WILTON, Conn. Wilton's registrars of voters took the initiative and developed an Emergency Elections Procedures policy on their own rather than wait on the secretary of the state. The policy outlines how to handle any scenario that could happen Election Day.
"We decided we know our community best," said Democratic Registrar of Voters Carole Young-Kleinfeld. "We wanted to be proactive rather than wait for the state to send something."
The General Assembly passed legislation this past session that requires every Connecticut community to develop a written policy on what it would do if its election could not proceed because of weather conditions, machine malfunctions or voter intimidation, among other possible disruptions.
Young-Kleinfeld, along with Republican Registrar Tina Gardner, presented a plan earlier this week to the Board of Selectmen, which voted to accept the document and send it to Hartford for final approval.
Although Wilton has always told its poll workers how to handle a slew of possible events, such as bomb threats and ballot shortages, this is the first time a formal document outlining step-by-step procedures has been compiled, said Young-Kleinfeld.
Working with Police Chief Michael Lombardo, Fire Chief Paul Milositz and School Superintendent Gary Richards, the registrars addressed each of the specific emergencies identified by the state and added a few possibilities of their own.
"We were thinking, 'God, forbid what if there was a Columbine-type of situation,' " said Young-Kleinfeld. "What would we do if we had to relocate a polling place?"
Once voting begins, moving to a new polling location involves a lot more than packing up the ballots and heading to the new site, said Young-Kleinfeld. Election officials must ensure that the election's integrity is protected and that any vote cast before the move remains a viable ballot.
In her seven years at the registrar of voters office, Young-Kleinfeld said she is aware of only a few minor incidents involving individuals falling in the polling place and of an individual with a nosebleed who bled on his ballot.
Her predecessor had to deal with one incident of disorder at the polling place, said Young-Kleinfeld.
"There was an individual in a truck with a loudspeaker broadcasting a message about one candidate. People voting could hear the message. That's electioneering," said Young-Kleinfeld. "They asked him to leave and he did."
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