Submitted by Edward Dadakis, Greenwich
This year the ballot has a referendum question which states “Shall the (Connecticut) Constitution be amended to permit the General Assembly to provide for early voting.” Everyone should vote NO on this question.
Despite what proponents call it, this referendum is not about early voting. Its about the Connecticut citizenry surrendering their voice on how early voting should be structured and letting the partisan General Assembly make the decision with no input by voters. That is wrong.
Voting is enshrined in Connecticut’s Constitution. This referendum takes away the Constitutional ratification process and turns it over to the State Legislature to let them do whatever they want to do.
Well designed early voting rules can be beneficial to the citizenry. This year, Connecticut’s election is working under the auspices of essentially a no excuse absentee ballot rule. Any voter, starting in early October, can walk into their Town Clerk’s office to vote immediately.
The General Assembly has not earned our trust. Democrats have controlled it for 40 years giving us a state economy often rated in the bottom 10 of states by independent economic rankings. They’ve created a pension crisis saddling residents each with $62,500 of debt mostly for state employees. They’ve allowed PURA to give us the highest utility costs in America and done nothing to bring in more natural gas to quell those costs.
The Democrat General Assembly also gave us 8-30g, allowing massive buildings in residential neighborhoods bypassing our own planning and zoning commission.
With this record of failure Democrats in the General Assembly now want you to give up your Constitutional right to implement early voting laws by giving it to them.
I certainly support the legislature hashing out what they think works best, but then it needs to go to the citizens of Connecticut in a referendum for the final say. There is nothing more fair than that.
Don’t surrender your most sacred right— the right to vote— to the legislature for them to make a non-appealable decision about the early voting process.
Voting no on this referendum doesn’t mean we are saying no to early voting. The legislature can come back to us with a specific early voting proposal. Then all Connecticut citizens can debate the pros and cons of the recommendation casting their vote knowing exactly what they are voting for. But this year, to preserve your sacred voting rights, vote No.
Regards,
Edward Dadakis