Ward 7: Looking for a new alder. Four of 2,887 eligible voters in Ward 7 had cast their ballots by noon Wednesday, on the first day of early voting in a special election to fill the alder seat vacated by Eli Sabin. The two candidates vying for the Downtown/East Rock alder position are Democra t Christine Kim and Republican Kyle Ross. Only Kim’s name is on the ballot; Ross is running as a write-in. While Election Day for this race is Tuesday, early voting began Wednesday at 10 a.m. in a second-floor meeting room at City Hall. Ward 7 voters can vote early any time between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. On Election Day itself on Tuesday, Feb. 17, the polls at 200 Orange St. will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. No voters were present at the early-voting polls at around noon on Wednesday when this reporter stopped by. Head Moderator Kevin Arnold and Democratic Deputy Registrar Elizabeth DeMatteo said that four people had voted thus far. Arnold said the icy conditions outdoors likely dampened turnout in the morning. The Ward 7 alder seat has been empty since Jan. 1, when Sabin resigned minutes before he was set to be sworn in to a new two-year term. Sabin subsequently moved to Westville, and is now running in a three-way race for state representative against Democratic incumbent Pat Dillon and fellow Democratic challenger Justin Farmer. Whoever wins the Ward 7 special election will fill out the rest of Sabin’s term, which ends Dec. 31, 2027. In a phone interview at around 1 p.m., Kim said that she had just voted (and had posted an Instagram Reel about it). It’s been quite the day already, she said, with the two-hour school delay and people slipping around outside on the ice. She thanked the polling place workers for operating the early-voting location, even with the slow start. What has she heard from Ward 7 neighbors as she’s campaigned for the alder seat in recent weeks? “A lot of people have never met an alder,” she said. A lot of people don’t know who there alder is, or what they do. That’s especially true for businesses in the neighborhood, she said; even though those business operators might not be voters in Ward 7, they’re still constituents she wants to serve if elected. People she’s spoken to “just want the city to be more communicative,” about everything from snow plowing to public safety to business permitting. People want to feel safe where they live and work. They care about “day-to-day life issues,” like “taxes, sidewalks, branches, getting trash taken out. People want to be heard.” If elected, she said, “I’m here to listen and be an advocate on their behalf. I don’t know what exactly my legislative agenda is because I want to hear what my residents have to say first.” “Relationships give such depth and meaning to being a New Haven resident,” she continued when asked what her closing pitch is to Ward 7 voters. “I’ll be your voice and I’ll listen.” In a separate phone interview with the Independent Wednesday, Ross said he is at work during the day, and plans to swing by the early-voting polls this evening. He said he’ll likely vote today, too. What’s he heard on the campaign trail? “The taxes are really the biggest issue,” he said. Plus, “neighborhood stuff. They did a terrible job plowing. All the trash bins get stolen” and it takes too long for the city to replace them. He said that his own Clark Street home’s trash bin was stolen months ago, and he still hasn’t gotten a replacement. Instead, he leaves his trash in bags on the curb for pickup day. “You can’t get an Amazon package” delivered without it being stolen, he added. “I don’t even try anymore.” He has packages sent to his office, instead. Ross said he’s still getting the word out about his campaign. He held a meet and greet at Christopher Martin’s Tuesday night. It’s “going to be a quick sprint to the end here.” He added that Democrats in the ward have been nice to him, and that, if elected, he looks forward to working with people regardless of their party affiliation. “You can’t really put me in a box,” he said. Kim said the same. “I’d love to work with him,” she said about Ross. Everyone should be involved in civic life in New Haven, she said. An enlarged sample ballot, posted to the window of early-voting polling place. The post Early Voting Begins For Alder Special Election appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less