Small Town, Big Turnout: Lyme Wins Democracy Cup

LYME, CT – Lyme voters show up.

That’s according to First Selectwoman Christy Zelek, who on Thursday welcomed Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas for a presentation of the 2025 Democracy Cup. The award reflected a best-in-state voter participation record of 66.1%.

Zelek, the first woman to hold the town’s highest seat, defeated Republican Tom St. Louis in one of Lyme’s rare contested elections. 

“People here don’t just vote — they pay attention, ask thoughtful questions,” Zelek said. “They show up.”

More than 50 people sat in folding chairs and lined the back wall of Town Hall, prompting Thomas to joke that if there were a prize for best turnout at a Democracy Cup ceremony, Lyme would win it too.

In the small-town category, Lyme led Bridgewater, with 63% of voters turning out, and Woodbridge, with almost 62%. Old Lyme came in fourth with 60.5%.

Thomas congratulated the 1,281 Lyme voters who demonstrated “what full civic involvement looks like” in a state where turnout averaged 36%. 

“Only three out of every 10 voters is weighing in on how their town is run, and that’s horrible in my book,” she said. 

The Democracy Cup program started in 2000 with a rotating trophy to recognize participation in presidential election years. Thomas extended the program to municipal elections in 2023, with smaller cups for the winning municipalities to keep.

State Rep. Devin Carney, R-Old Lyme, presented a citation signed by leaders of the state legislature and Thomas.

“I’m not surprised,” he said. “Representing Lyme for 12 years, I know how engaged all of you are, and how often you vote.” 

He noted 89.26% of Lyme’s voters came out in the last presidential election. The Democracy Cup that year went to Cornwall with 90.46%, followed by East Hampton with 89.64%.

He credited efforts by the Republican and Democratic town committees to galvanize the vote. Both parties have cited aggressive door-knocking campaigns in the lead-up to the November election. 

“And obviously, those efforts helped,” Carney said. 

Lyme Democratic Registrar of Voters Dottie Wells thanked a dedicated crew of poll workers, including five 2025 recruits.

She said local democracy relies on engaged voters to shape the boards and commissions that run the town. 

“All of the hard work that our staff does wouldn’t mean anything if we didn’t have the voters coming out to make a difference in Lyme,” she said. 

Wells reiterated praise for Town Clerk Linda Winzer, which was a theme during the presentation. 

“She’s brilliant and dedicated and willing to do whatever is necessary to make sure that voters have the information they need and the access to the ballot,” Wells said. “She goes above and beyond every single day. During election time, she doubles.”

After the ceremony, election moderator Mary Stone said the award shows how much the citizens of Lyme care about their local government.

She attributed Lyme’s strong voter engagement to a population of close-knit residents. 

“We care about our friends and neighbors,” she said. “And we want things to run smoothly and fairly for everyone.”

Poll worker Wendy Mahon said she’s been helping out at elections since the last presidential election. In November, she stood over the new tabulating machine as a ballot tender.

“There was a good turnout,” she said. “But I had no idea that we were the best.” 

For Mahon, the race for first selectman was what made the election so interesting to voters. 

Going back 25 years, only the 2001 and 2017 elections included a challenge for first selectman. 

“I’m a big women’s rights advocate, so I was very happy to see Christy win,” she said.