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FAQs about Voter Registration

Frequently Asked Questions about Voter Registration, Elections, Primaries, etc.

  • How do I register to vote?

    • You can register online at the Secretary of State’s Office website: https://voterregistration.ct.gov/OLVR/
    • You can request a voter registration card from the Registrar of Voters’ office by calling 203-783-3240 and mail it back to the Registrar’s office at 70 West River Street, Milford, CT  06460.

  • How do I change my party affiliation?

    • You can change your party affiliation online via the online registration process at the Secretary of State’s Office website: https://voterregistration.ct.gov/OLVR/
    • You can request a voter registration card from the Registrar of Voters’ office by calling 203-783-3240 and mail it back to the Registrar’s office at 70 West River Street, Milford, CT  06460 with the party change indicated.

  • When are there elections?

    • Elections are held every year.  Municipal elections are held in odd numbered years. Various federal, state and certain local offices are elected in even number years. The office of President is elected in even years that are divisible by 4. The next Presidential election will be 2024.

  • What offices are considered “Municipal?”

    • Municipal or City elections are held in odd numbered years for the offices of: Mayor, City Clerk, Board of Aldermen, Board of Education, Planning and Zoning and Constable.
    • Registrars of Voters are elected every two (2) years in even numbered years.

  • What offices are considered “State?”

    • Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Comptroller, Attorney General.  These positions are elected every four (4) years. 2026 will be the next election for these positions.
    • Representing Milford is a State Senator (14th District) and State Representatives (117th, 118th and 119th).  These positions are elected every two (2) years, in even numbered years.
    • Judge of Probate is elected every four (4) years in even numbered years.  2026 will be the next election for this position.

  • What offices are considered “Federal?”

    • U.S. Senate is elected for six (6) year terms. Terms are staggered. The next election of U.S. Senator from Connecticut will be in 2028.
    • U.S. House of Representative (3rd District) is elected for a two (2) year term, every even year. The next election for U.S. Representative will be in 2024.

  • Where do I vote?

    • Please take advantage of the Voter Lookup System (from the Secretary of State’s office) to find your polling place location. http://www.dir.ct.gov/sots/LookUp.aspx
    • The Voter Lookup System is particular, that is, the data has to match exactly how it appears in the CT Voter Registration System database. Call the Registrars of Voters if your name does not appear when doing your search.

  • Will there be a primary?

    • Candidates for office are usually selected by the major parties at their respective conventions. Depending on the election (municipal, state or federal), these take place at different times during the year and via different methods.
    • If people other than those selected at these conventions wish to run for office, they may be eligible to participate in a primary in order to become that party’s nominee, or to be otherwise on the ballot.
    • Dates vary by position and election cycle.
    • Please see the Secretary of State’s Office website for more information. http://www.sots.ct.gov

  • I moved. How do I change my registration?

    • If you moved to another part of CT,
      • you can change your registration address online via the online registration process at the Secretary of State’s Office website: https://voterregistration.ct.gov/OLVR/
      • You can request a voter registration card from the Registrars of Voters’ office by calling 203-783-3240 and mail it to the Registrars of Voters' office in your new town/city.
    • If you moved to another part of Milford,
      • you can change your registration address online via the online registration process at the Secretary of State’s Office website: https://voterregistration.ct.gov/OLVR/
      • You can request a voter registration card from the Registrar of Voters’ office by calling 203-783-3240 and mail it back to the Registrar’s office at 70 West River Street, Milford, CT  06460 with the registration address.
    • If you moved out of State, please contact the Registrar of Voters’ office by calling 203-783-3240 and we will send you the required form, which will need to be signed and sent back to our office at 70 West River Street, Milford, CT  06460.
      • If you register to vote in your new state, please indicate on your new registration form that you were previously registered in Connecticut.
    • If you moved into Connecticut from another state,
      • You can register online at the Secretary of State’s Office website: https://voterregistration.ct.gov/OLVR/
      • You can request a voter registration card from the Registrar of Voters’ office by calling 203-783-3240 and mail it back to the Registrar’s office at 70 West River Street, Milford, CT  06460.
      • Please be sure to indicate your previous address in your former state, as they will be notified of your new registration.

  • On the Voter Registration Card it asks if I would like to work at the Polls on Election Day.  What does that mean and entail?

    • It takes a lot of people to make the elections happen.  There are a variety of positions at each polling place: Moderator, Assistant Registrar, Ballot Clerk, Checker, Tabulator Tender and Demonstrator. These individuals work from 5:15am to 8:15pm (at least) for Primaries and General Elections. If you would like to learn more or are interested in potentially being added to the waiting list for working at the polls, please contact our office at 203-783-3240.

  • I know that someone has died. What should I do?

    • In addition to updating our records based on information from the City Clerk, a person’s status can be updated with a copy of an obituary, death notice, or death certificate.

  • Where can I find election results?

  • I want to vote by absentee ballot.

    • If you can’t vote in person for one of the following reasons, then you can apply for an absentee ballot.
      • active service in the Armed Forces of the United States
      • absence from the town during all of the hours of voting
      • illness
      • religious tenets forbidding secular activity on the day of the election, primary, or referendum
      • duties as an election, primary, or referendum official at a polling place other than your own during all of the hours of voting
      • physical disability
    • Applications are available through the City Clerk’s office. You may also download one here.
    • Please mail or deliver completed applications to: Milford City Clerk, Parsons Government Center, 70 West River Street, Milford, CT 06460.
    • Once processed, the ballot will be mailed to you by the City Clerk.

  • I got an absentee ballot application. Why?

    • Absentee ballot applications are sometimes sent to voters by the campaigns of candidates running for office.

    • You are not required to use this application, and you may do so only if you meet one of the eligibility requirements (see above).

    • Absentee Ballots are handled by the City Clerk's Office. Please contact them with questions on how to complete an application.

  • What is Permanent Absentee Ballot Status? Do I qualify?

  • ​​Why do I have to vote someplace different than before?

    • The polling place you use depends on the district in which you live. State and city district boundaries are each adjusted every ten years, following the U.S. Census, to ensure each district is as equal in population as possible. Each polling place is district specific for the respective election cycle – legislative or municipal.

  • ​​I live close to a polling place. Why do I have to drive across town to vote?

    • The district you live in, not proximity, determines which polling place you will use.

  • I received a notice in the mail from the Registrars of Voters. What should I do with it? My form says …

    • “Notice – Voting Address Changed Within Town”: This is part of the annual canvass of voters (CGS Chap. 143, Sec. 9-32) that uses the National Change of Address from the postal service to help keep the registration rolls updated. If you receive this form, we likely were notified by the USPS that you submitted a change of address within the last year. Please check the box that applies to you, sign the form and return it to our office in the postage-paid envelope.
    • “Confirmation of Voting Residence”: This is part of the annual canvass of voters (CGS Chap. 143, Sec. 9-32) that uses the National Change of Address from the postal service to help keep the registration rolls updated. If you receive this form, we likely were notified by the USPS that you submitted a change of address within the last year. Please check the box that applies to you, sign the form and return it to our office in the postage-paid envelope.
    • “Notice of Duplicate Registration”: We have received information form the Secretary of the State that your name appears on the voter registration list in more than one town. If you are still a resident of Milford, please check the box that applies to you, sign the form and return it to our office to remain a voter in Milford.
    • “Notice of Removal from Voter’s List”: We have received information that you have changed your residential address to another town in Connecticut, and we have removed you as a voter in Milford. If you have not moved out of town, complete and return the included Application for Restoration to Voters List to remain a voter in Milford. If you have moved out of town, you will need to register to vote in your new town in order to vote (https://voterregistration.ct.gov/OLVR).

  • In-Person Voter ID Requirements

    • If your name appears on the Active Registry List, to vote at the polls, you must present:
      • Your social security card, or
      • Any pre-printed form of identification that shows your:
        • name and address, or
        • name and signature, or
        • name and photograph
      • A photo ID does not need to have your address on it. e.g.- College Student ID, Employee ID or a U.S. Passport.  
        Or
    • Sign a statement under penalty of false statement on Form ED-681 entitled, "Signatures of Electors Who Did Not Present ID", provided by the Secretary of the State that the elector whose name appears on the official check list is the same person who is signing the form.
    • IF you are a first time voter who:
      • registered by mail after January 1, 2003, and
      • are voting for the first time in an primary/election with federal candidates on the ballot and have a "mark" next to your name on the official registry list, You must present:
        • A copy of a current and valid photo identification that shows your name and address;
          OR
        • A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or government document that shows your name and address; 
          OR
        • Cast a provisional ballot