Presidential Primary Hotline Ready to Assist Voters

Hartford: Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill is alerting members of the public to use the State's 866-SEEC-INFO hotline or to email elections@ct.gov<mailto:elections@ct.gov> if they encounter any problems at the polls. The hotline and email address will be monitored between 6:00 am and 8:00 pm by the State Election Enforcement Commission and the Secretary of the State's office. Merrill said, "We need to hear from you if something is not working as it should. Please let us know if you encounter any problems. Your vote must be counted. There is no acceptable margin for error on Election Day. None. We are grateful to the State Election Enforcement Commission for working with us on this valuable service." "We count on the public as much as we do election workers to report problems," said Michael J. Brandi, Executive Director and General Counsel of the State Elections Enforcement Commission. "Anyone with knowledge of election fraud or voting rights abuses is encouraged to call to report suspected violations. We will have the phones fully staffed to answer questions, advise on complaint procedures and, if appropriate, request the assistance of state criminal or federal law enforcement authorities." Voters who utilize the hotline or email may report concerns anonymously, but are asked to state the town and polling place where the problem is occurring and provide as many details as possible. This will enable SEEC and the Secretary of the State's staff to attend to the situation and find a solution in a timely manner. In addition to the email and telephone hotline, the Secretary of the State's office and SEEC will hold two separate conference calls during the day on Tuesday to share information about potential problems or complaints at the polls, and coordinate the appropriate response. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on April 26 for registered Republicans and Democrats. Voters should go to myvote.ct.gov<http://www.sots.ct.gov/sots/cwp/view.asp?a=3179&q=563118> to confirm that they are registered to vote, locate their polling places and check what type of identification to bring with them to the polls.