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Election Day is tomorrow (Tuesday, November 2). Here is what you need to know, courtesy of Westport’s official town website:
Are you registered to vote? Click here to check your current status. If your are voting by Absentee Ballot, this tool will also tell you if we’ve received your Absentee Ballot.
Do you still need to register to vote? Click here to register.
Missed registration deadlines? You can register on Election Day at Town Hall. Here’s how.
November 2nd Election Sample ballots
Need to check where to vote? Use the State Voter Registration Lookup Tool.
Election voting districts can be viewed here.
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Election Day is — as noted above — tomorrow. Yesterday was Halloween.
But it’s not too early for Christmas.
Anthropologie wins the race for earliest trees.
A welcome sight? Or absurdly early? Click “Comments” below.
(Photo/JC Martin)
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George Billis Gallery’s next show — a group event with 5 artists, working in watercolor, acrylic and glass — runs from November 13 to December 5.
Featured artists include Russ Havard, Margery Gosnell-Qua, Abby Modell, Angela Rustici and Susan Stillman.
An opening reception is Saturday, November 13 (4 to 7 p.m.). For more information, click here.
“White Trees Spring” (Susan Stillman)
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Daniel Vener snapped today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo on Saturday.
He says: “This gull was trick-or-treating a bit early.”
(Photo/Daniel Vener)
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And finally … on this day in 1894 Buffalo Bill Cody, 15 Native American members of his traveling show, and Annie Oakley were filmed by Thomas Edison in his New Jersey studio.
Multiple opportunities to provide clarity and answers, on this blog, regarding BASIC POLICY have continuously failed. Can you please help by passing this along to the individual(s) who will provide the detailed answers, in a reply on this blog, in order to correct any misinformation? Thank you!
The Opportunity:
Mr. Scarice, Westport Town Public Officials and Westport Board of Education Members:
Vaccines are mandated for visitors to be permitted to enter Westport Public School Buildings? Is proof of negative COVID test an acceptable OPTION?
What is the policy for entering Westport Public School Buildings on Election Day this coming Tuesday?
Proof of vaccination OR proof of negative COVID test?
Please provide your comment and website link regarding the visitor policy for Westport Public Schools offering the OPTION of showing proof of a negative COVID-19 test to be permitted to enter Westport Public School Buildings.
Clarification is needed regarding the policy during:
1. Active school hours.
2. After-school hours for school events such as sports, concerts and thespian audiences.
3. After-school hours for groups who use the indoor space for non-school related events.
4. Election Days
Proof of vaccination OR proof of negative COVID test?
(Hospitals are offering the OPTION for visitors to either show proof of vaccination OR proof of negative COVID test within 72 hours).
Where is the policy located?
PLEASE clear up the confusion and any misinformation.
Mr. Woog:
In addition, this topic would be an excellent opportunity for Mr. Woog to cover the vistor policy facts and details in a separate, new 06880 blog post, afterwards. I’m certain that all would be very appreciative of Mr. Woog’s efforts!
Hi, it seems from the many repeated postings of this comment, that you’re uncertain of where to find this data. (Dan isn’t under any obligation to make posts that cover a specific topic, but I found that most of what you are asking is easily found in the school district and town websites. Let me google those for you.) If you have questions that are still unanswered after you peruse the copious documentation provided, I suggest you call the offices, as the town staff is ALWAYS helpful and generous with their knowledge.
https://www.westportct.gov/government/departments-a-z/town-clerk-s-office/election-information
https://www.facebook.com/westportct.gov
https://www.westportps.org/departments/health-services/covid-19
https://www.westportps.org/site-map
https://www.westportps.org/district/contact-us
*Note that Dan also helpfully includes many links to these and other local sites on the right hand side of the desktop version of his page.
If this isn’t a sincere request for help and is Sealioning, I’m afraid none of us will be able to assist you. Have a fabulous day and good luck with your voting tomorrow.
Just speculating but I imagine what Mr Washington is really asking is whether someone that is unvaccinated and, perhaps, unmasked will be denied their right to vote due to inability to enter the polling place. I can’t imagine that Westport would engage in voter suppression of any nature much less over vaccines, but (if that is what he was trying to get at) it is a valid question that should have a simple answer. Someone must have considered the possibility.
Now I’m sort of curious. Simply put: Can an unvaxxed, unmasked, untested registered voter vote at their assigned polling place tomorrow in Westport notwithstanding normal building access restrictions?
Thank you, Mr. Strittmatter, for expressing your curiosity regarding one of the four scenarios. Very appreciative.
The website links you have so graciously provided do not clarify the vistor policy and requirements to be permitted to enter Westport Public School Buildings. Where is this policy located and why haven’t Westport Town Public Officials provided clarification in order to correct any misinformation?
Clarification is needed regarding the policy during:
1. Active school hours.
2. After-school hours for school events such as sports, concerts and thespian audiences.
3. After-school hours for groups who use the indoor space for non-school related events.
4. Election Days
Proof of vaccination OR proof of negative COVID test?
Mr. Washington:
While schools are used as polling places, the elections aren’t administered by the schools.
Can I suggest that you contact Town Hall – maybe someone in the Town Clerk’s office can help you, as they are abundantly helpful – they can at least forward your call to the person who knows the answer?
I’d take my vaccination card, just in case. If I didn’t have a vaccination card, I would provide proof of a negative test taken within 48-hours of election day (as 48-hours tends to be the window that I see for others with an either/or requirement).
Ms. Thibault – thank you for introducing me to the term “sealioning!” I suspect it is, but we can play along, to show how easy it is to inform oneself, if one has a genuine concern.
I don’t have an answer for you when school is in session and the buildings are occupied by students, but on Election Day, voters and poll workers will be required to wear a mask in the school buildings: the same requirements as last election. If you don’t have your own mask, one will be provided for you. People who refuse to mask will not be allowed to enter the building, but will be offered an alternative method of voting by the polling place monitor that does not require building entry.
I learned this specific info from poll worker training, and am not sure where, if anywhere, it is published. There was no mention at this training of vaccination status or tests, leading to the reasonable assumption that it’s not part of the entry procedures. I have not looked, but I imagine this information may not published anywhere because if you show up without any of these things (a mask, a vaccination card or a test result) it is not going to deprive you of the opportunity to vote. There are procedures in place to make sure everyone who is registered to vote can do so.
Hope that helps as far as tomorrow’s voting is concerned.
Thank you all for your helpful comments.
Many people, from Westport and surrounding towns, enjoy attending the plentiful, wonferful concerts, plays and sporting events located in Westport Public School Buildings.
The frustration is in the inability for the general public to conveniently and readily locate the basic visitor policy regarding requirements for entry to these events. This includes the unfortunate lack of visibility on each venue’s website.
In this ever-changing climate of COVID, shouldn’t current public policy be fully transparent?
Bottom line: Is a negative COVID test, within 72 hours, sufficient proof to be permitted entry?
Seems like you have your answer, at least for voting. No test needed. Just a mask and if you forget, one will be provided and if you don’t want to wear a mask you will be accommodated.
As for the rest, at this point, you do seem to be “sealioning”. It’s not terribly becoming.
Not appreciative of your incorrect accusation.
I am sincere and seeking clarity in public town policy.
Probably should ask the town then. That probably would be more effective if you really want an answer. I don’t recall them often responding to questions raise in comments on Dan’s blog.
You aren’t the slightest bit sincere. You’re a troll. If you had been genuinely concerned you would simply have taken advantage of easy absentee voting procedures. But you would prefer to play dumb, as if there is some conspiracy aimed at you and you alone.
Your accusation is axiomatically fallacious. You obviously haven’t read all my comments.
Thank you again, Kerry, for your genuine and kind replies and for taking the time and having the interest to provide sensible direction regarding all four scenarios, not only the Election Day scenario.
My hope is that Mr. Scarice, Superintendent of Westport Public Schools, will take note of the user friendly website of Fairfield Public Schools, particularly the readily available and easily located “Superintendent’s Message” which contains the current policy for visitors and volunteers, updated as needed from Mr. Mike Cummings, Superintendent of Fairfield Public Schools. The Superintendent’s Message also conveniently displays the links to the policies and regulations for visitors and volunteers.
News – Fairfield Public Schools
https://www.fairfieldschools.org/district-information/news
I don’t think you are going to get what you’re asking for precisely because this is — as you say — ever changing. A policy that works today for one event or location may not be necessary or sufficient for another, so you’re probably not going to find a “basic” visitor policy for any venue.
Most school events that I have seen advertised have made very clear the policy for attendance in their advertising and at the point of purchase for ticketed events. For example, the high school theatre program’s ticketing platform makes clear that audience members must provide “proof of vaccine or proof of negative covid test within 72 hours” and “patrons must be masked.” If there is a specific event you have a question about where the advertising does not provide that information, call the school and they will direct you to someone who can answer your question.
Thank you for your kindly worded response, Kerry. What you say makes sense.
It is, however, still quite frustrating for the visitor policy to be unable to conveniently and readily locate on numerous town links, unlike Fairfield School District where the “Superintendent’s Message” icon leads to his updated guidelines, dated 10/27, titled: “Visitors and Volunteers”. It includes the guidelines for active school hours and after-school hours for various activities and events.
News – Fairfield Public Schools
https://www.fairfieldschools.org/district-information/news
The Fairfield Superintendent’s guidelines for visitors and volunteers take into account the current COVID climate and will be updated regularly and/or as needed. The Fairfield School District website is extremely user friendly.
Thank you again, Kerry, for your genuine and kind replies and for taking the time and having the interest to provide sensible direction regarding all four scenarios, not only the Election Day scenario.
My hope is that Mr. Scarice, Superintendent of Westport Public Schools, will take note of the user friendly website of Fairfield Public Schools, particularly the readily available and easily located “Superintendent’s Message” which contains the current policy for visitors and volunteers, updated as needed from Mr. Mike Cummings, Superintendent of Fairfield Public Schools. The Superintendent’s Message also conveniently displays the links to the policies and regulations for visitors and volunteers.
News – Fairfield Public Schools
https://www.fairfieldschools.org/district-information/news
Chris, I emailed you 2 days ago requesting that you stop commenting multiple times on this topic. You have made your points. All further comments from you on this topic will be deleted.
Oh. I did see your email, Mr. Woog. You wrote it yesterday morning at 10:36 a.m., four minutes before Elizabeth responded to me, but I read your email after I already replied back to Elizabeth. So, from that moment forward, I made certain to only post my comments as a reply to the various individuals who wrote directly to me, as indicated by the above threads. Was that ok?
I very much appreciate Kerry’s discussion with me. Your blog provided the opportunity for that to occur.
Yes. But it seems everyone has had their say on this particular topic now. Thank you.
My father’s Aunt was the daughter of Thomas Edison. I Met her in her NY apt on her birthday when I was 16 and she was 85! Aunt Madelaine.
My older brother and sister knew her much better than I. They went around in her boat a few times.
Juliana: so, in 1968 you were at the Cream concert at Staples—for which you might have the only original poster of—and you were at the 85th bday party for Thomas Edison’s daughter? It seems that a fascinating short story could be written about that!
I was at the Staples Cream concert in 1968. The only connection I have to Thomas Edison is I went to his museum in Fort Myers Florida, and I went with a friend of mine from Weston, Steve Gjuresko, who had moved to Florida, I think it was 1978 or 79, not sure.
I was at the Cream concert at Staples in 1968 too. My only connection to Thomas Edison is that I use electricity often, and used to listen to phonograph records.