Denise Butwill, president of the League of Women Voters of Litchfield County, right, and Jesse Hubbard, legislative director with the office of the Secretary of the State, presented a program on no-excuse absentee voting Oct. 16 at the Litchfield Community Center.
LITCHFIELD — Voters in November’s election will decide if the state constitution should be amended to allow no-excuse absentee voting, thereby removing restrictions and allowing any voter to request a mail-in ballot.
A program on the topic was presented by Denise Butwill, president of the League of Women Voters of Litchfield County and Jesse Hubbard, legislative director with the Office of the Secretary of the State, at the Litchfield Community Center on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
During the hour-long forum, Hubbard gave a run-down on the history of ballot measures and how constitutional amendments make it to the ballot and fielded questions and concerns from attendees.
“There are a lot of people who say we’re making a change to the state constitution, and it takes people aback a bit,” noted Hubbard.
On the top of the ballot, voters are being asked to indicate yes or no to the question: “Shall the Constitution of the State be amended to permit the General Assembly to allow each voter to vote by absentee ballot?”
Voting “yes” authorizes the Connecticut General Assembly to write the law. Voting “no,” he said, keeps current law in place, requiring one of the following six excuses: Active military service, absence from town of residence during voting hours, illness or physical disability, religious beliefs precluding secular activity on election day, or performance of duties as an election official at a different polling place during voting hours.
Hubbard explained that 29 states have adopted no-excuse absentee ballot voting and 14 states, including Connecticut, have excuse-required absentee ballot voting.
Several attendees questioned how town officials will be able to monitor the ballot boxes to ensure integrity of the votes, especially in light of a recent election fraud case in Bridgeport.
Hubbard noted that Public Act 24-148 signed by Gov. Ned Lamont on June 6, 2024, made several updates to current safeguards and enhances absentee ballot voting processes.
“We are now requiring security cameras on drop boxes,” Hubbard said of the new surveillance measure. All towns must comply by July 1, 2025.
In addition, towns must retain the footage of the surveillance recordings for 12 months and make them available to the public.
Either the voter or his or her designee, or an immediate family member (spouse, child, parent, sibling or dependent relative who resides in voter’s household), can return the ballot by mail or at a drop box, noted Hubbard.
Additional safeguards require that town clerks must record on the outer envelope of returned absentee ballot how it was returned. In addition, said Hubbard, each application is to be marked with the year for which it is valid, prohibiting town clerks from providing or accepting absentee ballot applications without the applicable year noted.
What supporters, opponents have to say
In favor of the amendment, State Senator Tony Hwang (R-28) said, “As we move forward, I wish we had ore collaboration of ideas, ideas that make our voting process better, more inclusive, more transparent, more engaged.
State Senator Robert C. Sampson (R-16), who voted against the amendment, said, “We have to be able to trust those votes without question. I have some concerns about trying to move our voting process away from the way it’s been traditionally done where people vote on one specific day in person.
“In the last election we saw all campaigns across this state mailing ballot applications like crazy to people, and also sending out companion mail to say, ‘Yes, you can check the box for sickness. You can vote by absentee.’ It was a mess.”
How widely are absentee ballots used?
During the 2024 Presidential Preference Primary, of the 111,791 votes cast, 6,740 voted by absentee ballot (6%), and 18,132 voted early (16%). During the 2023 Municipal Election, of the 741,831 votes cast, 48,366 voted by absentee ballot (7%).
For the 2022 State Election, of the 1,297,811 votes cast, 150,284 voted by absentee ballot (12%), and during the 2020 Presidential Election, which was a COVID year, out of 1,297,811 total votes, 659,370 people (35%) voted by absentee ballot.
“We saw a big boost” during COVID, said Hubbard. “People were told to stay in their homes and not to got to the polls that year.”
However, with no-excuse absentee voting, “the ballot will not be mailed without you requesting it. It will be mailed when you make that request,” the state official explained.
Advocating for passage
Hubbard recommended that town officials educate voters about where the question is located on the ballot.
“If you are working at the polls, do remind them it’s on the top,” said Hubbard. “There were times where people hadn’t known there was a question on the back, or didn’t bother to read the text on top.”
Early voting and confusing language leads to defeat, the state official noted.
“Without understanding in full the question will often be ignored,” particularly if it has to do with taking an item out of the state constitution,” Hubbard explained.
One attendee asked why not just extend early voting to an entire month.
“The main reason is cost. It requires the town clerks to be there” during extended hours, said Hubbard. “It’s the legislature that chooses. We asked for less days, and we didn’t win that. We have election handlers in small towns who hadn’t heard from anyone for a couple of days,” during previous early voting sessions.
At the conclusion of the forum, Meredith Penfield, a member of the League of Women Voters of Litchfield County and long-time poll worker, expressed skepticism about no-excuse absentee ballot voting.
“Basically, I think you should show up in person to vote, and our economy should always allow workers the time off to vote,” said Penfield.
CANTON — Luigina A. Dzenutis, 91, of Canton, died peacefully on Jan. 16, 2025, in her home. She was the wife of the late Peter A. Dzenutis Sr.
Luigina was born in Bronx, New York, on May 17, 1933, the daughter of the late Jack and Medie (Tonelli) Grecco.
Luigina’s life was full of family, friends and celebrations. She enjoyed her last Christmas season surrounded by everyone she loves, singing and dancing her way through December.
Luigina is survived by her seven sons; Peter Jr., John, Ralph, David, Stanley, Thomas and Rah; and four daughters Mary, Elizabeth, Ann and Luiginia. She is also survived by sixteen grandchildren; Jolene, Sherri, Cassie, Michael, Britney, Nicholas, Gabriela, Sydney, Page, Terry, Kaitlyn, Zachary, Jacob, Maximilliam, Gabriel and Luigina, along with thirteen great-grandchildren; Payton, Aubrey, Aman Jr., Carmela, Landon, Hailey, Hayden, Jayden, Grayson, Malia, Bennett, Rowen and Landon Jr.
Besides her husband, Peter, of 69 years she was predeceased by a son, Michael and grandson Aman.
Luigina leaves behind a legacy of stories and memories to be told by her 11 remaining children and a multitude of grand and great-grand children, nieces and nephews.
Members of her community, and friends of the family, may pay their respects at Kenny Funeral Home in Sharon, CT, Jan. 22 from 4 p.m to 6 p.m.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Immaculate Conception Church in Amenia, NY on Thursday, Jan. 23 at 11 a.m. Burial will follow at the Immaculate Conception Cemetery. The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
MILLERTON — Donald Francis “Frank” McNally Jr., passed away peacefully at Vassar Brothers Medical Center on Wednesday Jan. 8, 2025, after a short illness. Frank was a resident of Millerton since 1996. He was born on Jan. 27, 1955, in Cold Spring, New York, at Butterfield Hospital and was raised in Garrison, New York, where he enjoyed exploring and camping in the wilderness of the Hudson Valley, participating in the Boy Scouts as a bugler, and competing as captain of his high school wrestling team.
He was a graduate of James I. O’Neill High School in Highland Falls class of ‘74 and SUNY Cobleskill class of ‘76 where he majored in animal husbandry, specializing in equine science. He then proudly volunteered for the United States Peace Corps where he accepted an assignment to his host country of the Philippines, where he met his wife. Frank would then pursue his lifelong passion for horses and horseback riding on several horse farms in Dutchess County. Later he would work for New York state where he would then retire, spending his time caring for animals, reading, fishing and taking photographs. Frank enjoyed a good laugh with family and friends, while also occasionally winning a game of RISK. Frank was an avid reader, often reading several books a week while in the constant company of his cat.
Frank is survived by his wife and best friend, Paz (Alpez) McNally who resides in Millerton, and two sons, Patrick A. McNally and Philipp F. McNally; his daughter in-law, Erin McNally and his beloved grandchildren, Jack and Lila who brought him immeasurable joy in his life. Frank is also survived by his sister, Mary R. (McNally) Gutierrez and her husband Victor and their son Juan, and his brother, Daniel McNally Sr., and his daughter Jacqueline and son Daniel Jr. He was predeceased by his father Donald F. McNally Sr. and his mother Jacqueline (Adams) McNally.
There are no calling hours. At Frank’s request, cremation has taken place at Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery in Poughkeepsie. A celebration of Frank’s life will take place in the spring. Memorial Contributions may be made to the NorthEast–Millerton Library, P.O. Box 786, Millerton, NY 12546 or to a local animal shelter of your choice. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Scott D. Conklin Funeral Home, 37 Park Avenue, Millerton, NY 12546. To send an online condolence to the family or to plant a tree in Frank’s memory, please visit www.conklinfuneralhome.com
NORFOLK — Florence Eugenia Cooper died on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, at the age of 92 at Geer Lodge in Canaan, Connecticut where she had been a resident for 2 ½ years. She also spent a couple of days a week at the home of her daughter, the artist Hilary Cooper and her husband Chris Crowley, in Lakeville.
Florence (neé Muhas) was born and grew up in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Greek immigrants. She went to local public schools and then to college at Barnard where she was mentored by Professor of Religion Ursula Niebuhr, wife of the philosopher Reinhold Niebuhr, who urged her to go to her alma mater St Hugh’s College, Oxford University where she earned a D. Phil degree. Later, she received an M.A. in foreign policy with a specialty in China, at the London School of Economics.
Florence met her future husband, Kenneth Cooper, a Diplomatic Courier, in Athens where she was visiting and he was passing through. Ken grew up in Kansas, served in submarines at the end of World War II, and graduated from the University of Kansas under the G.I. Bill. Shortly after his marriage to Florence in 1958, he became a Foreign Service Officer and served as such for the rest of his professional life. His service brought the family to Frankfurt, Belgrade, Karachi, London, Washington D.C., Manila and finally Hong Kong. Their sixty-year marriage was the center and the joy of both their lives from the start to Ken’s death in 2018. Florence was bookish and a little shy. Ken had an easy social charm. They both had wonderful senses of humor. They had two children, Hilary, born in late 1958, and Christopher “Topher”, born in 1960.
Florence wanted to work but that was not so easy in the 1960s and 70s, even for a gifted and lavishly educated woman. During the Washington assignment she searched for a job in vain (how many words can you type per minute was the usual question.) At the suggestion of a friend, she met with a remarkable woman who had started the Women’s Rights Movement, Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Through that organization she found work at the State Department. When Ken was posted to Manila, she was given a commission as a consular officer issuing visas, often to young brides of servicemen at Subic Naval and Clark Air bases. She also ran the fraud unit which was a colorful challenge.
The single and central sadness of their lives was the loss of Topher of a traumatic brain injury in 2004. Shortly afterwards the couple moved to Norfolk to be near Hilary, opening a new chapter in their lives. One day Hilary brought Florence along to the Yale Art School community drawing group run by Sam Messer, who immediately gave her a pad and pencil. Florence demurred, and he said, “either you draw or take your clothes off and model!” She started drawing and never stopped, also becoming a sculptor. The drawing group and the Yale Norfolk community were a central joy and she and Hilary continued to attend sessions right up until last summer.
WEST CORNWALL — Frederick Ralph Scoville II, 72, of 243 Town St., died Jan. 7, 2025, at the Waterbury Hospital surrounded by his loving family. Fred was the husband of 45 years to Lynn (Pollard) Scoville. Fred was born in Torrington, son of the late Ralph and Thalia (Hicock) Scoville.
Fred spent his whole life in West Cornwall. He attended Cornwall Consolidated and Housatonic Valley Regional High School. The only time he left was to attend the University of Connecticut for animal science. After school he came home to work with his father on the family farm taking over full-time in 1996 milking dairy cattle and selling hay. His life passion was the farm. He could always be found tinkering on equipment or surveying the neighborhood on his golf cart. The only thing that rivaled the farm was his love of his family. His wife, sons, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren meant the world to Fred.
After changing the farm from a dairy operation to all beef in 2006, Fred went to work for the Town of Cornwall Public Works, where he got to keep up on the town chatter. He was a founding member of the Cornwall Agricultural Commission and looked forward to the local Ag Fair each year. His expertise in judging maple syrup was unparalleled! He was regularly seen around town giving “sage” advice to many local farmers.
In addition to his wife, Fred will be deeply missed by his sons, Stephen and Frederick R. Scoville III (Katherine) of West Cornwall. His sisters: Grace Kanderfer (Peter) of New Hartford; Eliza Cleaveland of Bloomfield; and Maria Bonetti (Walter) of East Canaan. Fred leaves behind his two grandchildren, Abbé Lynn and Frederick Ralph Scoville IV of West Cornwall. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Fred was predeceased by his infant sister, Priscilla, brother and sister-in-law Ralph and Marta Scoville of Denville, New Jersey.
Funeral services will be held on Jan. 18, 2025, at the West Cornwall Meeting House at 11 a.m. Burial will be at the convenience of the family. There are no calling hours.
The family has requested that you come as you are and the way Fred knew and loved you. No fancy dress, no need to impress, just come as YOU.
Memorial donations in Fred’s memory may be sent to the Cornwall Agriculture Advisory Committee Scholarship Fund, 26 Pine Street West Cornwall, CT 06796. Arrangements are under the care of the Newkirk-Palmer Funeral Home 118 Main St. Canaan, CT 06018.
