Eligible Voters, Including College Students, Can Apply Now for Absentee Ballots
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West Hartford Town Hall. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
West Hartford residents who are eligible for absentee ballots for this year’s election, including college students who are registered to vote, can apply any time until Nov. 7, 2015.
By Ronni Newton
By the middle to end of August many college students will be leaving West Hartford temporarily, and many won’t be back in town for the Nov. 8, 2016, election but that’s not a reason not to vote.
One additional task that many will want to add to their pre-college checklist is applying for an absentee ballot.
Others who won’t be in town on Nov. 8 should also think ahead about applying for an absentee ballot.
Detailed information about the absentee ballot process can be found on the Town of West Hartford’s website. Those planning to vote by absentee ballot must be absent from West Hartford during all hours of voting, be ill, have a disability, be active in the armed forces, have duties as an elected official at a polling place, or have religious tenets prohibiting voting in person on election day.
According to Town Clerk Essie Labrot, college students should be sure to include their home address in West Hartford on the ballot – if that’s where they are registered to vote – as well as the address to which they would like their absentee ballot sent. The ballots can be sent either to home or to school.
After the student signs the ballot and puts it in the envelope, either the student can mail it in or their parent can deliver it to the Town Clerk’s office with their signature on the envelope. Strict procedures must be followed, and penalties can be faced for failing to properly handle the absentee ballots.
Because this is a presidential election year, a high volume of absentee ballots are expected.
Information about registering to vote in West Hartford, including the link to online registration, can be found on the Registrar of Voters section of the Town of West Hartford’s website.
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