Cassandra
What’s scarier than a haunted Halloween? Not getting your vote counted during one of the starkest presidential elections in U.S. history. Election officials are warning early voters that ballots should be dropped off in person or in ballot boxes and no longer mailed through the U.S. Postal Service in order to get counted in the general election.
Early voting has been going strong, and ballots are coming into local municipal offices daily. However, with just five days until election day, both the Barre and Montpelier city clerks urge early voters to drop off ballots either at their local city hall or in a ballot box.
“At this time we are not recommending anyone mail any ballots in because of the postal system having so many delays,” said Cheryl Metivier, Barre City clerk and treasurer. Metivier said early ballots can be dropped off at her office at the city hall at 6 North Main Street, or in one of the ballot boxes located in front of or behind the building; those are checked once or twice a day, she said.
“I think (voters) feel better when they hand them directly to our hands. They’ve seen the news stories about ballot boxes,” Metivier told The Bridge in a telephone interview on Oct. 31.
As of Halloween Day, Oct. 31, Barre City has received 2,187 early ballots, representing almost half the city’s active registered voters. Metivier said, noting that they continue to come in every day. And Montpelier has received 2,500 early ballots as of Oct. 31, said Montpelier City Clerk John Odum, noting that this is only the second time this level of early voting has happened in a presidential election. The first was during the early days of the COVID-19 election in 2020.
“Every ballot that gets counted has to be received by the time polls close on election day,” Odum said.
Early voters can deliver ballots by hand either to the city clerk’s office or use the 24-hour ballot box just behind the building, he said.
And speaking of early voting, voters can also cast their ballots this Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Montpelier City Hall on Main Street from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Polls will be open for election day on Tuesday, Nov. 5 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Montpelier City Hall on Main Street. Also on Nov. 5, Barre City polls will be open at the Barre Auditorium from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“We don’t have any reason to believe we’ll have a problem, but we are going to be on higher alert and keep our eyes open,” noted Odum. “We’re speaking to the chief of police to make sure we’re on the same page, but have no reason to (be concerned).”
For more information about voting in Vermont, go to sos.vermont.gov/elections/voters/voter-guide.
