LYME/OLD LYME — At the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen’s meeting held Monday, Nov.16, Old Lyme First Selectman Timothy Griswold reported that there are 5,933 registered voters in Old Lyme and 5,408 voters cast ballots for the President/Vice President, which equates to a participation rate of 91 percent.
As a comparison, Griswold noted 5,364 votes were cast for Joe Courtney in the Congressional House election. Griswold reported the remaining offices drew voter participation rates in the “high 80s to low 90s [percent]”
In his most recent Selectman’s Update, he reported there were 2,641 absentee ballots cast, which equate to 44.5 percent of the total.
Griswold also commented at the Selectmen’s meeting that the board needs to consider whether to make the change of voting location to Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School as a permanent one. He said, “It would have been disastrous at Cross Lane [voting location]” for this election, which had such a high turnout, but noted, “We wouldn’t have to have all voting at the schools.”
Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal asked whether voting for primaries would be at the middle school.
Griswold responded that the board needs to review options and make a plan since the current motion in effect in Old Lyme only approves use of the middle school through the end of the year and the Governor’s COVID Executive Order expires Feb. 9, 2021.
Lyme Town Clerk Linda Winzer announced that of the 2,012 voters on the election roll, 1,774 voted representing 88 percent of the total. The number of absentee ballots issued in that town was 811 representing 40 percent of the votes cast.