New London ― When Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas was growing up, she would spend six hours at the hair salon getting her hair done ― and leave with an education.

Everybody talked about what was going on and what the issues were, and the conversation felt politically minded without being political.

She told the story Monday afternoon to state Sen. Martha Marx, D-New London, and Jeffrey Zapata, owner of JBS Barber Spa, while sitting in the barber chair as Zapata gave her a haircut.

In New London, Thomas began the first in a series of visits to barber shops and salons in Connecticut to launch the “ConneCT & Cuts” initiative in which Thomas will have conversations about such topics as voting, civic engagement, and the services the Secretary of the State’s Office provides. The conversations are being filmed and will be posted on the Secretary of the State’s social media to share the message with a wider audience.

Thomas supplied the barber shop with educational brochures that describe the differences between local, state and federal elections, and provide the public with information about online resources to register to vote, find a polling place, run for office, and volunteer as a poll worker.

During Monday’s event, Zapata told Thomas that customers at the barber shop often talk about personal problems, what is going on in the community, and the government. Zapata said barbers need to be part of the conversation, and people want to hear their opinions.

Marx agreed that that’s how people learn, and Thomas encouraged Zapata to tell people to be sure to vote in every election.

Zapata said voting is the only way to make change and the only way to empower people.

Zapata, who spoke both in English and Spanish for the conversations that will be shared on social media, said people know the shop has a clientele that includes everyone from government officials to members of the police department. He said customers trust the barbers have information about what is going on in the community and feel more comfortable because they have supported the business for years and feel part of the community.

Zapata said educating the community about political issues is key. He said it would be helpful to have a central place in the community where people can pick up informational materials because many people face technological barriers.

State Rep. Anthony Nolan, D-New London, said that barber shops are friendly places where people can learn and understand what is going on, so Thomas made a wise choice in choosing barber shops and salons.

Thomas told The Day that the initiative was born out of the idea of reaching people where they are versus asking them to opt into a government system because people often don’t know where to find it. When thinking about where people convene in communities, the idea of barber shops and hair salons came to mind because every single person, no matter their background, has a story of going to these types of establishments to find out what is going on.

Thomas said times feel very divisive, yet she was in a barber shop in another town where the barber was talking about cutting both the Republican and the Democratic candidates’ hair. That led her to think about why these spaces feel safe.

“Maybe we’re closer than we think because we’re part of a shared community,” she said.

The idea is to engage with communities through the hair salons and barber shops and talk to people to find out what’s important in their communities and encourage them to think about government as being more accessible, rather than something that’s over in Hartford, she explained.

She said the initiative is one of many that her office is testing to see if more people vote than might have otherwise simply because they know more.

She plans to go to barber shops and hair salons in towns and cities of all different sizes and demographics.

Mayor Michael Passero, City Council President Reona Dyess, New London NAACP Treasurer Sheila Yee, and Co-President of the League of Women Voters of Southeastern Connecticut Kim Blake also joined the event.

“Thanks for choosing New London,” Passero said to Thomas at the end.

k.drelich@theday.com