Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas this week urged all registered Vermont voters who want to vote by mail in the Nov. 5 general election to get their ballot envelopes postmarked right away.
“Mailing your ballot back to your clerk’s office is a convenient, easy way to cast your vote, but it’s crucial that you mail it in time for your clerk to receive it by 7pm on Election Day,” Copeland Hanzas explained in a press release.
You don’t have to put your ballot in the mail to vote early, she noted. And you may not want to if it’s getting too close to Nov. 5. There are several other ways you can submit your ballot before Election Day — the one perhaps still sitting on your kitchen table — including leaving the sealed and signed inner envelope with your town or city clerk during office hours or putting it in an official ballot drop box.
This year there are hotly contested races in several state Senate and House districts that will determine whether Democrats can continue to override Gov. Phil Scott’s frequent vetoes — and the governor himself is up for reelection. There are also seven other statewide races and a razor-tight race for the U.S. presidency to weigh in on, if only to say you did; if history is any guide, Vermont’s three electoral college votes are certainly likely to go to Vice President Kamala Harris.
For some Vermonters, getting the big white envelope from the Secretary of State’s Office in your mailbox continues to be a novelty, despite this year being the third time it has arrived.
In the Northeast Kingdom and elsewhere further south with mail delivery issues, the package landed right around peak leaf season. Like that fiery display, it can take you by surprise. So here are some answers to the questions you may have:
I didn’t request an absentee ballot! Why did I get one in the mail?
A 2021 law requires that a ballot must be mailed to all registered Vermont voters every two years for the general election. That’s just long enough to forget that it happens, especially if you’ve been voting here for decades without that option. (The law does not require the same for the presidential and state primaries or local elections and ballot measures.)
A mid-pandemic decision to allow mail-in voting in November 2020 drove record turnout, so the Legislature made it permanent the following year. After 2020 and 2022, this year’s general election is the third in state history to be conducted in this manner. Vermont is one of just eight states, plus the District of Columbia, with what is often called “universal mail-in voting,” according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
But I’m a registered voter, and I didn’t get one. What gives?
It could still be in the mail. The Secretary of State’s Office mailed the last batch of ballots in early October. But if you have moved in the last year or two, you should find out if your registration was updated. Your town or city clerk can tell you.
The Secretary of State’s Office also has a web portal called My Voter Page where you can check if you are indeed registered, what address the office sent your ballot to and whether it’s still on the way. You can also register on the site, change your listed address and request another ballot. But at this point, less than three weeks out, your best bet is to pick one up from your town or city clerk during office hours.
What if I’ve misplaced my ballot but still want to vote early?
Don’t worry. You can still do it. Go see your clerk. You will have to sign a “No Ballot Cast” form stating that you can’t find or never received your ballot in the mail.
If you find the envelope again during next spring’s mudroom cleanout, the Secretary of State’s Office wants you to rip it up before recycling.
Do I have to mail my ballot? I’m worried it won’t get there on time.
Secretary of State Copeland Hanzas is worried, too. She said on Wednesday, Oct. 16, that you should mail your ballot ASAP. But only you know what your mail service is like.
In many parts of the state, two weeks in advance — which is coming up on Tuesday, Oct. 22 — will be enough time. But if your confidence in the U.S. Postal Service is shot, or just to ease your mind, bring your ballot in the sealed and signed inner envelope directly to your clerk’s office when it’s open, or look for an official white ballot drop box.
I’m going to vote in person on Election Day. What should I do with my ballot?
Bring it with you! You can even vote before you get there and drop off the sealed and signed inner envelope at your polling place, which may be in an entirely different location from your clerk’s office. (You can find your polling place here.)
If you don’t have it, don’t worry. But you will have to sign one of those “No Ballot Cast” forms to get another ballot on the spot. There is no chance, according to the Secretary of State’s Office, of any town running out.
