Plans for the August primaries

GOSHEN — Sue Larsen, president of the Registrars of Voters Association of Connecticut, told the 21 first selectmen, mayors and town managers of the Northwest Hills  Council of Governments (COG) that all registered Republicans and Democrats in the state will receive applications for absentee voting in the mail for the Aug.11 primary elections. (The primary date was originally scheduled for June but was postponed to August.)

Larsen spoke to the COG in a Zoom meeting online on Thursday, May 14.

She went down a list of changes — coming from Secretary of the State Denise Merrill — to election procedures, emphasizing that they apply to the party primaries only.

“We’re doing things for the primaries that we can’t do in November,” during the general election.

The eligibility restrictions on absentee ballots will be relaxed, Larsen said. Anyone over the age of 65 will qualify, as will anyone with an “underlying condition” that makes them susceptible to COVID-19. 

Caretakers of the elderly or infirm will also qualify.

At polling locations, everyone will be required to maintain a distance of 6 feet from each other, and no more than five people will be allowed into any location at a time.

Personal protective equipment will be made available at polling places, as well as Plexiglas shields and single-use pens.

Larsen said one problem is not having enough poll workers, who tend to be retired and/or elderly people.

The secretary of the state is upgrading the computer systems, and scanners for the expected increase in absentee ballots will be provided. This will require some initial financial outlay from municipalities, but Larsen said the state will “try to make towns whole” with reimbursements.

“Everything we’re talking about now could change by Aug. 11,” she reiterated.

Latest News

A scenic 32-mile loop through Litchfield County

Whenever I need to get a quick but scenic bicycle ride but don’t have time to organize a group ride that involves driving to a meeting point, I just turn right out of my driveway. That begins a 32-mile loop through some of the prettiest scenery in northern Litchfield County.

I ride south on Undermountain Road (Route 41 South) into Salisbury and turn right on Main Street (Route 44 West). If I’m meeting friends, we gather at the parking area on the west side of Salisbury Town Hall where parking is never a problem.

Keep ReadingShow less
Biking Ancramdale to Copake

This is a lovely ride that loops from Ancramdale north to Copake and back. At just over 23 miles and about 1,300 feet of elevation gain, it’s a perfect route for intermediate recreational riders and takes about two hours to complete. It’s entirely on quiet roads with little traffic, winding through rolling hills, open countryside, picturesque farms and several lakes.

Along the way, you’ll pass a couple of farmstands that are worth a quick visit. There is only one hill that might be described as steep, but it is quite short — probably less than a quarter-mile.

Keep ReadingShow less
Taking on Tanglewood

Aerial view of The Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass.

Provided

Now is the perfect time to plan ahead for symphonic music this summer at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Here are a few highlights from the classical programming.

Saturday, July 5: Shed Opening Night at 8 p.m. Andris Nelsons conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra as Daniil Trifonov plays piano in an All-Rachmaninoff program. The Piano Concerto No. 3 was completed in 1909 and was written specifically to be debuted in the composer’s American tour, at another time of unrest and upheaval in Russia. Trifonev is well-equipped to take on what is considered among the most technically difficult piano pieces. This program also includes Symphonic Dances, a work encapsulating many ideas and much nostalgia.

Keep ReadingShow less
James H. Fox

SHARON — James H. Fox, resident of Sharon, passed away on May 30, 2025, at Vassar Brothers Hospital.

Born in New York, New York, to Herbert Fox and Margaret Moser, James grew up in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. He spent his summers in Gaylordsville, Connecticut, where he developed a deep connection to the community.

Keep ReadingShow less