Accessible Voting Guide

The Town of Brattleboro believes that everyone who is eligible and interested in voting should have the opportunity to do so. If you need assistance voting or registering to vote, view the guide below to learn more about your options.

We also understand that everyone’s situation is unique. Please contact the Town Clerk’s Office if you have questions or concerns. Call 802-251-8157 or email [email protected].

Helpful links:

Absentee Ballots

Absentee ballots can help people vote who are unable or opt not to make it to the polling location. You may request an absentee ballot at the Vermont Voter Portal, in-person, via email, or by phone. Please note that ballots can only be handed to the voter. We cannot give you a ballot for someone else. Below are some examples of how this service might be used:

• In some situations, such as an extended illness or hospitalization, two Justices of the Peace can hand-deliver absentee ballots to voters by request. Please call the Town Clerk’s office to arrange for this type of in-person ballot delivery. If you are ill or disabled, you may also request to have your ballot emailed to you.

• Military or overseas voters may also request an absentee ballot by telephone, email, or by mail to be emailed to them. Under Vermont law, voted ballots must be returned to the town clerk inside the absentee certificate envelope (with the voter’s original signature). Voted ballots may not be returned by fax or email. Ensure that you request your ballot far enough in advance of the election to ensure that you will have enough time to return your ballot via postal service. You must be LIVING overseas or serving in the military in order to receive your ballot electronically.

In-Person Early Voting

Brattleboro offers in-person early voting. A few weeks before voting day, a voter may come into the Town Clerk’s office during office hours and cast their ballot. A short form will need to be filled out, and then you can vote and place your ballot right through the ballot machine, just like on voting day!

Same-Day Voter Registration

Beginning January 1, 2017, eligible persons may register to vote on any day up to and including the day of the election.

Registration is available during all normal business hours of your town or city clerk's office on days preceding the election and at your polling location during polling hours on Election Day. 17 V.S.A. § 2144

You may also register to vote online, here.

Once you are registered to vote you do not need to re-register unless you move to a new town. If you move to a new address within the same town, you will need to change your address on file.

Accommodations at the Polling Place

If you need accommodations to assist you with voting, you may:

• Bring a person of your choice into the voting booth with you for assistance. This person does not need to be a registered voter. Two election workers may also fulfill this role at the polling location.

• Ask an election official for assistance with marking your ballot (two election officials will assist you)

• Ask an election official to bring a ballot to your car (two election officials will assist you)

• Bring a magnifying glass or other devices to help you use the ballot

• Bring a list of candidates into the voting booth to help you

• Ask for another ballot (maximum of 3) if you make a mistake

• Ask to use the Accessible Voting Machine for any State or Federal elections.

• Have a specific request? Contact the Town Clerk’s Office to request accommodations.

Voting from a Facility

In Vermont, you can vote in the last town you lived in before entering a facility, even if the facility is out of state. Alternately, you can register to vote at the address of the location you are in if it is one of the following: a nursing home, a veterans home, boarding at a school, a retirement community, or a healthcare facility. Please contact your Town Clerk to help you register if you have questions.

Voting while Incarcerated

Vermont allows currently incarcerated people with felonies to vote. To vote while in prison (incarcerated), you will need to request that an absentee ballot be sent to you at the mailing address of the prison you are in. Be sure you request your absentee ballot and send your completed ballot back to the Town Clerk’s Office before General Election Day. Your ballot must be received by the Town Clerk by the close of polls in order for your vote to count.

Voting while Experiencing Homelessness

In Vermont, you are not required to give a street address to register to vote. Vermont allows you to register in the town where you currently stay. Because Brattleboro has three voting districts, you will need to provide a sense of where you usually sleep, so that you can be registered in the correct district. If you are living in a homeless shelter, you can use the shelter’s address as your place of residence. A Social Security number or photo ID is required to register to vote in Vermont.