ABSENTEE BALLOTS

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT?

Information on voting by absentee ballot can be found on the website of the Connecticut Secretary of the State:www.ct.gov/sots/cwp/view.asp?a=3179&q=392214&sotsnav_gid=1846

Registered voters in Connecticut may vote by absentee ballot if they are unable to vote in person for any of the following reasons:

• Absence from town of registration during all election hours;
• Inability to attend polling place due to Illness or physical disability;
• Active service in the U.S. Armed Forces;
• Religious beliefs which forbid secular activity on election day; or
• Service as an election official at a polling place other than the polling place where they vote.

Registered voters who are enrolled with a political party can request an absentee ballot for primaries as well as for general elections.

HOW TO OBTAIN AN ABSENTEE BALLOT

Registered voters can obtain applications for absentee ballots from their local Town Clerk or Registrar of Voters. If the voter is already out of town, application forms can be mailed to them as long as sufficient time is allowed for round-trip mailings of the application and the ballot. Applications in English or Spanish can also be downloaded from the website of the Connecticut Secretary of the State: (www.sots.ct.gov/sots/cwp/view.asp?a=3179&q=392218#AbsenteeBallot) Absentee ballots are available beginning 31 days before an election, 21 days before a primary, or 19 days before a referendum upon receipt of an application.

WHERE TO RETURN AN ABSENTEE BALLOT

Applications must be returned by mail or in person to the local Town Clerk either separately or along with the absentee ballot. Applications can be faxed, but an original application with the voter’s signature must also be mailed to the Town Clerk. Absentee ballots and applications must be received by the poll closing time of the day of the election, primary or referendum or they will not be counted.

TO FIND PROVIDERS IN CONNECTICUT'S COMMUNITY RESOURCES DATABASE:
Search by service name: Voter Registration Offices

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SOURCE: Connecticut Secretary of the State website
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CONTENT LAST REVIEWED: October2011