Polls will open across the City of Middletown for residents to vote in municipal elections from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Voters will elect the mayor, Common Council, Board of Education, Board of Assessment Appeals, Planning and Zoning Commission, and Planning and Zoning Commission alternate, in addition to voting on a budget question.

As a part of its facilitation of community engagement, the Jewett Center for Community Partnerships (JCCP) will provide support to student voters on Election Day, and the University will host a polling location at Beckham Hall in Fayerweather.

How To Vote in the Elections

All U.S. citizens at least 18 years of age on or before Election Day are eligible to vote with a Middletown address and valid photo ID. Students can register to vote on the same day with the University’s address or their individual residence’s address. It is legal to be registered to vote in multiple states, but voters may only vote in one state. Students should present a voter verification letter—which can be found in WesPortal and does not need to be printed—to election officials, and they can use their WesIDs as a valid photo ID, according to Assistant Director of the JCCP Diana Martinez.

Although Beckham Hall will be one of 12 polling locations across Middletown, voters will not be able to register to vote onsite on Nov. 7. The JCCP will provide shuttle service for students from Fayerweather to registration locations at Macdonough Elementary School at 66 Spring St., Snow Elementary School at 299 Wadsworth St., and the Middletown City Hall at 245 deKoven Dr. The shuttle service will run from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 7, according to a campus-wide email sent by Martinez.

Although the JCCP encourages voter engagement, the University does not consider Election Day a holiday for students, faculty, or staff. The University encourages employees to vote outside of working hours or via absentee ballot.

“Because polling places in Connecticut are generally open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., employees are encouraged to either vote by mail or vote in person during hours outside the workday,” the University’s Human Resources website states. “If those options are not possible, employees must request time off prior to the date of the election to arrange for the use of available vacation time or unpaid time off.”

A list of polling locations can be found on the Middletown government website.

Overview of the Candidates

The municipal elections are held every four years, notably including mayoral elections. Additionally, voters elect representatives to a number of councils and boards as a part of municipal elections, including the Common Council, Board of Education, Board of Assessment Appeals, and Planning and Zoning Commission.

In this mayoral election, Democratic candidate and incumbent mayor Ben Florsheim ’14, who garnered 82% of the vote in the primary against former Councilman Ed Ford Jr., will face Republican candidate Councilman Mike Marino. Florsheim was first elected as mayor in 2019.

The Common Council is Middletown’s legislative body and sets the city budget. The Common Council consists of 12 members, and eight of these positions are up for election. The Democratic candidates are Vinnie Loffredo, Darnell Ford, Grady L. Faulkner Jr., Jeanette Blackwell, Kelly Sweeney, Anthony Mangiafico, Eugene Nocera, and Steven Kovach. The Republican candidates are Bill Wilson, Jon Pulino, Leslie A. Spatola, Anthony Gennaro Sr., Linda Salafia, Callie Grippo, Deborah Kleckowski, and Nigel Macon-Wilson.

The Board of Education determines overarching policies for Middletown school districts. The Board of Education consists of nine members, and five are up for election. The Democratic candidates are Susan Owens, Sheila Daniels, Rakim Grant, Elizabeth Crooks, and Harold Panciera. The Republican candidates are Bill Wilson, Adam Hayn, Nigel Macon-Wilson, Deborah Kleckowski, and Morgan Monarca.

The Board of Assessment Appeals is a three-member committee that meets annually in March to hear appeals from taxpayers. Two positions are up for election. The Democratic candidates are Anita C. Schofield and Rebecca McClanahan. The Republican candidates are Robin Goss and Shawn Paradis.

The Planning and Zoning Commission consists of seven voting members in addition to three alternate voting members. Four voting members and two alternate voting members will be elected. The Democratic candidates for voting members are Nathaniel Spencer, Thomas Pattavina, Christina Pen, and Elizabeth Emery. The Republican candidates are Bill Perkins, Morgan Monarca, Tyler Eckstrom, and Marcus Fazzino. For alternate voting, the Democratic candidates are Alan Cunningham and John Carlson, and Republican candidates are Bill Perkins and Marcus Fazzino.

In addition to these representatives, voters will also vote on a budget question concerning a new boathouse along the Connecticut riverfront. The current boathouse does not have enough space for the teams using it, needs repairs, lacks heating, and is inaccessible. The boathouse building committee has worked on replacing the current boathouse for seven years, planning a larger and improved boathouse. The new 12,000 square-foot boathouse would include new locker rooms and bathrooms, an updated workout space, and bays for the boats.

“Shall the $13,500,000 appropriation and bond authorization for the planning, design, construction, renovation, furnishing and equipping of a new boathouse and renovations to the existing John Smith Boathouse be approved?” the question reads.

For more information, visit the University’s voter registration page. 

Gabrielle McIntosh can be reached at gmcintosh@wesleyan.edu.

Carolyn Neugarten can be reached at cneugarten@wesleyan.edu.