Step 1: Watch for your Application for an Absentee Ballot
The Secretary of the State (SOTS) will mail absentee ballot applicationsto every registered voter, regardless of affiliation, in the State of Connecticut on a rolling basis between Tuesday September 8th and Friday September 11th.
If you haven’t received your application by early October, you can download one directly from the Secretary of the State’s website or by clicking here.
Step 2: Fill out your ballot application as soon as you get it!
Do not delay! Be sure to check the COVID-19 box (pictured below) when filling out the application. This is the vital change made to the statutory language: now, anyone who fears catching or spreading Covid is allowed to vote for that reason.
Mail your application to the Town Clerk’s Office (127 Norwich Ave Suite 101) as soon as it is completed. You do NOT need postage! Contrary to misinformation being circulated on Facebook, your Absentee Ballot Application does NOT require stamps. The SOTS has taken care of postage.
Voters should be aware that the absentee ballots themselves cannot be distributed prior to October 2nd, by Connecticut law. The small amount of time between October 2nd and November 3rd makes it imperative that voters return their applications and their ballots as soon as possible.
Step 3: Fill Out Your Ballot
Remember you will be voting for four candidates:
1. President of the United States
2. U.S. Congressman (for the 2nd District)
3. State Senator (for the 33rd senatorial district)
4. State Representative (for the 48th district or the 34th District)
Step 4: Return your Ballot
Once you have filled out your Absentee Ballot, you have three options.
1. You may mail it back to your Town Clerk. Given the anticipated postal service slowdown, please do not delay.
2. You may drop it off (physically) at the secure Absentee Ballot drop box installed outside of your town hall. The SOTS is recommending this as the safest option.
3. If you have received an Absentee Ballot, but change your mind and choose instead to vote in person on Election Day, you can still do so. Simply rip up your Absentee Ballot. (As a precaution, bring the ripped ballot with you to the polls so it is clear to the poll volunteers you have not already voted.)