Election Day · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
How to vote in Connecticut
The deadlines, early voting, mail ballots and ID rules for Connecticut, and what happens after the polls close. Every fact links to the Connecticut Secretary of the State or the law it comes from. Rules change, and courts sometimes change them close to an election, so confirm anything you are relying on with the state.
Checked against official sources on October 7.
Key dates
- Register online by
Friday, October 16
Pre-election registration cutoff, 18 days before Election Day. Online at voterregistration.ct.gov.
- Register by mail by
Friday, October 16
By-mail cut-off (C.G.S. §§ 9-19j, 9-23g(d)(2)). The calendar's mail-in notice table treats applications received by the DMV or a registration agency by October 16 as on time.
- Register in person by
Friday, October 16
Mandatory registration session 9 a.m.–8 p.m. on October 16. After that: same-day registration during early voting and on Election Day; a limited session on November 2 for people who turned 18, became citizens, or moved to town after October 16.
- Same-day registration
Yes
Same-day registration at every early voting location October 19 – November 1 and at each town's designated SDR location on Election Day (C.G.S. § 9-19j).
- Early voting
Monday, October 19 to Sunday, November 1
15th day before the election (C.G.S. § 9-163aa).
- How early voting works
10 a.m.–6 p.m. every day, including weekends; 8 a.m.–8 p.m. on Tuesday, October 27 and Thursday, October 29. Each town has at least one early voting location.
- Request a mail ballot by
Monday, November 2
Online portal opened September 19; ballots issued from October 2. Emergency applications for sudden illness are possible through Election Day.
- Return your mail ballot by
Tuesday, November 3
Received, not postmarked: by the close of polls, 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, at the town clerk (by mail, drop box, or a family member/designee). A voter returning their own ballot in person must do so by November 2.
- Election Day polling hours
6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voters in line at 8 p.m. may vote (C.G.S. § 9-174).
Voting by mail
- Who can vote by mail
Any voter can vote by mail
Public Act 26-42 implements the 2024 referendum: voters no longer need a reason to request an absentee ballot.
- Drop boxes
Yes
Each town has a secure drop box; contact your town clerk for its location.
- Ballots arriving after Election Day
Not counted — your ballot must arrive by the deadline
Absentee and overseas ballots must be received by the close of polls on Election Day.
ID at the polls
- The rule
ID requested (photo not needed)
C.G.S. § 9-261: show a Social Security card or any preprinted ID with name and address, signature or photo — or sign a statement under penalty of false statement with your address and date of birth. Some first-time mail registrants must show a photo ID or a document with name and address.
- What to bring
Show any preprinted ID with your name and either your address, signature or photo (a Social Security card works). No ID? Sign a form with your address and date of birth instead.
When will we know results in Connecticut?
How fast results come in depends mostly on when the polls close and when election officials are allowed to start on mail ballots. Totals shown on election night are unofficial until the state certifies them.
- Last polls close
8 p.m. Eastern time
Eastern time.
- Mail ballots can be processed from
Tuesday, November 3
Town clerks keep returned ballots sealed until Election Day; ballots go to the registrars in batches on Election Day (10 a.m.–noon, 6 p.m., and after polls close; C.G.S. § 9-140c).
- Mail ballots can be counted from
Tuesday, November 3
Absentee counters begin at times set by the registrars on Election Day, usually at a central counting location (C.G.S. § 9-150a).
- Counties finish their count by
Thursday, November 5
Connecticut has no county canvass. Each town's head moderator files a complete return with the Secretary of the State within 48 hours (8 p.m. November 5) and corrects errors by November 6.
- State certifies results
Wednesday, November 25
Votes for U.S. Senate, U.S. House and presidential electors are counted and declared by the Treasurer, Secretary of the State and Comptroller on the last Wednesday of the month of the election (C.G.S. § 9-315) — November 25, computed. Date for governor and other state offices not confirmed.
- Automatic recount
Less than 0.5% (up to 2,000 votes) or fewer than 20 votes
Automatic recanvass when the winner's plurality over the runner-up is under one-half of one percent of votes cast for the office but not more than 2,000 votes, or under 20 votes, unless the losing candidate waives it (C.G.S. § 9-311a). Must finish by November 10.
- Runoff
No runoff — the candidate with the most votes wins
A runoff is held only for an office that ends in a tie, three weeks after the election (C.G.S. § 9-332).
- Ranked-choice voting
Not used
Not used.
- Votes needed to pass a ballot measure
A simple majority
Simple majority. Conn. Const. art. XII: an amendment is valid if a majority of the electors present and voting on it approve. Connecticut has no citizen initiative.
- New governor takes office
Wednesday, January 6, 2027
Conn. Const. art. IV: state officers hold office from the Wednesday following the first Monday of January after the election; the first Monday of January 2027 is January 4, so the term begins Wednesday, January 6.
What’s on your ballot
Every contest you will vote on, from Congress to school board, with each candidate’s positions and record and the arguments for and against them.
Confirm this with the official source
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Connecticut Secretary of the State.