Connecticut 2025 Election Turnout: Towns with Highest and Lowest Rates

This year’s 2025 local elections in Connecticut quietly made state history. Voter turnout hit its highest point in a decade.

People usually focus on presidential and gubernatorial races, but this time, local contests stole the show. Mayoral races in New Britain and Hamden, plus education seats in Hartford, drew more residents to the polls and shifted local political dynamics.

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Statewide Turnout Hits a Five-Cycle High

Across Connecticut, about 820,700 of more than 2.2 million registered voters cast ballots. Statewide turnout reached 36.4%.

That’s not huge compared to presidential years, but for local races, it’s the highest participation in five election cycles. Most towns fell in the middle, with turnout between 30% and 50%.

Some communities went far beyond that. When people in places like Lyme or East Granby feel the stakes, they show up.

Turnout Extremes: From Hartford to Lyme

At the low end, Hartford saw just 6.6% turnout. It’s not surprising, since voters there had only a Board of Education race—hardly the kind of contest that sparks big excitement.

On the other end, Lyme topped the state with a remarkable 66.1% turnout. That’s the kind of engagement you’d expect in a presidential year, not a local one.

Ten towns crossed the 50% line, including:

East Granby, which reached 59.5%

Bridgewater, with an even higher 63.2%

These numbers really stand out compared to turnout in bigger cities.

Big Cities Still Struggle to Engage Voters

Connecticut’s largest cities still face stubborn turnout gaps. In Bridgeport, only 14.8% of registered voters cast ballots.

Waterbury did a little better at 16.6%, but that’s still low. It’s a reminder that smaller towns tend to be more civically active, while cities wrestle with daily pressures and voter fatigue.

Even with statewide numbers rising, cities like New Haven and Stamford still have work to do. Outreach and trust-building remain tough but necessary tasks.

High-Profile Mayoral Races and Party Flips

This year’s higher turnout came from a handful of high-stakes mayoral races. Some towns had open seats or real competition for the first time in years, and voters responded.

In Westport, New Britain, Hamden, Ansonia, Stratford, and Milford, Democrats flipped seats that had been Republican since at least 2013. For local political watchers from Norwalk to Danbury, this wave signals changing attitudes in suburbs and small cities.

Westport and New Britain See Turnout Surge

Turnout in Westport climbed from 45.6% in 2023 to 49.8% in 2025. Debates over taxes, schools, and coastal resilience brought more people into the process.

In New Britain, turnout hit 30.8%. That’s a solid jump for a mid-sized city, showing that intense campaigning and a sense of real competition can move the needle.

Hamden’s Historic Four-Year Mayoral Term

Hamden voters didn’t just pick a mayor—they launched a new era in town government. Democrat David Sendroff won a historic four-year mayoral term under the new charter.

Turnout in Hamden reached 39.8%. The charter change and a hard-fought race clearly energized residents, many of whom felt this election would shape the town’s future on finances, safety, and education.

Early Voting and Absentee Ballots Reshape Participation

This cycle also brought a big procedural shift: early in-person voting rolled out statewide. For the first time, voters from Hartford to Fairfield could cast ballots before Election Day.

The response? Pretty strong. Nearly 190,000 early ballots were cast and counted, hinting that expanded access is already changing how—and when—Connecticut residents vote.

Absentee Ballots Add to the Total

Alongside early voting, traditional absentee ballots still played a meaningful role. About 24,000 absentee ballots came back, adding to the overall participation.

Early in-person and absentee voting together brought in over a quarter million ballots. That gave busy voters in places like Hartford, Bridgeport, and Waterbury a bit more flexibility.

From high-turnout towns like Lyme and Bridgewater to the shifting political map in Westport, New Britain, and Hamden, the 2025 local elections look different. When people think their vote might actually matter close to home, they’re more likely to show up—whether it’s on Election Day or weeks before.

Here is the source article for this story: Where the highest and lowest voter turnout was in Connecticut for the 2025 elections

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