The town since Oct. 6 has received 252 absentee ballots from New Canaan electors, officials said Wednesday—far more than had been executed in any of the last three local elections.
In 2011, 2013 and 2015, the town executed 125, 185 and 178 absentee ballots, respectively, according to Town Clerk Claudia Weber.
Those seeking absentee ballots must apply for them at the Town Clerk’s office. So far, a total of 340 absentee ballots already have been issued for this election, according to Weber.
“We will easily go over 300 [executed absentee ballots],” she told NewCanaanite.com.
So many more absentee ballots have been requested compared to recent years that the Town Clerk’s office ran out and had to order more, Weber said.
New Canaan hasn’t had a truly contested race for its top elected office since 2009.
This year, Democrat Kit Devereaux—a former member of the Town Council and Board of Finance who had served on the Charter Revision Commission and sits on the Parks & Recreation Commission—is facing Republican Kevin Moynihan, a Town Council member who defeated incumbent First Selectman Rob Mallozzi at the caucus in July. (See Devereaux-Moynihan debate coverage here.)
A three-term incumbent, Mallozzi essentially had run unopposed since winning the town’s highest elected office in 2011. Two years ago, town resident Michael Nowacki had challenged him as a petitioning candidate and lost by a more than 10-to-1 ratio.
New Canaan also is seeing contested races for town treasurer and Town Council seats this year.
Absentee ballots may be turned in to the Town Clerk through Nov. 6, the day before Election Day. In years past, Weber said, many absentee ballots have been come in that final day.