AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Connecticut on Election Day

WASHINGTON (AP) — Connecticut voters will elect leaders for federal, state and other offices on Tuesday. Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied.

Polls close at 8 p.m. ET.

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in races for governor, U.S. House, attorney general, secretary of state, state Senate, state House, state comptroller and state treasurer.

About 1.3 million votes were cast in Connecticut's 2022 race for the U.S. Senate.

About 12% of all ballots cast in Connecticut’s 2022 race for the U.S. Senate were cast early or by absentee ballot. The latest advance vote totals for Connecticut can be found in the AP’s advance vote tracker .

Connecticut runs elections at the town and city level. There are 169 separate jurisdictions administering local elections and they vary in terms of how and when they release results. In many of the larger jurisdictions, results from a mix of voting methods are expected to be released together throughout the night.

The first results of the 2024 general election were reported starting at 8:12 p.m. ET on Nov. 5, 12 minutes after polls closed. The state reached 50% of votes reporting at 12:25 a.m. ET on Nov. 6, and 90% of votes reporting at 2:06 p.m. ET.

The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

Recounts in Connecticut are automatic if the vote margin is less than 0.5% of the total votes cast but does not exceed 2,000 votes. Recounts are also automatic in races where the margin is less than 20 votes or in the case of a tie vote. If a recount results in a tie vote, a runoff election (called an “adjourned election” in Connecticut) is held. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/ .