Letter: May 12 is party time for those wishing to vote in primary

To the Editor:

On Feb. 18, Connecticut became the 15th state in the United States to enable eligible voters to register online.

With the August 12 primary elections a little more than three months away, take a moment to make sure you are registered with the party in whose primary you plan to vote.  Only registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic primary; only registered Republicans can vote in the Republican primary.  There is a 90-day waiting period to change party affiliation and be eligible to vote in the primary, so May 12 is the last day to change parties.  Unaffiliated voters, however, have until noon Aug. 11 to register their party choice (in person) and be eligible to vote in the primary.

Regardless of whether you wish to vote in the August primary, you can use Connecticut’s online voter registration if you’re an American citizen, will be 18 or older by Election Day, and hold a valid Connecticut driver’s license, learner’s permit or other ID issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles.  This includes not just registering but also updating your voter registration information, and it can be done quickly and conveniently from your home computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone.  The link to the new voter registration feature can be reached on the Secretary of the State’s website or the League of Women Voters of Connecticut website.

The launch of Connecticut’s online voter registration system marks a positive step forward into the digital age and offers a way to increase voter access and participation by underrepresented groups — minorities, our men and women serving their country in the military, senior citizens, and, of course, young first-time voters.  Since 1920, the League of Women Voters’ work has evolved from winning the right to vote for women to ensuring that ALL eligible voters have the opportunity they need to register to vote easily and to participate in their democracy.  We applaud this new initiative — a very positive step forward for our state and for our community!

Elsa Peterson Obuchowski

Elsa Peterson Obuchowski is a Steering Committee member, League of Women Voters of Norwalk