Connecticut votes blue as Americans await final count in tense presidential race
A record number of Connecticut voters cast a ballot and extended the Democratic majority in General Assembly. Also, a look at the state's top campaign donors and reflections from first time voters.
The election saga continues. Americans and the world wait anxiously to find out who will be the next president of the United States.
In this week’s edition of Crash Course, we talked with UConn students about their first-time voting experiences and caught up with local journalists about their election day coverage. We also looked at the results of state and congressional races, record-breaking voter turnout and Connecticut campaign contributions.
Keep reading to learn about some notable ballot measures approved in other states. Check out our headline roundup for the latest election updates. We’ve got a conversation starter suggestion, too, about the proposal to make ‘no excuse’ absentee voting a permanent option in Connecticut.
Democrats win big in Connecticut
Ashley Anglisano writes: The blue wall held in Connecticut. Former Vice President Joe Biden won all of Connecticut’s electoral college votes on Tuesday. All five Democratic incumbents in Connecticut’s congressional delegation were reelected. And in Mansfield, Democrats gained reelection in local contests.
Photo by Ashley Anglisano
Democrats did well in the Connecticut General Assembly, too, and picked up seats in the state House from places like Farmington Valley and Fairfield, the shoreline and Waterbury. They lost some seats in Eastern Connecticut.
In the state Senate, Democrats held on to their 22 seats and won two more from Republicans.
Congressional Democratic incumbents John Larson, Joe Courtney, Rosa L. DeLauro, Jim Himes and Jahana Hayes all won reelection. Hayes and DeLauro both narrowly won by 10% and 14% respectively.
In Mansfield, Democrat Mae Flexer won the 29th senatorial district. Gregg Haddad, a Democrat who ran unopposed, won the 54th house district, and Democrat Brian Smith won the 48th house district.
The Connecticut Secretary of the State’s office reported a 77% voter turnout rate. Despite heavy and steady voter turnout, there were few if any reports of trouble at Connecticut polling places on Election Day.
Biden received 1,027,956 votes or 58.33% of Connecticut’s vote. Republican incumbent President Donald Trump received 704,381 votes from Connecticut. Biden won all seven of Connecticut’s electoral college votes.
Voter turnout: By the numbers
Allison O’Donnell writes: Young voters (18-29 years old) are reported as more active in this election than in the 2016 presidential election, according to NPR. Democratic data firm TargetSmart reports 6 million young voters cast early ballots —triple 2016’s total of 2 million.
Joe Biden and President Trump surpassed the most votes by any candidate to ever run for president. As of Friday morning, the tally showed 73.5 million Americans voted for Biden, while 69.6 million cast ballots for Trump. Both candidates blew past the previous record of 69.5 million for Barack Obama in 2008.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, mail-in voting drastically increased this election. The U.S. Election Project reports about 60 of 160 million voters participated by mail. Based on those statistics, the 2020 election is projected to have the highest voter turnout by mail than any other election.
Mail-in voting was not a flawless system, though. The Washington Post reported thousands of ballots missed Election Day deadlines. USPS was ordered by a federal judge to conduct a sweep in 15 states to rectify the issue.
Different states had different absentee and mail-in voting policies for the 2020 race, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Connecticut chose to expand absentee ballot eligibility in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Absentee ballots from Connecticut voters had to be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Data Sources: AP VoteCast data, U.S. Elections Project at University of Florida, USPS Press Release
‘Empowering,’ ‘outstanding’ and ‘momentous’: Reflections on #Election2020 from first-time voters, local journalists
“Voting in my first presidential election was an outstanding experience, made even more exciting by record turnout and the campaign volunteers I worked with throughout the day. I’m confident that Joe Biden will be our next president, and I’m proud to say that we’ve expanded our majorities here in Connecticut. I believe college students played a key role in these victories. We made calls, knocked doors, and registered our peers. By all indications youth turnout is driving Democratic victories across the board.”
- Michael Cerulli, President of CT College Democrats and UConn student
“Casting my first vote in a presidential election felt empowering, especially during such a consequential year. Even though Connecticut is far from a swing state, the ability to take my opinion to paper and vote for the candidate I believe in felt impactful. I’m grateful to be able to democratically participate.” —EmmaKate Foley, UConn Senior Political Science and Communications Major
“My voting experience was simultaneously momentous and anti-climatic. I got up relatively early in the morning (for a college student at least) at 9 a.m. to go vote at the Mansfield Community Center. I was expecting a long line, and I had come prepared wearing layers to brace myself for standing in the cold. When I got to the polls though, there was no line. I walked in and was back outside in about 5 minutes. In that way, my experience was nothing memorable. Despite this, I could feel the weight of the moment on my shoulders as I filled in my ballot. This election is unlike anything I’ve seen in my short life so far, and it was surreal that this was the first presidential election I was eligible to vote in. I may have been in and out of the polls in about 5 minutes, but I came out feeling like I had entered a different world.” —UConn senior Journalism and Geoscience Major Ben Crnic
“I think people have more hope right now, just from seeing the numbers. Whereas in the 2016 election, Trump had really surpassed Hillary Clinton’s numbers, so a lot of that anger was building up until the announcement was made. Here, we’re seeing it very differently because Biden only needs a few more electoral votes, so the momentum is ongoing. There is more positivity during this time, even though it’s during the pandemic and we’re still waiting and it’s a big waiting game.” —WTNH News 8 reporter Amber Diaz, covering the Biden campaign in Wilmington, Delaware.
“You have to be exact and on the ball because sometimes, you’re the only one on the scene to get the numbers. No one’s checking your totals so you have to make sure you get it right the first time.” —UConn Journalism and Spanish major Kate Ariano, who called in voting totals from Monroe, Connecticut for the Associated Press
“When I was out in Mansfield, I saw a lot of people waiting to vote, and they were easily able to move people in and out. It seemed like a lot of people were enthusiastic about their right to vote and talking about their right to vote. It’s not that they don't care about COVID; a lot of people said they cared about it. Their ability to vote is that important to them, they have to get the vote in. Especially if their ballot was lost in the mail. One couple even told me they hadn't seen their grandkids in person since March, and were getting ready to see them during the holidays over FaceTime. They really felt they had to get out there and vote.” —WNPR reporter Frankie Graziano on covering the polls on Election Day
Ballot questions could signal a shift in American society’s view of drugs and more
Mike Mavredakis writes: The 2020 election included a handful of state-level ballot questions about recreational drugs, the gig economy and other issues.
Drugs: Oregon voters approved a ballot measure that decriminalized possession of small amounts of a number of hard drugs—cocaine, heroin, oxycodone and methamphetamines. They also approved Measure 110, applying the sales tax from marijuana sales to help addicts pay for rehabilitation services.
Both New Jersey and Arizona approved the recreational use of marijuana in-state. South Dakota approved recreational and medicinal use.
Connecticut lawmakers said that they are considering the legalization of recreational marijuana on a regional basis now that many neighboring states have done it. Medicinal marijuana is already legal in Connecticut.
Montana has legalized marijuana as well, for adults over the age of 21. They also established a 20% sales tax on the sale of recreational marijuana. However, they are allowing counties to ban dispensaries through a public vote.
Mississippi approved an initiative to allow for the medicinal use of marijuana for 22 different debilitating ailments.
Abortion: In two states presented voters with abortion-related ballot questions and the results showed starkly divided opinion.
A majority of Louisiana voters agreed to add language to their state constitution stating there is no right to abortion or public funding for abortion. Meanwhile, Colorado voters rejected a provision banning abortion in pregnancies after the 22nd week.
Connecticut has had the language of Roe v. Wade legalizing the right to an abortion written into its state constitution since 1990.
Minimum wage and labor: By a margin of 60% to 40%, Florida voters decided to increase the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by Sept. 2026. The measure is similar to Connecticut’s gradual wage increase legislation from May 2019. Florida’s minimum wage will rise a dollar each year until 2026.
In California, 58% of voters sided with companies such as Uber and Lyft to prevent the state from enacting a local labor law that would have forced companies to provide basic benefits—such as health insurance, minimum wage, overtime and reimbursement for expenses—to independent contractors. Policymakers in other states are now expected to take up their own “gig economy” labor reforms.
Who in Connecticut donated the most money during the 2020 election?
Ben Crnic writes: According to the Center for Responsive Politics, less than 1 percent of Americans donate more than $200 to political campaigns or committees. Here in Connecticut, though, there are many big-dollar political donors. Several wealthy Connecticut residents gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to political committees during the general election months of June to October 2020. These donors are owners of vast fortunes. Here are the top 5:
1. Stephen Frank Mandel Jr.
The top donor in Connecticut during the general election, Mandel is the founder of the hedge fund Lone Pine Capital and is estimated to be worth $2.8 billion according to Forbes. During the general election, he mostly donated to The Lincoln Project, a committee formed by former Republicans which aims to prevent the reelection of President Donald Trump.
2. Thomas E. McInerny
McInerny leads the Westport-based private equity firm Bluff Point Associates. He gave about $300,000 to the Senate Leadership Fund, a Super PAC dedicated to keeping the Republican Senate Majority, in addition to other committees funding Republicans.
3. Linda E. McMahon
A former Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Connecticut and wife of World Wrestling Entertainment founder Vince McMahon, McMahon gave over $500,000 to the America First Action Super PAC. This organization supports President Trump and is led by McMahon herself.
4. Leonard Bell
Bell is the retired founder of Alexion, one of Connecticut’s most successful bioscience companies. Leonard donated more than $400,000 between June and October. the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee received about $100,000 of his donations to support Democratic House candidates.
5. David W. Blood
A Greenwich resident, Blood donated just over $400,000 to both the Biden Action Fund and the Democratic National Committee from June to October.
Data via Federal Elections Commission. Graphic made with Tableau Public.
Conversation Starter: Should Connecticut allow 'no excuse' absentee voting in future elections?
Fiona Brady writes: More than 25% of Connecticut voters chose to submit absentee ballots in this year’s presidential election. Under a temporary policy that came in response to the coronavirus pandemic, all Connecticut voters were given the option to mail in their ballot or vote in-person on Election Day.
The state House of Representatives voted in July to loosen the tight limitations on absentee voting, redefining the “sickness” excuse to cover the COVID-19 pandemic. Secretary of the State Denise Merrill announced Wednesday that she will propose an amendment to the Connecticut Constitution to allow ‘no excuse’ absentee voting in future elections.
Connecticut is one of six states to require in-person voting unless a voter has an acceptable excuse. In order to change the state constitution, both chambers of the legislature must approve the resolution with a 75% majority in 2021 and then it would be decided by Connecticut voters in 2022.
Some questions:
How much trust do you have in the vote-by-mail process?
Do you think voting by mail increases the risk of electoral fraud?
As we watch the controversy over mail-in voting play out in the 2020 election, do you think there are any changes that need to be made to the mail-in system?
Do you think it’s time for Connecticut to allow for ‘no excuse’ absentee voting?
Talk about it with your friends and family! 🗣🗯
In case you missed it
A roundup of #Election2020 headlines:
-The 2020 Presidential Election has not yet been called, with four major swing states still up for grabs. At the time of publishing, former Vice President Joe Biden is up in Georgia, Pennsylvania and Arizona. President Donald Trump is up in North Carolina. [New York Times]
-COVID-19 rates are soaring across the country, including in Connecticut where more than half the state is now in a “red-alert” advisory. [Hartford Courant]
-On the day after the election, the United States formally left the Paris Agreement — a pact signed by multiple countries in 2015 to help combat climate change. [Associated Press]
-Amid other incidents of post-election unrest, protests broke out at polling stations counting absentee ballots in Arizona and Detroit. [CBS News] [MSNBC]
-An AP VoteCast poll found that only 32% of Connecticut residents feel the U.S. is “on the right path.” [Hartford Courant]
-Three national TV networks — ABC, CBS and NBC — cut away from President Donald Trump’s press conference Thursday after Trump said a number of false statements casting doubt on the legitimacy of the election [New York Times]
-Trump has had multiple election-related tweets tagged for disinformation by Twitter since Tuesday, including four on Thursday night. [Business Insider]
That’s it for this week’s Crash Course! Keep an eye out for next week as we breakdown the election results (and any legal challenges) with experts, and examine the issues the Connecticut legislature plans to tackle with a new generation of leadership.
Crash Course is reported, written and produced by UConn Journalism majors Ashley Anglisano, Fiona Brady, Ben Crnic, Mike Mavredakis and Allison O’Donnell, under the guidance of Associate Professor Marie K. Shanahan. Read more about us »
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