TOWN CLERK’S OFFICE
Important Update from the Town Clerk Regarding Absentee Ballot Voting Process
The Town’ Clerks office is being inundated with calls regarding Absentee Ballot Applications for the November 3rd Presidential Election. The Secretary of the State’s office has updated us with the following information that may help to answer your questions and concerns. If you have additional questions, I respectfully request that you email them to us at the above address and we will answer them as quickly as we can.
The Secretary of the State’s Office will be mailing an Application for an Absentee Ballot to all registered voters in mid-September. Pursuant to Public Act 20-03 Special Session, the existence of the COVID-19 virus allows you to vote by absentee ballot if you so choose for your own safety for this election only. We ask that you please wait for that application to arrive. Please do not download and mail in the application that can be found on their website, as the applications that will be mailed out will be specifically bar-coded for each individual voter and will help us to process them faster and more efficiently. If you do not receive your application by the last week in September, please email us and we will get one to you.
Absentee Ballots become available beginning October 2nd, and will be sent out by this office in the U.S. mail on that day to anyone who has filled out an application and mailed it to this office in time to allow us to process the request into the State’s Connecticut Voter Registration System. For any applications returned to us after that date, the ballots will be mailed out within 48 hours of receipt of your application. You will be able to deliver your application form, after October 2, directly to the town hall, however you will need to come back the following day to pick your ballot up or allow us to mail it to you, depending on the timing. We will not be able to process your ballot as you wait. We cannot issue a ballot to anyone except the applicant. You are not allowed to collect anyone else’s ballot, nor will anyone else be allowed to pick up your ballot. The application form however, may be delivered to this office by you or anyone else you designate to deliver it. If you will be submitting your application within six days of the election, I urge you to do so in person, as there will not be enough time at that point for your ballot to be received by you through the mail.
When you receive your ballot packet please carefully read the instructions on the proper method of absentee ballot voting in order to insure that your ballot will not be rejected at the Polls.
There is a locked ballot drop box located outside the back entrance of the Town Hall Building. That box will be available after Oct. 2nd to receive your completed ballots only. I highly recommend that you deposit your completed ballot into this drop box instead of sending it through the U.S. mail. The ballot box is not available for the return of applications.
There will be no use of a mail house. My office will be responsible for issuing all of the absentee ballots for the November 3rd Election. This election will be unprecedented in regards to the volume of Absentee Ballots that we will process. It is an enormous undertaking that the Secretary of the State’s Office has given us and we appreciate your patience and understanding during this time. The Town of Litchfield has over 6,775 registered voters and we will do all we can to ensure that everyone who wants to vote by Absentee Ballot will be able to do so.
Please keep in mind that voting in this way is only an OPTION. The Polls will be open, sanitized and safe, from 6AM to 8PM on Election Day, November 3, 2020 for all those who wish to cast their vote in person. In that case just disregard your application.
Thank you for your attention. Please send an email if you have any questions and we will respond as quickly possible. Hoping you all stay safe and be well.
Best Regards,
Lisa A. Losee, Town Clerk
L Robyn Ryle, Asst. Town Clerk