‘Vote Train’ leaves soon - Condos urges mailing by Saturday
October 24, 2020 | By Lisa Scagliotti
Vermont singer-songwriter Grace Potter appears in a voting promotional video for the Vermont Secretary of State's Office. Screenshot.
With new upbeat videos featuring Vermont celebrities, the Secretary of State’s Office is steering this unconventional election season toward the Nov. 3 General Election finish line.
The latest advice: If you plan to mail in your ballot, drop it in a mailbox by today - Saturday, Oct. 24.
That’s just one of several options voters have this year as state and local elections officials have distributed ballots early so that voters could return them without having to visit the polls in person Nov. 3 in the interest of curbing the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
“While voting during the COVID-19 health crisis may feel different from how many of us are used to voting, we have ensured that no matter how you choose to vote this election season, you can do so safely and securely,” said Secretary of State Jim Condos this week. “I encourage all Vermont voters who have not already voted to return their ballots as soon as they feel comfortable, to ensure their voice is heard in our democratic process.”
Vermont comedian and storyteller Rusty DeWees appears in a voting promotional video for the Vermont Secretary of State's Office. Screenshot.
By the end of the day Wednesday, some 166,037 Vermonters had already returned the absentee ballots sent to them by mail at the start of October. That is more than half the total voter participation in the 2016 General Election, which was 320,467, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
State officials are using social media to encourage overall participation this year as well as early participation to avoid crowded polling places during the pandemic. Recent video clips shared online feature familiar Vermont pop culture figures including recording artist Grace Potter singing “Let’s All Get on the Vote Train”; actor and comedian Rusty DeWees chopping wood; and Jonathan Goldsmith, a.k.a. “The Most Interesting Man in the World” from the Dos Equis beer ad campaign, filling out his ballot at home.
Three options: Mail-in, drop off, or in-person
Using the pre-addressed, postage-paid return envelope that came with each ballot is one way to vote this year. Mailing by the 24th or as soon as possible will ensure enough time for them to be received by town clerks.
Voters also may drop off their completed ballots until Nov. 2 at their town or city clerk’s offices, many of which have secure drop boxes outside accessible 24/7.
In either instance, voters should read and follow the instructions carefully including placing the completed ballot in the “voted ballot” envelope and filling out and signing the outside of that envelope.
On Nov. 3, voters may still cast their ballot in person, but they should bring their absentee ballot with them to the polls to make the process go smoothly. Condos said if a voter does not have the ballot they were mailed and has not already voted they can still vote.
Voting in Waterbury
As of Thursday, 1,928 voters had returned their ballots in Waterbury; that’s 46% of those registered. That’s according to a town-by-town map tracking the ballot-return data created by the Community News Service at the University of Vermont. That online map is updated daily.
In a message to the community this week, Waterbury Town Clerk Carla Lawrence urged voters to send the ballots in ahead of Nov. 3: “We are in a global pandemic with COVID-19 cases on the rise. Please, for the health and safety of our poll workers and voters alike, take advantage of returning your ballot by mail (postage is prepaid) or to the secure drop box at the Town Office (available 24/7, 7 days a week),” she wrote.
The municipal offices are closed to the public at this time, so anyone dropping off a ballot must use the drop box outside the main entrance.
Any registered voter who has not received a ballot in the mail should contact the clerk’s office immediately to have one mailed, Lawrence said, adding: “For all of the registered Waterbury voters who have already returned your ballots, thank you!”
On Nov. 3, Waterbury’s polling place will be Thatcher Brook Primary School open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. People with completed ballots may drop them off in person that day.
Those wishing to vote in person should bring their ballot that they received in the mail. Lawrence explained that if a voter no longer has their ballot, they would need to sign an affidavit form in order to receive a new ballot. Vermont also has same-day voter registration.
Masks will be required at the polls and Lawrence reminds voters that distancing and disinfection will affect how long the voting process takes. Anyone with questions should call the town clerk’s office at 244-8447 or email clawrence@waterburyvt.com.
Duxbury sticks with drive-up voting for Nov. 3
In Duxbury, the August primary and June school budget re-vote both were done with curbside voting outside at Crossett Brook Middle School. Town Clerk Maureen Harvey and her crew liked the system enough to give it another go for the General Election. This time though it will take place at the Duxbury Town Office site on Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“We are doing drive-thru again at the town office, not CBMS,” Harvey wrote in a message this week. “The drive-thru will have a line for people that have their ballot in their certificate envelopes to just drop them and drive off. There will be another line for people who want to vote in person which will be done as a drive-thru in their car.”
Like Waterbury, voters also may drop off ballots at the town office until Nov. 2 either indoors during office hours or outside anytime using the locked dropbox, Harvey said.
So far, 400 ballots have been returned in Duxbury; that’s just over 37% of the ballots mailed to registered voters, according to the UVM tracking map.
Duxbury voters with questions should call the clerk’s office at 244-6660 or email to DuxTC@myfairpoint.net.