Ballots are here – How to vote by Nov. 5

News

Oct 11

Written By Community News Service and Waterbury Roundabout

October 11, 2024  |  By Camryn Brauns, Tova Brickley and Grace Cook | Community News Service

General Election Day, Nov. 5, is a month away and ballots are arriving by mail for every registered Vermont voter.

Reporters with the University of Vermont’s Community News Service journalism internship program compiled these tips on how to vote, how to register to vote, and where to get more information.

On the ballot are candidates for office from the President of the United States to all 180 seats in the Vermont state Legislature. Vermont’s one seat in Congress is on the ballot as is one of the state’s two U.S. Senate seats.

Candidates for Vermont’s six statewide offices are on the ballot: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Treasurer, Secretary of State, Auditor of Accounts and Attorney General. High Bailiffs by county are also on the list as are local candidates for Justice of the Peace.

This is the third General Election and second presidential contest where active registered Vermont voters are receiving ballots by mail. The practice began in 2020 early in the COVID-19 pandemic to avoid public gatherings where the virus could spread. Turnout that year was high and state lawmakers and Gov. Phil Scott enacted a law in 2021 to make the mailed ballots a new routine going forward for General Elections.

Voting early and on Nov. 5

Voters can mark their ballots once they receive them and return them to their town or city clerk by mail, in person during regular business hours, or in the secure drop boxes outside municipal offices.

Election officials advise not relying on mail to return ballots once Election Day is a week away.

On Nov. 5, voters can also bring their ballots to the polls to either drop them off if they are marked, or to mark them there in person and turn them in.

If you go to the polls without the ballot you received in the mail, you will need to request a new ballot and sign an affidavit attesting to the fact that you have not voted your original ballot already.

All ballots need to be turned in by 7 p.m. on Nov. 5 when the polls close.

In Waterbury, voting will take place on Nov. 5 at Brookside Primary School. In Duxbury, voting will be done in the drive-through loop outside of the town office and highway garage.

Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Registering to vote

To vote, you must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old by Election Day, a resident of Vermont and a resident in the precinct in which you want to vote.

First-time voters need to register and take the Voter’s Oath. Voter registration can be done at municipal clerks’ offices during regular business hours, via the Secretary of State’s website or at the election polls on Election Day.

More information on registering to vote is online at the state’s My Voter Page website.

Once registered, first-time voters should go to the polls prepared to present either a valid form of ID (such as a passport or driver’s license) or the last four digits of their Social Security Number. Vermont does not require any identification for returning voters.

New Online Vermont Voter Guide

New on the Secretary of State’s website this year is an Online Vermont Voter Guide with information on all of the candidates on the November ballot.

All federal, statewide, and legislative candidates were invited to submit a profile that includes a photo, a candidate statement, contact information, and social media links. The Guide also includes voting instructions and a list of position descriptions for elected officials so that people can learn more about the duties of each office.

Find the guide two ways: using My Voter Page, the guide will display with the candidates specific to your voting district; a Statewide Guide is available as well with search functions to narrow down results.