Connecticut early voting opens October 19: check your town’s site

CONNECTICUT — In-person early voting for the November 3 general election begins Monday, October 19, and continues through Sunday, November 1, according to the Secretary of the State’s 2026 election guide.

The 14-day period gives voters an alternative to casting their ballot on Election Day. It uses designated early-voting locations, which should not be assumed to be the same building or room as a voter’s November 3 polling place.

The state publishes a town-by-town location list. Among the Eastern Connecticut entries are the Groton Community Center at 61 Fort Hill Road and East Lyme’s Community Center at 37 Society Road in Niantic. The directory is updated on a rolling basis, so voters should check its current entry and their town’s election office before traveling.

Windham’s official notice offers two early-voting and same-day-registration sites: Bellingham Auditorium at Town Hall, 979 Main Street, and the Paul E. Johnson Sr. Community Conference Room in Eastern Connecticut State University’s J. Eugene Smith Library, listed at 83 Windham Road.

Windham lists hours of 10 a.m.–6 p.m. on most early-voting days, with extended hours of 8 a.m.–8 p.m. on October 27 and October 29. Its Election Day sites are different: the VFW, Elks Lodge and Windham Center Fire Department. Residents unsure of their assigned November 3 location can contact the registrars or town clerk rather than choosing from that list.

Ledyard’s original notice directs early voters to the lower level of Town Hall. It gives the same October 19–November 1 period, with 10 a.m.–6 p.m. daily hours except October 27 and 29, when voting runs 8 a.m.–8 p.m. Those local notices establish the arrangements in those towns; this report does not independently verify the hours at every Connecticut location.

The Secretary of the State says same-day registration is available for eligible voters during regular general elections. It is not offered for primaries or special elections. Residents needing to register should check the state’s same-day-registration guidance or speak with their town’s registrars about eligibility and the designated location.

Early voting, absentee voting and Election Day voting are separate options. The state guide directs absentee-ballot questions to the town clerk and MyVote.CT.gov. Use the linked official location directory for early voting and the state’s voter lookup for Election Day information; an old polling-place list is not a substitute for checking the current election.