Town of New Canaan Question 1 — Charter: Town officers accountable to the First Selectman (Western Connecticut Planning Region)

What it does

Shall the current Charter be changed to require all elected and appointed Town officers with managerial authority to comply with applicable Town policies, ethics standards, and lawful administrative directives, and to be accountable to the First Selectman for administrative and operational matters that would not otherwise conflict with their statutory authority?

A YES vote means

New Canaan's charter would require elected and appointed town officers with managerial authority to follow town policies, ethics standards and lawful directives, and to answer to the First Selectman on administrative and operational matters that don't conflict with their legal authority.

A NO vote means

The charter would not add this requirement for town officers to follow these standards and answer to the First Selectman.

Needed to pass

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Left–right lean

Not a left–right issue: a procedural or local question that liberals and conservatives don't typically split on (AI read of the official ballot summary).

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Next elections here

• 2028 presidential election · Who has filed so far, from FEC filings

Also on Western Connecticut Planning Region ballots

• City of Danbury Question 1 — Charter: four-year terms for municipal elected offices
• City of Danbury Question 2 — Charter: all other proposed revisions
• Town of New Canaan Question 2 — Charter: Town Council confirmation of Planning and Zoning appointments
• Town of New Canaan Question 3 — Charter: Town Council approval for changes to Town-owned real property
• Town of New Canaan Question 4 — Charter: Board of Finance members need not be real property taxpayers
• Town of New Canaan Question 5 — Charter: three alternate members of the Ethics Board
• Town of New Canaan Question 6 — Charter: clarify definitions and update provisions
• Town of Weston Question 1 — Charter: majority party representation on boards and commissions
• Town of Weston Question 2 — Charter: Annual Town Budget Meeting may not reduce budget items
• Town of Weston Question 3 — Charter: remaining proposed amendments

All Western Connecticut Planning Region races and measures →

Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Town of New Canaan Question 1 mean?

New Canaan's charter would require elected and appointed town officers with managerial authority to follow town policies, ethics standards and lawful directives, and to answer to the First Selectman on administrative and operational matters that don't conflict with their legal authority.

What does a NO vote on Town of New Canaan Question 1 mean?

The charter would not add this requirement for town officers to follow these standards and answer to the First Selectman.

How many votes does Town of New Canaan Question 1 need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on Town of New Canaan Question 1?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

When is the vote?

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.