Election ballots go in the mail starting Monday
September 19, 2020 | By Lisa Scagliotti
The U.S. Postal Service mailed post cards to voters across the nation with tips on voting by mail for the Nov. 3 election. “While we wholeheartedly agree with the advice to make a voting plan and plan ahead, in Vermont you DO NOT have to request a ballot,” said Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos. All registered voters in Vermont will automatically be mailed a ballot.
The 2020 election season is nearing the home stretch as state elections officials prepare to mail thousands of ballots out to all active, registered Vermont voters ahead of the Nov. 3 General Election.
Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos issued a reminder this week that ballots will be automatically mailed to voters starting Monday, Sept. 21, using the mailing address on file for each voter registration or pending ballot request.
“Voting by mail is simple, safe and secure,” Condos said. “Our office has taken the proactive steps to mail a ballot to all active, registered voters so that we can preserve the voting rights of all eligible Vermonters during a pandemic while protecting public health by reducing high traffic in-person voting on Election Day.”
Mailing ballots is a step state officials decided to take given the COVID-19 pandemic and an interest to reduce the traffic and congestion at polling places on Election Day. Normally voters wishing to vote early would need to request an absentee ballot from their local town or city clerk.
The state Legislature in June passed a special bill allowing for ballots to be mailed automatically for the 2020 general election due to public health concerns..
A legal challenge brought several individuals sought to derail the mailing plan but U.S. District Court Judge Geoffrey Crawford on Wednesday rejected the challenge.
Condos said that voters should expect to receive their ballots sometime after Sept. 21. Any voter who does not receive their ballot by Oct. 1 should contact their Town Clerk to get a ballot, he said.
One cautionary note: A recent nationwide postcard mailing by the United States Postal Service suggested that Vermont voters would need to make a request for an early ballot for the Nov. 3 general election. This is not true for Vermont, Condos stressed.
Any active, registered Vermont voter will be automatically mailed a ballot, including new registrants, without the voter needing to make a request, Condos said.
Voters who newly register after Sept. 21 and before Nov. 3 will receive a ballot automatically from their Town or City Clerks. Condos said it’s still a good idea for them to check with their clerk to be sure the information they have provided is complete.
The state has hired two Vermont printers to produce the 440,000 ballots needed for the November election: L. Brown & Sons in Barre and LHS Associates in Salem, N.H., which is also handling the mailing, according to Eric Covey in the Secretary of State’s Office. Jet Service Envelope Co. in Barre printed the envelopes, he said.
Voters may return their completed ballots three ways:
By U.S. mail. Condos recommends that voters choosing to return their ballot by mail should do so no fewer than 10 days before Nov. 3.
By dropping off at their town or city clerk’s office, many of which offer a drop-box return for after hours.
By handing off to elections workers at the polls on Election Day. Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. when polls close in order to be counted. Polling places will be operating as usual with social distancing and sanitization guidance issued by the Secretary of State’s office and the Vermont Department of Health.
“The more time you leave to ensure your voted ballot is delivered in time, the better,” Condos said. “How you vote and return your ballot is up to you, but we are asking Vermonters to help lower the absentee ballot curve by returning their ballots as early as they feel comfortable doing so. Remember, your vote is your voice!”
The Vermont Secretary of State’s Office has a list of Frequently Asked Questions about the general election on its website.