Posted on January 30, 2024
Wallingford’s first win in a municipal year!
State Rep. Craig Fishbein, Wallingford Mayor Vincent Cervoni, Registrars of Voters Joan Parisi and Tom Wolfer, Town Clerk Kristen Panzo, Board of Education member Caroline Raynis, and interested residents and town hall employees gathered in the Town Council Chambers as Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas presented a 2023 Democracy Cup to the town.
The Democracy Cup is awarded to municipalities that saw the highest voter turnout the state during the 2023 municipal election. For the 2023 municipal election, Wallingford just edged out Greenwich to secure the “large” division – towns with between 30,000 and 65,000 people – with a voter turnout of 51.8 percent.
According to the SOTS office, cities and towns with fewer than 10,000 people are considered small; cities and towns with between 10,000 and 30,000 people are considered mid-sized; cities and towns with between 30,000 and 65,000 people are considered large. Cities and towns with more than 65,000 people are categorized as cities.
Noting the original Democracy Cups were privately purchased and donated to the state for rotating display following a Presidential Election, Secretary Thomas said this is the first year in more than a decade where awards are presented during municipal election years. She noted that Wallingford previously won during the 2016 Presidential election.