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Candidates propose ending gerrymandering, expanding access and recruiting diverse candidates to boost turnout
Summary
On voting rights and civic engagement at the Hartford debate, candidates urged nonpartisan redistricting, early voting, no‑excuse absentee ballots and recruiting candidates who reflect communities to increase participation before the Aug. 11 primary.
Candidates addressed low turnout and barriers to participation. Luke Bronin called for ending gerrymandering and re‑engaging disaffected voters; Ruth Fortune said the best way to increase participation is to allow more people to seek office and to have candidates who "look like them and have lived like them." Jillian Gilchrist highlighted Connecticut achievements — early voting and no‑excuse absentee voting — and called for nonpartisan redistricting; John Larson emphasized citizen responsibility and commended organizations like the League of Women Voters for registering voters.
Why it matters: Voter access proposals directly affect who can participate in the August primary. Several candidates linked turnout strategies to broader policy goals, arguing that more representative candidacies and accessible voting infrastructure are mutually reinforcing.
