Absentee Ballot Information
Applying for an Absentee Ballot
If a registered voter is unable to vote in person on Election Day, they may apply to the Town Clerk for an absentee ballot for any of the following reasons:
- Active service in the Armed Forces of the United States
- My absence from my town of residence
- Sickness
- My religious tenets forbid secular activity on the day of the election
- My duties as an election official at a polling place other than my own during all of the hours of voting
- Physical Disability
Before a ballot can be issued, an application must be completed and returned to this office. The application can be obtained in person, by mail or online (PDF) (the application must be printed from the webpage, signed by the voter and mailed or hand delivered to the Town Clerk's Office).
Absence or inability to vote in person does not mean that you must forfeit your right to vote! Voters are urged to contact the Town Clerk's Office at 860-793-0221 X 7151 with any specific questions.
Permanently Disabled
Public Act 12-57, "An Act Concerning Permanent Absentee Ballot Status for the Permanently Disabled" created permanent absentee balloting status for certain individuals and became effective January 1, 2013.
In General
To be eligible for permanent absentee ballot status, an elector must file with the Town Clerk an absentee ballot application together with a doctor's certificate stating that they have a permanent disability and are unable to appear in person at their polling place. The doctor's note should be on letterhead. There is no prescribed form-the doctor's note and the absentee ballot application would satisfy the requirement of the law.
Permanent absentee ballot status enables the elector to receive an absentee ballot for each election, primary and referendum in the municipality in which they are eligible to vote. Absentee ballots are available 21 days before a Primary and 31 days before an Election.
Eligibility
In January of each year the Registrars of Voters will send written notice to each elector with permanent absentee ballot status to determine if the elector continues to reside at the address on the permanent absentee ballot application. If the elector fails to respond to the notice, the permanent absentee ballot status will be removed, but the elector will remain on the voter registration list.