Resident raises questions about proposed regional registrar role at NECCOG meeting

Susan Woodward, Woodstock Registrar of Voters, used the public-participation period at the Northeastern Connecticut Council of Governments meeting on March 4 to press for details about a proposed regional elector/registrar position. "How many hours or months? Part time? Who will define what this person does and tasks?" she asked, seeking clarity on qualifications, duties and oversight.

John Filchak, NECCOG's executive director, responded that NECCOG had issued a job announcement using a Secretary of State description and that the position would be part time and funded at under $10,000 by the Secretary of State's office. Filchak said it remained unclear whether the individual would be an employee of NECCOG or of the state, and that the Secretary of State's office currently has control over the posting and position. He said NECCOG was working with other regional councils of governments (COGs) on the matter and that the arrangement and the working relationship between the regional registrar and individual towns had not yet been finalized.

Woodward also asked whether a person would be in place in time for the presidential primary in April and whether NECCOG would have oversight procedures; Filchak replied that the issue is a work in progress and that NECCOG was still seeking clarification on oversight and timing.

Why it matters: Registrars and election operations are typically run at the town or municipal level in Connecticut. Woodward framed her questions as concerns about how a regional approach would affect town-level responsibilities and oversight. The meeting record does not show a formal decision or next step beyond the staff's statement that the position and its relationship to towns are unresolved.

Next steps: Filchak indicated NECCOG had received applicants and was seeking clarification; no formal motion or vote about the position was recorded during the meeting.