Connecticut sets $1 million voter-information campaign for Nov. 3

Connecticut has allocated $1 million for a statewide voter-information campaign scheduled to begin Oct. 12 and run through the Nov. 3 general election. Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas announced the campaign Oct. 9. It is intended to reach voters in all 169 municipalities and explain three ways to vote: by absentee ballot, in person during early voting, or on Election Day.

The campaign is funded through a transfer from the Citizens’ Election Fund directed by Section 467 of Public Act 26-68, the state’s FY 2027 budget adjustment act. The $1 million campaign allocation is part of a $3.25 million transfer. The remaining $2.25 million is designated for early-voting grants to municipalities.

Ads cover voting options and dates

The planned advertisements are 15 or 30 seconds long and will be produced in English and Spanish. The Secretary of the State’s office says they are planned for television, radio, social media and other digital platforms. The campaign also includes digital billboards and online advertising.

The ads feature local registrars and town clerks, and direct viewers to MyVote.CT.gov for election information. Thomas does not appear in the advertisements. Miranda Creative developed the campaign in partnership with The Latino Way and the Secretary of the State’s office.

The dates give voters information ahead of the election and the early-voting period. State voter information lists Oct. 19 through Nov. 1 as the early-voting period for the 2026 election, followed by Election Day on Nov. 3. The campaign is scheduled to start before early voting begins.

Absentee rules have changed

The campaign comes ahead of the first Connecticut general election in which every eligible voter may request an absentee ballot without stating a reason. Public Act 26-42 made absentee ballots available to all eligible voters without requiring a specific excuse. Previously, state law required voters to qualify under an eligible excuse to vote absentee.

By including absentee ballots, early in-person voting and Election Day voting in the same campaign, the state is describing the available options together. The ads’ stated purpose is voter education; there is no established measure of their effect on voter understanding or turnout.

The statewide campaign is one of three voter-education efforts the Secretary of the State’s office says it is conducting this fall. Another is focused on Bridgeport and explains absentee-voting rules there. The statewide ads, by contrast, are intended for voters across Connecticut and direct them to the state’s election-information website.