January 4, 2008
Charlene Casoria Gagnier
Public Information Manager

UNDERSTANDING THE ABSENTEE BALLOT PROCESS AS ELECTIONS DRAW NEAR

With the Presidential Preference Primary only weeks away, Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall would like to review the procedures of voting by absentee ballot for those wishing to vote in this manner. She asks that all who plan to vote by absentee and have not already made a request, to do so as soon as possible. For a voter’s absentee ballot to be counted, it must be received by the Department of Elections office no later than 7:00 pm Election Night.

Polling places cannot accept absentee ballots to be counted on Election Day; if a voter orders an absentee ballot, and chooses to vote at the polls instead, the voter must surrender the ballot in person and the poll worker will reissue another ballot to be voted in person. If the voter cannot produce the absentee ballot, the voter will be allowed to vote a provisional ballot.

Voters are reminded that they can order an absentee ballot in person, by mail, phone, fax, e-mail and on-line. A voter can request an absentee ballot through the next two regularly scheduled general elections, or for a single election. When ordering an absentee ballot, please provide the voter’s name, residence address, date of birth – and signature if it is a written request. Requests may be made by the voter or a member of the voter’s immediate family.

Absentee ballots are nonforwardable and will be mailed to the voter’s address on file with the Supervisor of Elections unless the voter specifies in the request that he/she will be absent from the county on election day or is temporarily unable to occupy his/her residence. In this case the ballot shall be sent to the address the voter specifies on the request. Requests for absentee ballots to be mailed to a voter must be received no later than 5:00 pm on the 6th day before the election.

Anyone may pick up an absentee ballot for another person, with written, signed permission from the voter, no earlier than 5 days before an election. Written permission must state designee’s name, whether the person is related to the voter or not, and if so, what the relationship is to the voter. Designee must provide identification.

A person may come to the office of the Supervisor of Elections and vote in person or leave with the ballot and return it in person or by mail. An individual may pick up absentee ballots for a maximum of two individuals who are not in their immediate family. There is no limit on the number of absentee ballots a person may return to the Department of Elections.

A voter must sign the VOTER’S CERTIFICATE on the back of the mailing envelope in order for the ballot to be counted. A power of attorney signature on behalf of a voter is not acceptable.