By John Schwing

WESTPORT — Nearly 20,000 voters are eligible to cast ballots Tuesday in the municipal election that, among other contests, will select a new chief elected official for the town.

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Any eligible voter standing in line to cast a ballot as of 8 p.m. is allowed to vote.

Click here for the list of Westport’s polling stations.

Voters who need information about their polling station and whether they are currently registered to vote, can check this database via the Secretary of the State’s website.

People voting in person will be required to wear a mask, although curbside voting is available for voters with a medical exemption, according to the Registrars of Voters office. Voters will be asked to stand six feet apart while waiting to cast their ballots.

The election of a new first selectman is one of the few contested races on this year’s ballot. That’s because political parties, for the majority of seats in play, chose to nominate only the number of candidates assured of election under minority-representation rules.

The first selectman race has three contenders: Democratic state Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, Republican Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker and Libertarian TJ Elgin.

Their Board of Selectman running mates are, respectively: Candice Savin, the Democratic chairwoman of the Board of Education; Andrea Moore, Republican vice chairwoman of the Board of Finance, and Louis D’Onofrio Jr.

The winner of the race for first selectman will mark a changing of the guard for Westport’s top job for the first time in eight years, as incumbent Republican Jim Marpe decided to step down after two terms.

Also on the ballot are candidates for the Board of Education, Planning and Zoning Commission, Board of Finance, Zoning Board of Appeals, Board of Assessment Appeals and Representative Town Meeting.

To see a sample ballot for Tuesday’s election, click here.

For more information about the candidates on this year’s ballot, check thevoters’ guide at the League of Women’s Voters of Westport website.

As of last week, there were approximately 19,800 registered voters eligible to cast ballots in Westport this year.

Democrats hold the registration edge, with 8,490 enrolled voters, followed by 7,279 unaffiliated voters, 3,845 Republicans and 186 listed with other groups.

The final day to register to vote in this Tuesday’s election was last Tuesday. 

However, there is a provision that allows Election Day registration for those who meet standard eligibility criteria: the person must be a U.S. citizen, 18 years old, be a “bona fide” resident of Westport and “has completed confinement and parole if previously convicted of a disfranchising felony.”

In Westport, Election Day registration will take place Tuesday in the Town Hall auditorium.

To be counted in the election, absentee ballots must be returned to the Town Clerk’s office no later than 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 2 — Election Day — when in-person voting also ends at polling stations across town.

For more information, contact the Westport Registrars of Voters office at 203-341-1115.