Absentee Ballots for Nov. 2 Election: Message from the Town Clerk

by | Oct 7, 2021 | Announcements, Voting & Elections

Due to COVID-19, all voters are permitted to vote by absentee ballot rather than appear at the polls for the November 2, 2021 Municipal Election. In anticipation of a great number of voters wishing to vote by absentee, the following recommendations are being offered:

  • Fill out an application and deliver it to the Official Ballot Drop Box on the sidewalk of Lyme Town Hall now. This will allow us to have ballot packets ready to go when we are permitted to begin mailing them out on October 1.  We are not allowed to issue ballots before this date. Click on this link to download an Absentee Ballot Application.
  • When you receive your ballot packet, it will contain five items: the outer envelope (designated with the letter “C”), the inner envelope (designated with the letter “B”), an instruction pamphlet, a flyer regarding the ballot drop box and the ballot.
  • Fill out your ballot, darkening only ONE oval per column. (Click here to see a sample ballot.Click here to see a sample ballot.) You may see the candidate you wish to vote for listed more than once, which indicates they were endorsed by more than one party.  DO NOT FILL IN ALL OVALS FOR THAT CANDIDATE, darken one oval only.
  • Insert the ballot into the inner “B” envelope and seal it. YOU MUST SIGN AND DATE THIS ENVELOPE IN ORDER FOR YOUR VOTE TO COUNT.  This is part of statutory election law.  I cannot stress this enough.  Ballots in unsigned envelopes will not be counted.
  • Insert the inner “B” envelope into the outer “C” envelope and seal it.
  • Deliver your completed ballot to the Official Ballot Drop Box on the sidewalk of Lyme Town Hall.
  • Do not wait until the last minute to submit an application if you wish to vote by absentee ballot. The sooner you submit your application, the better.
  • Do not wait until the last minute to complete your ballot and deliver it. Ballots received after polls close will not be counted. If you choose to mail your ballot rather than deposit it in the Official Ballot Drop Box and it is not received by the close of polls, it will not count.
  • Voters may still appear at the polls to vote in person on November 2 between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Should you have any questions regarding the upcoming election, you may email the Town Clerk at townclerk@townlyme.org or call the Town Clerk at the Town Hall Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.