Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas Reminds Voters of Options for Casting November General Election Ballot

September 25 2024

Montpelier, VT – As her office began the process of mailing General Election ballots to all active registered voters in the state, Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas reminded voters this week of their options for casting their ballot and emphasized the importance of having a voting plan.

The November General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. The following offices are up for election: U.S. President and Vice President, U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer, Secretary of State, Auditor of Accounts, Attorney General, State Senate seats, State Representative seats, High Bailiffs, and justices of the peace.

In 2021, the Vermont legislature passed Act 60, which requires the Secretary of State’s office to mail General Election ballots to all active registered voters automatically. Allowing time for postal delivery, Vermonters can expect their ballots to arrive via the United States Postal Service (USPS) by the first half of October.

“Unlike the previous elections we’ve had this year – Town Meeting Day in March and the Major Party Primary in August – for the November General Election, you don’t need to request an absentee ballot,” explained Secretary Copeland Hanzas. “Just keep an eye on your mailbox and start thinking about your voting plan.”

There are four main ways to cast your ballot in the November General Election.

1. Follow the included instructions to mail your ballot back to your clerk's office.
2. Bring your ballot to your clerk's office in-person during their open hours.
3. Drop your ballot into an official ballot drop box any time before Election Day.
4. If you want to vote in person on November 5^th, please bring your ballot with you to your polling place. Voters who arrive to vote in-person without the ballot that was mailed to them will need to sign an affidavit of "No Ballot Cast" before receiving a new ballot to vote then and there.

The Secretary also encouraged voters to visit My Voter Page. Voters can login to their My Voter Page and see if their ballot has been mailed to them. They can also track the ballot’s progress and, after they mail it back, confirm it was received by their respective town or city clerk. Starting in early October, voters will be able to use their My Voter Page to access the Online Vermont Voter Guide that the Secretary of State’s office is preparing for the first time for the 2024 General Election.

Secretary Copeland Hanzas also encouraged voters who choose to mail their ballot back to do so promptly.

“I recommend mailing your ballot back as soon as possible or taking advantage of the convenient option of dropping it in your town’s official ballot drop box, which you can do any time up to Election Day,” said Secretary Copeland Hanzas. “And if you prefer to vote in-person on November 5^th, please ‘Bring Your Own Ballot’ to avoid any delays at the polls.”

If a voter registered to vote after September 9, their respective town or city clerk will mail a ballot to them. Secretary Copeland Hanzas advised voters to reach out to their clerk if they do not receive their ballot in the mail by mid-October.

“Our town and city clerks play a huge role in making our elections a success,” said Copeland Hanzas. “They are also a great resource for voters!”

Voters can find their local clerk here: https://outside.vermont.gov/dept/sos/Elections Division/voters/townclerkguide.pdf

They can also find this information (and more) at the My Voter Page: https://mvp.vermont.gov/