Common Cause in Connecticut sponsored a nonpartisan issues forum for candidates for Secretary of the State last night, March 31st, 2022.

A recording of the forum is available here. 

All current candidates were invited to the nonpartisan forum. The following candidates participated:

• New Haven Alder Darryl Brackeen, Jr. (D)
• Representative Josh Elliot (D 88)
• Hartford Attorney Cynthia Jennings (I)
• Senator Matt Lesser (D 9)
• Representative Hilda Santiago (D 84)
• Representative Stephanie Thomas (D 143)

Issues covered during the forum included: foreign spending on state ballot referendums; the Connecticut Voting Rights Act; ranked-choice voting; implementation of early voting if approved by voters this November; risk-limiting audits; and voting while incarcerated.

All Secretary of the State candidates have also been asked to respond to the “Our Democracy 2022” questionnaire. Candidates’ answers are available here.  

Last month, 75 grassroots leaders and organizations sent a letter to General Assembly leaders urging them to pass a “Freedom to Vote Agenda” including

• banning foreign spending on state Ballot Referendums – coming up on the November 8, 2022 ballot question where voters will decide if our state will finally allow early voting;
• enacting a Connecticut Voting Rights Act to give Black, Brown and other voters of color additional protections against voter suppression; and
• creating a Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) task force to study the implementation of RCV for state, federal and municipal elections in Connecticut.

Read more about these legislative priorities here and read the letter to legislative leaders here.