Voting Underway for Today's Budget Referendum

This article will be updated as results and reactions come in. Have you voted? Let us know in the comments!

7:30 p.m.

With half an hour before polls close, more than 4,000 have voted at Newtown Middle School, with a short wait time inside the gymnasium before voting.

One was Chris Otero, 18, a student at Newtown High School, who cast his first-ever vote today.

"I  was too young to vote in the election [in November], so I decided to vote now," he said.

Otero talked to his father, who works for the town, and said his parents' ideals played a part in his decision. But the hot-button issue of school security wasn't a factor for him.

"The schools are pretty safe, so I'm not worried about that," he said. Otero described voting as "pretty cool."

"It felt nice to finally do my civic duty," he said.

Many residents brought their children. Resident Catherine Pendergast, who brought her 11-year-old daughter Heather to the polls, said taxes were a concern in her decision.

"I based my [vote] on my paycheck, and what I haven't gotten in years," she said. 

2:00 p.m. Tuesday

As of 2 p.m., 1,892 have voted. No line to vote, but parking lot is crowded and some drivers may have to wait getting in/out.

12:00 p.m. Tuesday

Updated vote tally: 1,379 have voted as of noon.

10:00 a.m. Tuesday

Voting moderators say 522 votes have come in as of 9 a.m. and that voting is steady at Newtown Middle School.

Moderators expect voting to pick up in the last few hours before polls close at 8 p.m., as residents vote after work.

5:55 a.m. Tuesday

Polls open in just a few minutes as Newtown residents vote on the 2013-14 town and education budgets.

Residents can vote between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the Newtown Middle School gymnasium.

Resources:

• Take a look at a sample ballot from the town, which asks voters whether they agree with the proposed budgets and whether they deem them "too low."
• Read comments from Newtown officials on a variety of issues, including what they would have liked to see in the budget, what they've heard from residents and whether they think the budget will pass.
• See how officials think this year's bifurcated budget -- schools and municipal activities are voted on separately -- could affect the referendum.
• Read encouraging voters to support the education budget.
• Coverage from the Legislative Council's passage of the proposed budget, including comments and reactions from residents. 

Quick facts:

• Combined Budget: $111,149,825 (4.71% increase)
• Board of Selectman Recommended Municipal Budget: $39 million
• Board of Education Recommended School Budget: $72 million
• Proposed Mill Rate: 33.7
• Average tax increase: 5.24% (Finance director Robert Tait says because of revaluation, about 79% of homes will experience a 5% tax increase or less.)