Secretary of State Sets Order of GOP Candidates on Connecticut Primary Ballot

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill and state Republican Party Executive Director Bryan Cafferelli announced the order in which the four Republican candidates running for president will appear on the ballot during the Connecticut GOP primary on Tuesday, April 24.

The order is as follows:

1.      Newt Gingrich

2.      Ron Paul

3.      Mitt Romney

4.      Rick Santorum

According to the press release, the above order was randomly selected. There will also be a fifth option on the ballot, which will be "uncommitted."

There won't be any Democratic primary that day, since President Barack Obama is the only candidate qualified for the primary in this state. 

"The race for the Republican presidential nomination is set to roll through Connecticut in just over a month," Merrill said in the press release. "Any voters who have not yet registered have until Monday, April 23rd, at noon to register as Republicans if they wish to vote in the Presidential Preference Primary. That same deadline applies to unaffiliated voters who wish to cast ballots on Tuesday April 24th. This will also be the first time that 17-year-olds can cast ballots in a Presidential Preference Primary in Connecticut -- provided they will be 18 on or before the general election November 6th."

Important dates in run-up to the primary noted in the press release:

• Thursday, April 19, 2012 is the mail-in deadline for new voters, and for unaffiliated voters, to enroll in a party for voting in its primary. For new voters, mail-in applications must be postmarked, or received by Registrar of Voters or voter registration agency, by this date. For unaffiliated voters, the mail-in application must be received (not merely postmarked) by the Registrar of Voters by this deadline.

• Monday, April 23, 2012 at noon is the in-person deadline for new and unaffiliated voters to register in a party for voting in the primary.

Voting takes place in Middlebury at . In Woodbury, voting takes place at the .