Some kind of penny-saving award, possibly, in honor of the Bridgeport voter registrars low-balling the number of ballots they ordered for the state’s largest city? Or how about a voter-suppression award bearing the visage of, say, GOP State Chairman Chris Healy, on a plaque that can be displayed prominently in the heavily Democratic city?
Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz just announced that Stamford (59.9 percent), Roxbury (75.73%), Granby (72.08%) and Simsbury (72.95%), are the winners of the 2010 “Democracy Cup” given annually to the towns and cities with the highest voter turnout.
“This year was one of the most exciting and closely contested elections our state has ever seen,” Bysiewicz said in a statement. “From the high profile U.S. Senate campaign to the razor-thin margin in the governor’s race to a once in a generation changing of the guard in our Constitutional officers, all of these races and the many other races on the ballot led to a very strong voter turnout in 2010. I congratulate these three towns and the city of Stamford for doing the best job this year of getting voters out to the polls. The involvement of citizens in the democratic process is the cornerstone of our civic life and this year the voters of Roxbury, Granby, Simsbury and Stamford proved they are leaders.”
Statewide voter turnout, including Bridgeport (23,158 people voted out of 68,256 registered for a turnout of 33.93 percent) was 57.46% in the 2010 General Election. Trophies will be presented to the winning communities on Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st.
Democracy Cup Winners
2000-2010
Year Small Town Mid-size Town Large Town City
2010 Roxbury Granby Simsbury Stamford
2009 Bridgewater Orange East Haven Stamford
2008 New Hartford Avon Newtown Stamford
2007 East Haven North Haven West Hartford
2006 Union Westport West Hartford
2005 Middlebury Shelton West Hartford
2004 Washington Wethersfield Fairfield
2003 Washington Naugatuck West Hartford
2002 Middlebury Glastonbury West Hartford
2001 Washington Trumbull Waterbury
2000 Essex Westport West Hartford