The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-09-04
NO CHANGE IN PRIMARY TIME Rival Candidates Favor Change; Town COnlmit-
 tee Points to Rules

Though rival candidates in the 18th district senatorial primary favored change in voting hours the executive committee of the Democratic town committee an- nounced after a meeting last night
 that it had no authority to change
 the present voting hours for pri- maries, which are from 4:30 to 9:3O p. m. Attorney Michael V. Blans- field, one of the candidates, ap- peared before the committee to recommend that the voting hours be changed, if possible to allow factory employees working on the 3 to II shift to vote in the primary agreeing with an earlier public statement to the same effect by Senator George T. Culhane. The latter did not appear at the meet ing.
 Democratic primaries will be held !, Wednesday, Sept. Is, two weeks from today. This is the last possible day, under state and local party rules, on which the primary could be held. Conventions are scheduled for the 23d, and primaries must be held five days before that date. Lists of delegates entered in the primaries must be filed with the town committee on the 14th. A de- posit of $25, must be placed for each district in which any primary slate is to be voted on.
 The executive committee said it was unable to change the voting hours, since these are fixed in the party rules. Changes in the rules. it was stated, can be made only by the town convention. Since the town convention adjourned formally last spring after electing a town committee and adopting new party rules, it is believed impossible to call it in session again.
 Even after the meeting, Senator Culhane expressed the opinion that the hours of voting could be changed. He contends that the town convention has not been finally ad- journed, and can legally be called into session in time to alter the rules.
 The committee set down for the 23d the following conventions: 18th and 18th district senatorial con- ventionS, to nominate one candidate each for the state senate; town con- vention, to nominate two candidates for representatives and candidates for justices of the peace; probate convention, to elect Waterbury dele gates to later probate district con- vention; congressional convention, to elect Waterbury delegates to a latter congressional district conven- tion.
 A meeting of the Town Conven- tion was held on October B, 1889, for the express purpose of making certain nominations which was done by the delegates present and voting. The meeting ended with a motion to adjourn subject to the call of the chair (Atty. Edward Mascolo) The adjourned meeting of the delegates to the Town Convention was held on March 25, 1940, also for an express purpose, this being adoption of rules of the local party and election of members of the Town Committee for the following two years. The rules were adopted, but unfortunately the untimely death of William Doucette again caused the meeting to be adjourned, this time for one week.
 On April 1, 1940, the delegates to the Town Convention again met and concluded it's business by nam ing Town Committee. It then ad- journed without authorizing the Chair to call it into session again.
 The Executive Committee almost unanimously agreed that some effort should be made in the future to change the existing party rule on primary hours, but also agreed that it could not legally take such steps under the existing laws.