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06/22/2021 03:30 PMAs hard it is to believe, election season is once again gearing up. Old Saybrook residents will learn who the endorsed candidates are after the party caucuses scheduled for next month.
While the contentious 2020 Presidential Election is no doubt fresh in the minds of many residents, 2021 is the election year for those seeking municipal offices. While local elections don’t draw the same level of attention and media coverage as presidential and gubernatorial elections, they arguably have the most significant impact on the day-to-day lives of town residents.
For example, this upcoming election will determine which party will have a majority on the Board of Selectmen, allowing them to set the direction of town governance; it will determine who will serve on the Police Commission that provides oversight to the Police Department; it will determine who will serve on the Board of Education which sets the curriculum for students: and it will decide who gets a seat on the planning and zoning commissions, where members get a say in deciding what kinds of developments can or can’t come into town. It’s likely that all of those positions will make policy decisions over the next term that will affect the lives of Old Saybrook residents for years to come.
The seats that will be contested this fall include first selectman, the town clerk, town treasurer, town tax collector, and members of the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, Board of Education, Board of Assessment Appeals, Planning Commission, Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, Police Commission, Park & Recreation Commission, and Harbor Management Commission.
While it’s still almost six months until people will turn up to wait in line to cast their vote, Election Day is already on the minds of the Democratic and Republican town committees, as well as election staff members.
Each town committee holds a caucus in late July where the party determines which members will be officially endorsed for candidacy the elected seats.
Old Saybrook Town Clerk Sarah Becker said that party endorsements are due to the clerk no later than 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 28. Should any member want to force a primary election of an endorsed candidate, Becker said primary forms must be filled out by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 11. Petition forms and other relevant information may be obtained from the Registrars of Voters.