Voters in southeastern Connecticut will head to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots for U.S. president, U.S. representative for the 2nd District, U.S. senator, and various state House and Senate races.

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Voters also will be asked if the state’s constitution should “be amended to permit the General Assembly to allow each voter to vote by absentee ballot,” also known as “no- excuse absentee voting.”

Voter turnout

With the first year of early voting in Connecticut, 741,895 of the state’s 2,537,483 registered voters have already voted early, representing a turnout of 29.24%, according to the secretary of the state’s office. In addition, as of 11:30 a.m. Monday, 108,706 absentee ballots were accepted.

In the region, the early voting turnout ranged from 18.7% in New London to 49.6% in Lyme. Those ballots will be counted on Election Day.

Absentee ballot question

Voters will be asked whether the state constitution should be amended “to permit the General Assembly to allow each voter to vote by absentee ballot.”

Currently, only people who are unable to vote in person, because of military service, absence, sickness, disability, religious beliefs or election official duties, can vote by absentee ballot.

If the measure is approved, the General Assembly would have the authority to pass laws regarding voting by those who will not appear at their polling place on Election Day.

The Connecticut League of Women Voters has endorsed the proposed amendment. Co-president Joanne Moore said being able to vote absentee ballot for any reason would make it much easier to vote, for example, for a mother with three young children, someone who works long hours or unpredictable shifts, or someone who doesn’t have a car and whose polling place is not along a bus route.

She said the rules on how to vote by absentee ballot would remain in place.

“It just makes it more convenient for a lot of people to vote,” Moore said.

A look at the races:

For U.S. Senate, incumbent Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy is being challenged by Republican Matthew Corey as well as Justin Paglino of the Green Party and Robert Finley Hyde of Cheaper Gas Groceries Party.

For the 2nd Congressional District, Democratic U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, who is seeking his 10th term, is being challenged by Mike France, a former Ledyard town councilor and state representative.

Voters will also decide several state Senate races.

In the 18th District, Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, is seeking her fifth term and is being challenged by Groton Representative Town Meeting member Andrew Parrella, a Democrat. The 18th District covers Griswold, Groton, Sterling, Voluntown, Stonington, North Stonington, Plainfield and Preston.

In the 19th District, Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, is competing for her seventh term in office against Republican challenger Jason Guidone, a retired ESPN video production manager. The district encompasses Columbia, Franklin, Lebanon, Hebron, Ledyard, Lisbon, Marlborough, Norwich, Sprague, and part of Montville.

In the 20th District, Sen. Martha Marx, D-New London, is running for her second term against challenger Shaun Mastroianni, a Republican from Old Lyme, who served six years on the Board of Warden and Burgesses in Stonington Borough. The 20th District covers Bozrah, East Lyme, New London, Old Lyme, Salem, Waterford and parts of Montville and Old Saybrook.

Voters will also elect state representatives.

Rep. Devin Carney, R-Old Lyme, a five-term incumbent, and Jane Wisialowski, vice chairwoman of the Old Saybrook Democratic Town Committee, are vying to represent the 23rd House District. The district encompasses Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook and part of Westbrook.

Four-term incumbent Rep. Holly Cheeseman, R-East Lyme, and Democrat Nick Menapace, an East Lyme Planning Commission member, are facing off for the second time in the 37th House District. The district covers East Lyme and parts of Montville and Salem.

Rep. Kathleen McCarty, R-Waterford, a five-term incumbent, and Nick Gauthier, a Democrat and Waterford Representative Town Meeting member, are competing for the second time in the 38th House District. The district covers Waterford and parts of Montville.

In the 39th House District, Rep. Anthony Nolan, D-New London, who is seeking his fourth term, is being challenged by Republican Beloved Grace Carter, a former pastry chef and retired director of the New London Breakfast Program. The district covers areas of New London.

In the 40th House District, Rep. Christine Conley, D-Groton, is running for her fifth term and being challenged by Groton Representative Town Meeting member Susan Deane-Shinbrot, a Republican. The district covers parts of Groton and New London.

Rep. Aundré Bumgardner, D-Groton, a former Groton Town Councilor, is running uncontested for his third term representing the 41st House District. The district covers parts of Groton and Stonington.

Incumbent Rep. Greg Howard, R-Stonington, who is seeking his third term, and Earl “Ty” Lamb, an electrical engineer and unaffiliated voter endorsed by Democrats, are vying to represent the 43rd House District. The district covers North Stonington and parts of Stonington and Ledyard.

In the 45th House District, Rep. Brian Lanoue, R-Griswold, who is seeking his fourth term, and Democrat Kayla Thompson of Preston, who did not campaign, are running. The district covers Griswold, Preston, Voluntown and parts of Ledyard and Lisbon.

Rep. Derell Wilson, D-Norwich, who is seeking his second term, and Republican Nicholas Casiano, an engineer and veteran, are vying to represent the 46th House District. The district covers the urban and southern sections of Norwich.

Rep. Doug Dubitsky, R-Chaplin, who is seeking his sixth term, and Democrat Aaron Spruance are competing to represent the 47th House District, which includes Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Lisbon, Norwich, Plainfield, Scotland and Sprague.

Rep. Kevin Ryan, D-Montville, who is running for his 17th term, and Republican Mark Adams, a Connecticut College public safety officer, are again contending for the 139th House District seat. The district covers parts of Montville, Norwich and Ledyard.

Referendum questions

Montville voters will be asked whether the town should bond $8.5 million for the paving, reconstruction and repair of roads, bridges and culverts, and drainage projects and whether it should bond $2.3 million to replace the track and turf field at Montville High School.

Stonington voters will decide on five proposed changes to the town charter. The proposed changes include reductions and increases to the membership of boards and commissions, changing the town clerk and tax collector positions from elected to hired, and changing the first selectman term from two years to four years.

k.drelich@theday.com