Secretary of State: Absentee Voting Information
Secretary of State: Absentee Voting FAQS
Absentee Ballots will be mailed to all registered Voters by October 1.
Absentee voter ballots must be returned to the town clerk’s office before noon on the day before the election or to the polling place by 7 p.m. on Election Day. The ballots may be returned by mail or in person.
Return of Ballots -
Early or absentee voter ballots must be returned to the town clerk’s office before the close of business on the day before the election (be sure to check your town clerk’s hours) or to the polling place by 7 p.m. on Election Day. The ballots may be returned by mail or in person.
The town clerk must record receipt of the voted ballot(s) on the list of early or absentee voters.
Once an early voter absentee ballot has been returned to the clerk in the sealed envelope with the signed certificate, it shall be stored in a secure place and shall not be returned to the voter for any reason.
When processing absentee ballots, which may happen before election day, the envelopes are opened and processed in the polling place by the Town Clerk and several Board of Civil Authority members. This is open to the public to observe. In processing the absentee vote is indicated on the checklist for the specific election; extreme care is taken to seal and verify the voting machine used to process early votes.
In early processing and on Election Day, election officials examine the checklist to see whether the voter has already voted. The election officials check the certificate on the envelope containing the ballots to make sure it is properly filled out and signed. When the election officials are satisfied that the early or absentee voter is legally qualified to vote, has not already voted and that the certificate is properly filled out, they open the envelope containing the ballot(s). Without unfolding the ballots or permitting the ballot to be seen, the election officials mark the checklist indicating the fact that that voter has voted by means of an early voter absentee ballot, and then they deposit the ballots in the ballot boxes or voting machine. Early voter absentee ballots are commingled with the ballots of voters who have voted in person.
