Special elections will be held in nine state legislative districts on February 22, 2011. Elections will be held in these towns: Berlin, Bridgeport, Cheshire, Chester, Darien, Deep River, East Haven, Essex, Farmington, Guilford, Haddam, Madison, Meriden, Middlefield, Middletown, New Britain, Stamford, West Hartford.  There is much at stake for Connecticut's children in the upcoming elections.  To provide background on child and family issues, Connecticut Voices for Children has developed several issue briefs and is distributing these to candidates for Connecticut's General Assembly. The briefs are available below, along with links to related resources, lists of Connecticut candidates, a polling place locator, and voter registration forms.  And if you are in these districts, please vote on Tuesday, February 22!

Issue briefs | Voting Resources

Issue Briefs: Issues Facing Connecticut Families

• State Budget Challenges Facing Connecticut
• Building a Reliable, Fair and Accountable 21st Century Revenue System

Related tax and budget resources:

• State Revenue Solutions for Connecticut
• Connecticut Needs a More Balanced Approach to Resolving the Budget Deficit
• Connecticut's Wealthy Pay Smaller Share of Income Than Most Residents in State and Local Taxes
• Time for Connecticut to Re-examine its Business Tax Credits
• Connecticut's Business Taxes in Context: A Summary of Ernst & Young's National Survey of State and Local Business Taxation
• Closing Corporate Tax Loopholes Through Mandatory Combined Reporting
• Public Investment for a Mediocre Future: Where Connecticut Stands On State and Local Revenues
• Starstruck? Connecticut's Block-Busting Spending on Entertainment Industry Tax Credits - Part 1: The Credits and Who is Claiming Them
• Fiddling While Rome Burns: Connecticut's Multi-Million Dollar, Money Losing Subsidy to the Entertainment Industry
• State Budget Documents resource page
• Other State Tax and Budget publications from CT Voices

• Strengthening Economic Security for Connecticut Families

Related economic security resources:

• State of Working Connecticut, 2009
• Connecticut Family Asset and Opportunity Scorecard, 2009
• From Options to Planning: A More Strategic Approach to Growing Connecticut's Economy
• The Earned Income Tax Credit – What It Does For CT, And How It Could Do Much More
• State Job Creation Tax Credits
• Poverty in Connecticut: Summary of 2008 American Community Survey Census Data
• Income Gaps are Harming Connecticut's Children
• Other Family Economic Security publications from CT Voices

• High Quality Education & Training: A Proven Investment in Connecticut's Future

Related education resources:

• Teaching Discipline: A Toolkit for Educators on Positive Alternatives to Out-of-School Suspensions
• English Language Learning Students in Connecticut
• School Stability Promotes Educational Opportunity for Connecticut's Children in Foster Care
• The Canary in the Coal Mine: Publishing Truancy Data Will Help Keep Children in School
• Other Education publications from CT Voices

• Investing in the Early Years: A Great Return for Kids and for Connecticut

Related early care resources:

• Connecticut Early Care and Education Progress Report, 2009
• Impact of May Budget Adjustments on the FY 11 Budget for Early Care and Education
• School Readiness: What We Need to Do To Get Kids "Ready By Five"
• Beyond Child Care Centers
• Other Early Care publications from CT Voices

• Strengthening HUSKY as a Cornerstone of Health Care for Connecticut's Children and Families

Related health resources:

• How National Health Care Reform Will Affect Eligibility and Affordability for Families with Children in Connecticut's HUSKY Program
• Uninsured Children in Connecticut: 2008
• Health Insurance & Median Income in Connecticut: Summary of 2008 American Community Survey Census Data
  
• HUSKY At A Glance
• How is the HUSKY Program Performing?
• Independent Performance Monitoring in the HUSKY Program: Ensuring Accountability for Scarce State Dollars
• Covering Kids & Families resource page
• Other Health publications from CT Voices

• Protecting Children and Youth in Connecticut's Child Welfare System

Related child welfare resources:

• Children in DCF Care Should Live in the "Least Restrictive Environment"
• Ensuring Positive Outcomes for Youth Who "Age Out" of Foster Care
• School Stability Promotes Educational Opportunity for Connecticut's Children in Foster Care
• Other Health publications from CT Voices

• Child Well-Being Data by Town, 2010
  
• Family Well-Being Indicators Larger Connecticut Cities and Towns, 2006-2008

Voting Resources

Voting

• Voter registration forms (PDF) English | Spanish
• Absentee ballot application (PDF) English | Spanish (print on 8.5" x 14" paper)
• Registrars of Voters Office Addresses (PDF)
• Voter Registration and Polling Place Finder
• I Care About Kids campaign

Lists of Connecticut candidates

• General Assembly special election candidates

Elections will be held in State Senate district 6, covering Berlin, New Britain, and part of Farmington; district 13, covering Meriden, Middlefield, and parts of Cheshire and Middletown; and district 27, covering parts of Darien and Stamford. Special elections will also take place in the following General Assembly Districts: district 20, covering part of West Hartford, district 25, covering part of New Britain, district 36, covering the towns of Chester, Deep River, Essex and Haddam, district 99, covering part of East Haven, district 101, covering the town of Madison and part of Guilford and District 126, covering part of Bridgeport.