawmakers the flexibility to approve more convenient options for Connecticut voters to make their voices heard in elections.

Rep. Matt Blumenthal, a Stamford Democrat who co-chairs the committee, told the Examiner that legislative Democrats would prioritize making those options available to Connecticut voters.

“For a long time our state constitution was an obstacle to making our elections run more smoothly and efficiently and eliminating redundancy, and now that we have removed that obstacle through the constitutional amendment, we’ll be able to pass absentee voting for all but also look to try to make the whole system work better,” Blumenthal said.

Mastrofrancesco, meanwhile, advocated for more restrictive voting policies and the rollback of Election Day voter registration, citing the policy’s widespread use in many towns.

Connecticut is one of 23 states to have adopted some form of Election Day registration, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. These states range from reliably Democratic bastions like California to more conservative areas like Wyoming, where Republicans hold supermajorities in both legislative chambers.

Connecticut’s policy has been on the books for more than a decade, and was enacted in 2012 as part of a larger effort to modernize the state’s electoral system. That bill, An Act Concerning Voting Rights, also created a process by which residents could register to vote online.

As the Government Administration and Elections Committee was debating the bill back in 2012, then-Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said the changes would give Connecticut residents a voice in the place where it mattered most — the voting booth.

“That means more of our residents will have a voice in how their tax dollars are spent, what kind of health care system we have, how their children are educated and so many other aspects of their lives,” the former governor said.

Fairfield Avenue Bridge Reopens, Ahead Of Schedule and Under Budget

By Joe O’Leary

December 7 @ 5:00 am

Connecticut Department of Transportation employees stand with Sen. Bob Duff on newly Completed Fairfield Avenue Bridge in Norwalk. Credit: Andres Chiu / Senate Democrats

Just seven months after it was demolished due to heavy damage in a May 2 vehicle fire, the Fairfield Avenue Bridge in Norwalk, an important crossing point over Interstate 95 in that town, is as good as new.

The extensive work of the Department of Transportation, Yonkers Contracting Company, other state agencies and subcontractors from May to December is evidence of Connecticut ingenuity. Originally, the bridge was supposed to be completed in spring 2025. However, it’s ready to carry traffic now, months ahead of schedule.

The project was also completed under-budget. The bridge was expected to cost $20 million; however, the project came in at a final cost of just $16.8 million.

Meanwhile, DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto told The Norwalk Hour that up to 90% of the costs will be covered by the federal government. DOT spokesperson Josh Morgan said crews worked ahead of time to avoid winter weather, which could have delayed the project.

During a press conference earlier this week, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said the project was an example of local, state and federal government working hand-in-hand to meet the needs of Connecticut residents.

“Really, the credit all belongs to the men and women who worked so hard to get this bridge reopened,” Duff said, “and those who worked so tirelessly after the accident to clear the rubble and to make sure that I-95 could be open again, those who worked so hard to prioritize this project — all those people deserve our thanks.”

According to Eucalitto, the new structure has the same footprint as the original bridge and generally has the same design, albeit with slightly more space for bicyclists.

Norwalk local traffic will be able to resume without delays or detours caused by the bridge’s absence, while more than 100,000 motorists who drive underneath it everyday can rest assured of their safety.

In a press release, Gov. Ned Lamont said the reopening of the bridge marked a significant milestone for Norwalk and hundreds of thousands of motorists who rely on Interstate 95.

“This is a great example of what can be accomplished when government, contractors, and local leaders work together with a sense of urgency and purpose,” Lamont said.

After the initial vehicle fire, caused by a crash involving a fuel tanker under the structure itself, flames and gasoline rose to leave scorch marks underneath, damaging it enough that it was demolished the same week the fire occurred. I-95 was reopened within days of the crash, but the bridge’s absence caused serious traffic issues in Norwalk after highway backups abated.

Back in May, officials expected the repairs would take a year – making the fruits of this Herculean effort from state agencies and transportation workers all the sweeter.