Stafford, Connecticut Public Records

Registration deadlines are seven days before an election for in-person registration or fourteen days before for mail and online registration. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens, Connecticut residents, and at least seventeen years old, though they can't actually vote until turning eighteen. Connecticut does offer Election Day Registration, allowing eligible residents to register and vote the same day at designated locations with proof of identity and residency. Stafford conducts municipal elections in odd-numbered years. The Board of Selectmen functions as the town's executive authority under Connecticut's town meeting form of government. Voters elect five selectmen to two-year terms, and the board then selects a First Selectman from among its members. Residents can find their assigned polling place using the state's lookup tool at https://portaldir.ct.gov/sots/LookUp.aspx or by calling the Town Clerk. The town operates multiple polling locations on Election Day, with most voters assigned to either Stafford Town Hall or Stafford Elementary School depending on their district. Connecticut doesn't currently offer early voting except through absentee balloting. To request an absentee ballot, voters must complete an application available at the Town Clerk's office or downloadable from the state website, citing an acceptable reason: active military service, illness, physical disability, religious beliefs prohibiting secular activity on Election Day, required duties as an election official, or absence from town during all voting hours. The completed application goes to the Stafford Town Clerk, who mails the ballot to the voter. Ballots must be returned by mail or delivered in person by Election Day. Under Connecticut Freedom of Information laws, voter registration lists are public records available for purchase for political purposes. The lists include names, addresses, party affiliation, and voting history but not Social Security numbers or birthdates. Campaign finance reports for local candidates are filed with the State Elections Enforcement Commission and searchable at https://seec.ct.gov. Stafford is located in Connecticut's 2nd Congressional District, currently represented in Congress. All 151 Connecticut State House seats and all 36 State Senate seats will be contested, including the town's representatives in the 8th Senate District and 63rd House District. State constitutional officers including Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, and Comptroller are all elected in gubernatorial years. At the Tolland County level, Connecticut eliminated traditional county government in 1960, so there are no county commissioner or county executive races. Probate Judge for the Stafford Probate District will appear on the ballot, as these positions are elected to four-year terms. Voters should check the Connecticut Secretary of State website at https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Elections for the complete candidate list and any state referenda questions as the 2026 election approaches.