HOW TO VOTE BY ABSENTEE BALLOT
IN THE TOWN OF WESTBROOK
(Although written for a referendum this procedure also applies to a regular election.)
Prepared by Gerry Dyar for members of the Westbrook Council of Beaches
Please contact him at 860-669-8115 with any comments or corrections.
I. Obtain an Application for the Absentee Ballot and a Copy of the Town Assessor’s Form
A. If you know you’re going to be out of town before any referendums are announced.
1. Get advance copies of all three forms below, either off the Internet or from the Town Clerk. Use these originals as masters to make additional copies as needed.
2. Fill out copies of ED-3 and the Appraisers form as needed for use in step II below.
3. OR: If appropriate, fill out and sign several, undated, copies of ED-3R and the Appraisers form and leave with your designee in Westbrook for use in step II below.
B. Use State form ED-3R for a referendums with less then 22 days advance notice.
1. For yourself or someone else, in person only, at the Town Clerk’s office.
a. ED-3R explains who is eligible to be a designee.
b. ED-3R is now available on the State web site at the request of the COB. You can download it from http://www.sots.state.ct.us/ElectionsDivision/elecfrms/ed3R.pdf
c. You will also need to get a copy of the Town Assessor’s form:
http://www.westbrookct.us/APPLICATION FOR PROPERTY OWNERS.pdf.
2. You and your designee will have to use the fastest means available to get through steps II.A.and III.A. below, within the referendum deadline.
C. OR State form ED-3 for referendums with more than 21 days advance notice of the referendum or for an elections.
1. In person at Town Clerk’s office.
2. OR: From the Internet or by phone:
a. Download ED-3 from State web site at: http://www.sots.state.ct.us/ElectionsDivision/Elecform.html
b. You will also need to get a copy of the Town Assessor’s form:
http://www.westbrookct.us/APPLICATION FOR PROPERTY OWNERS.pdf.
c. OR: Call Town Clerk at 860-399-3044. These applications can be faxed to you or sent by regular mail.
3. OR: Request from Town Clerk by mail.
a. Town Clerk; Town of Westbrook; 866 Boston Post Rd.; Westbrook, CT 06498-1881.
b. NOTE: You can use Express or Priority mail to speed up the mailing and enclose a prepaid Express or Priority self addressed envelope to speed up getting the application back to you.
II. Fill out the Absentee Ballot Application and the Assessor’s form and return them to the Town Clerk to obtain an absentee ballot.
A. In person at Town Clerk’s office (same visit if referendum date has been legally set. See IV below).
B. OR: By fax to Town Clerk’s office.
1. 860-399-3092
2. NOTE: The original filled out copy of the application and the Assessor’s form will have to be returned later in the envelope with the absentee ballot for your vote to count.
C. OR: By mail to the Town Clerk’s office.
1. Town Clerk; Town of Westbrook; 866 Boston Post Rd.; Westbrook, CT 06498-1881
2. NOTE: You can use Express or Priority mail to speed up the mailing and enclose a prepaid Express or Priority self addressed envelope to speed up getting the absentee ballot back to you.
III. Fill out the Absentee Ballot and return it to the Town Clerk to record your vote.
A. The instructions for filling out the Absentee Ballot, State form ED-15, which will be included in the packet you receive from the Town Clerk, is not currently available on the State web site. A facsimile copy is available on the COB web site at:
B. Return in person at Town Clerk’s office (same visit if referendum date has been legally set. See V below.).
C. Cannot be returned by fax.
D. OR: By mail to Town Clerk’s office
1. Town Clerk; Town of Westbrook; 866 Boston Post Rd.; Westbrook, CT 06498-1881
2. NOTE #1: If you faxed in the application and Assessors form the original filled out copies of these will have to be returned in the envelope with the absentee ballot for your vote to count.
3. NOTE #2: Your absentee ballot must be received at the Town Clerk’s office no later than the day of the referendum, before the Town Clerk’s office or the polls close, whichever occurs first
4. NOTE #3: You can use Express or Priority mail to speed up the mailing.
IV. Estimated elapsed time of the complete process (and your approximate mailing cost). The time allowed by law between the date of the adjourned Town Meeting the actual referendum is between 7 and 14 calendar days. Our current First Selectman, Tony Palermo is making every effort to schedule and notify the public of referendum dates and their preceding Town Meeting dates as far in advance as possible. Ideally this would be at least 28 days. Therefore, you should apply to the Town Clerk as soon as you know the scheduled date of the referendum, even though the absentee ballots will not available for pick up or mailing until the referendum date has been legally set by the adjourned Town Meeting. Off season the COB will be notifying Association members by email as soon as these dates are set, so be sure your name is on our email list or you have arranged with someone who is on the email list to call you when they get the email announcement.
A. In person: About a half hour. ($0.00)
B. Mixed methods:
1. Forms on hand, Internet or phone then fax and:
a. Regular mail/Express mail: 4-5 business days. ($13.65)
b. Regular mail/Priority mail: 5-7 business day. ($3.85)
c. Regular mail only: 8-10 business days. ($0.37)
2. Phone only and:
a. Regular mail/Express mail: 6-8 business days. ($40.95)
b. Regular mail/Priority mail: 9-11 business days. ($11.55)
c. Regular mail only: 9-15 business days. ($1.11)
C. Mail only (applying early could shave several days off of this process):
1. Express mail: 5-9 business days. ($54.60)
2. Priority mail: 11-12 business days. ($15.40)
3. Regular mail only: 15-20 business days. ($1.48)
DISCLAIMER: This procedure has been extensively reviewed, and every effort has been made to ensure that it is correct, but any person following it does so at their own risk. If in doubt on any point check with the Town Clerk 860-399-3040 or on line at http://www.westbrookct.us/pages/town_info/tcnews.html
Rev. 3/07© 2003-2007