TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview of the Collection

History

Scope and Content

Arrangement

Restrictions

Index Terms

Related Material

Administrative Information

Detailed Description of the Collection

Series I: Checklists of Voters, 1840-1951

Series II: Hartford Voter Registration Cards, undated, 1916-1986

Hartford Voter Registration Records

History

The Office of the Registrar of Voters was established in the early 1860s. The Registrar is an elected position. One Democrat and one Republican Registrar is elected to represent their respective party. The office is responsible for registering voters, the voting machines, polling place, and absentee balloting. When voting is complete, the office, in conjunction with a duly appointed moderator, compiles and tallies the votes. Once this has been done, the moderator sends a copy of the results to the Secretary of State and to the Town Clerk.

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Scope and Content

The Voter Registration Records contain checklists of voters and voter registration cards from the City of Hartford. The cards contain some or all of the following personal information on registered voters: name, residence (including address changes within the city), caucus and party affiliation, ward number, date individual became eligible to vote, place and date of birth, dates of continuous residence, occupation and employer, sex, marital status, and naturalization data.

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Arrangement

Series I: Checklists of Voters (1840-1951) consists of 189 bound volumes. Each volume lists the electors eligible to vote in that election. The lists were prepared by the Registrar of Voters and are organized by ward, precinct, street name (in alphabetical order) and address. The volumes are organized chronologically.

Series II: Hartford Voter Registration Cards (1916-1986) are organized by the date the individual became ineligible to vote; within the “off-dates” the cards are filed alphabetically. The cards include some or all of the following information: name, residence (including address changes within the city), caucus and party affiliation, ward number, date individual became eligible to vote, place and date of birth, dates of continuous residence, occupation and employer, sex, marital status, and naturalization data. The cards are arranged in three alphabetical sequences prior to 1969. The first sequence dates from 1916-66, with bulk dates of 1922-34. The second sequence dates from 1926-1968, with bulk dates of 1935-65. The third sequence is not dated but appears to date from the 1960s. Following these three alphabetical sequences, the cards are arranged alphabetically within each year, 1969-84.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Restrictions on Use

Permission to publish from these Papers must be obtained in writing from both the University of Connecticut Libraries and the owner(s) of the copyright.

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Related Material

Archives & Special Collections has a substantial collection of materials pertaining to various aspects of Connecticut history. For detailed information on these collections please contact the curator or ask at the reference desk.

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Index Terms

This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.

Subjects:

Document Types:

Occupations:

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Administrative Information

Custodial History

The Hartford Voter Registration Records were transferred to Historical Manuscripts and Archives division (now Archives and Special Collections) as part of the Peoples of Connecticut Ethnic Heritage Project in August 1979. Hartford Voter Registration cards from 1981, 1982, and 1983 were transferred to Historical Manuscripts and Archives in January, 1989; cards from 1984 were transferred in June, 1990.

Preferred Citation

[Item description, #:#], Hartford Voter Registration Records. Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut Libraries.

Acquisition Information

The Hartford Voter Registration Records were transferred to Historical Manuscripts and Archives division (now Archives and Special Collections) as part of the Peoples of Connecticut Ethnic Heritage Project in August 1979. Hartford Voter Registration cards from 1981, 1982, and 1983 were transferred to Historical Manuscripts and Archives in January, 1989; cards from 1984 were transferred in June, 1990.

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Detailed Description of the Collection