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Shelton aldermen accept $18,321.52 state grant for early voting; officials say it won’t cover full cost
Summary
The Shelton Board of Aldermen voted to accept an $18,321.52 grant from the Connecticut Secretary of the State to support early voting and authorized an official to sign the agreement. Councilors and residents warned the grant will not fully cover implementation costs, which were estimated at $35,000–$40,000.
Shelton aldermen voted to accept a grant agreement from the Connecticut Secretary of the State totaling $18,321.52 to support early voting in the city and authorized Mark A. Loretti to sign documents to effectuate the agreement.
The vote followed a motion to accept the grant and a brief exchange with the registrar of voters, who was invited to comment on the implementation. Resident Rich Stern questioned whether the grant amount would be sufficient, saying, “I want to go on the record of saying that’s a lot of money,” and that the change to early voting represented an added expense for Shelton citizens.
A respondent and other attendees indicated the full local cost of early voting is likely to be about $35,000 to $40,000, and that the $18,321.52 award would not cover the total cost. The chair and members noted the award is contingent on the legislative body approving the application and that state law sometimes requires local governments to fund implementation when statewide rules change.
Supporters framed the grant as an opportunity to offset local expenses and to align Shelton with the state’s election administration. Opponents and some residents focused on municipal costs and the shift from a longstanding single voting day.
The board called the question and members voted in favor; the transcript records ayes and no recorded oppositions. The approval authorizes staff to apply for and accept the grant and to execute related documents, though board members and commenters flagged that additional local funding would likely be needed to fully implement early voting.
Next steps: staff will apply for the grant funds and proceed with implementation steps required by the Secretary of the State’s office. The transcript does not record a detailed implementation timeline or a specific local funding plan for the remaining estimated costs.
