Helpful Odds and Ends
Absentee Ballots
If you have not returned your absentee ballot yet, please drop it off as soon as possible in the secured drop-box located outside your Town Hall. Please do not risk having your ballot arrive late by putting it in the mail. Given that election Day is less than one week away, the safest option is to use the drop-box. And if you requested an absentee ballot but have decided instead to vote in person on Nov. 3, I recommend bringing the blank ballot with you. Please bring your own black or blue pen, and wear a mask.
Wondering about the status of your absentee ballot? You can check HERE to see if it has been processed. (Please note that if the information gives only the date your ballot application was processed, your actual ballot has not yet been received or processed by your town clerk.)
Calling All Landlords
I understand that landlords have been hit hard by the pandemic. The Governor's Office, in conjunction with the Department of Housing and the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, is asking you to fill out a survey so the government, using your responses, can craft policies that benefit both renters and landlords.
Click HERE to take the survey.
And if you are in need of housing assistance, the Temporary Rental Housing Assistance Program has been relaunched to help residents affected by COVID-19. Submissions can be accepted online or over the phone. Call 860-785-3111 or go online HERE.
Covid-19 Update
Infection rates continue to climb throughout the state (currently at an overall positivity rate of over 4%), with the highest rates of new infections appearing in Eastern Connecticut. This is a very troubling trend, and I am once again asking you to be mindful of social distancing, the importance of wearing a mask, and not giving in to a false sense of security -- the biggest culprits right now seem to be small gatherings with family and friends not living in your household.
Out of four colored zones that indicate relative severity of infection rates, the towns of Chester and Deep River continue to be in the "orange" zone (the second-highest) based on a metric of cases per 100,000 population. The Dept. of Public Health uses this metric to more accurately assess danger; 10 cases in a town of 3,000 is a higher infection rate than 10 cases in a city of 100,000. Haddam and Essex are coded "yellow," which is the third safest out of four zones. For more information and helpful resources, go to the State DPH website by clicking HERE.