Election Day FAQs
Below is a list of Election Day FAQs. For a full index of voter registration or early/absentee voting, please click through to the corresponding page.
How do I find out where to vote on Election Day?
The best place to find out the location of your polling place, and much more election related information specific to you, is our My Voter Page online resource. To login, you will be asked for your Name, Date of Birth, Town of Residence, and Driver's License #, PID #, or the last four digits of your SSN.
At the My Voter Page, you can find you polling place, request and track an absentee ballot, update your voter registration record, and find a host of information regarding your upcoming elections.
Click to download a list of primary and general election polling places.
Note: Polling places for annual and special local elections are often in different locations than those for the primary and general elections. Please contact your town or city clerk to verify the location of polling places.
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What time do polling places open and close?
Polls open between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m., depending up the town. All polling places close at 7 p.m. See 17 V.S.A. §2561
For local polling place hours, please visit the My Voter Page.
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Am I required to show identification when I vote?
No. In Vermont, only first-time voters who have registered by mail have to show ID in order to vote. If you registered when you renewed your driver’s license, or as part of a voter registration drive, you will not be required to show ID.
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What happens if I show up to vote and my name is not on the checklist even though I registered before the deadline?
If for any reason your name is not on the voter registration list when you arrive at the polls, you can simply fill out a registration form and vote that day. Vermont now has same day voter registration.
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Can I ask for help when I go to vote?
If you need help voting you are allowed to bring someone with you—or you can ask for assistance from the election officials.
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What happens if I make a mistake when I vote?
If you make a mistake when you vote you can ask for a new ballot. They will take your first ballot and mark it “spoiled” so it won’t be counted, and they will give you a new ballot to vote.
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Will my ballot count if I only vote in a couple races?
Yes. There is no requirement that a voter vote the whole ballot. Your vote will be counted in every race where you recorded a vote.
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Do I have to vote for the candidates on the ballot?
No. You have the right to enter any name in the "write-in" space provided for each race on the ballot or to leave the ballot unmarked.
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Can I wear a shirt or button demonstrating my favorite candidate into the polling place?
No. If you plan to wear candidate paraphernalia, you will have to cover it while inside the building containing the polling place. The polling place is about voting, not campaigning—once voters have entered the polling place the campaigns have ended.
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Can I bring candidate information in with me when I go to vote?
Yes. Although the rule is that there is no politicking or campaigning in the polling place (you will be asked to remove candidate buttons or stickers) you can bring anything you need to help you vote into the voting booth.
You should be careful not to publicly display any material inside the building containing the polling place and to take any material out with you when you are done!
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I am visually impaired. How can I vote?
The Office of Secretary of State provides an Accessible Voting System that serves voters with a wide range of disabilities, including blind and visually impaired voters and voters with physical disabilities. An election official will assist you once you arrive at your polling place.
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I reside outside of the United States, but I am a United States citizen. Can I still vote in the United States?
Yes. You will complete a voter registration application along with an Early Absentee Request Form and enclose either a valid photo ID (driver’s license or passport), or a copy of a current utility bill or, a copy of a current bank statement or a copy of another government document.
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What is a provisional ballot?
Use of provisional ballots in Vermont is very rare. A person who is not on the checklist but asserts they submitted an application prior to the deadline is now provided an affidavit to swear to that fact. If they are willing to do so under the pains and penalty of perjury, they are allowed to vote.
Since it is very rare that someone is not on the checklist, does not assert they applied on time, but still demands to vote, the provisional ballot is rarely needed. It is only used if a person demanding to vote at the polling place is not on the checklist and the voter cannot affirm they registered to vote by the deadline.
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