UPDATED: Region 18 Special Election Rescheduled to Nov. 17

LYME, CT (Updated 3:41 p.m, Nov. 9) – The Special Town Meeting to elect a successor to Gavin Lodge on the Region 18 Board of Education at has been rescheduled to Tuesday, Nov. 17.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at Lyme Consolidated School, 478 Hamburg Road. Only registered Lyme electors may vote in the special election.

After the meeting was initially set for Nov. 10, the town on Monday announced the meeting has been postponed to ensure “proper legal notice of the meeting is filed.”

A notice was filed with the town clerk’s office on Nov. 3 and mailers were sent to residents with the original date, according to Assistant Town Clerk Jennifer Thomas.

But state law requires a town meeting warning to be posted and published in a newspaper at least five days before the meeting. The newspaper publication did not take place.

First Selectwoman Christy Zelek on Monday said not getting the warning published in the newspaper was a complete oversight.

“We just missed it,” she said.

She said new mailers will be sent out alerting residents to the change. She apologized for the inconvenience.

Democrat Jodi Lott and Republican Emma Griffith are vying for the seat, which Lodge vacated after moving to Old Lyme. His successor will serve through Dec. 1, 2027.

Lott and Griffith have both cited artificial intelligence and student screen time among their concerns for the district. Read more about their backgrounds and priorities in LymeLine’s Oct. 26 report.

The regional school board consists of two members from Lyme, including Lyme Democrat Anna James, and seven from Old Lyme. Lodge’s resignation follows two Old Lyme vacancies filled through special elections over the past several months. All current board members are Democrats or received a Democratic endorsement.