Connecticut's move to make absentee ballots available to all voters who request them will help ensure older adults can exercise their rights in this year's elections, according to local representatives of AARP.
The group is gearing up to educate members about no-excuse absentee voting, which is available for the primary election on Aug. 11 and general election on Nov. 3.
Casting an absentee ballot will give some older voters peace of mind because they won't have to worry about circumstances like an unexpected illness on Election Day, said John Erlingheuser, senior director of advocacy and community outreach for AARP in Connecticut.
"We believe it should be as accessible as possible," Erlingheuser said. "We shouldn't be putting up barriers for people to vote. We should be doing as much as we can to encourage people to be able to exercise their franchise."
Connecticut previously had among the tightest restrictions in the country on absentee voting. The state allowed the use of absentee ballots for limited reasons, including military service or absence from your town on Election Day.
AARP has pushed to expand voting access in the state, including by supporting a constitutional amendment that cleared the path for no-excuse absentee ballots.
Under a new law now in effect, Connecticut voters no longer need to provide a reason to vote absentee for any referendum, primary or election.
Voters can apply for an absentee ballot online or fill out a paper application and return it to their town clerk in the mail or by hand. Completed ballots can be returned by mail, drop box or in person.
Absentee ballot applications are now available. The deadline to apply for the primary election is Aug. 10.
Erlingheuser said local AARP members have been overwhelmingly positive in recent years about expanding access to absentee voting.
Eliminating the state's previous restrictions may also reduce problems that have surfaced in past elections, he said.
Erlingheuser, a former registrar of voters, said campaigns previously targeted sites like residential care facilities and senior housing complexes to encourage residents to vote absentee, including some who were able-bodied and may not have qualified under the rules that were in place.
In Bridgeport, for example, numerous election cycles have been marred by allegations involving campaign workers and their efforts to win absentee votes.
Making it easier for voters to access absentee ballots directly will reduce the potential for them to be misinformed, Erlingheuser said.
"It's going to be a much more user-friendly process, and that is a bonus to those that are older, particularly seniors," he said.
The group is planning to contact members to inform them about important deadlines and discuss all voting methods that are now available in Connecticut, including absentee and early in-person voting. AARP also provides information online about voting in each state.
"People would be wise to look at the issues that matter to those voters age 50 and older, because again, they vote," Erlingheuser said. "And with this change, even more of our folks should be out there voting in this election."
