If you or a family member can’t make it to the polls on June 25th, you can still vote by absentee ballot. You can pick up an application for the ballot (and a grande latte to go) this Wednesday, May 29th from 4-7 at Starbucks.
This is not for early voting. Massachusetts only allows voters to vote by absentee ballot if they:
- will be absent from your city or town on election day, and/or
- have a physical disability that prevents your voting at the polling place, and/or
- cannot vote at the polls due to religious beliefs.
Starbucks is located at the Crossings, 154 Turnpike Road. Members of the Southborough Democratic Town Committee will be there to hand out applications out to the public. They will also have the Application for Absentee Ballot by a Family Member on hand.
A family member can request an absentee ballot for someone who will be unable to vote at the polls on election day. This includes a spouse or some person residing at the same household, including sons and daughters (including those away at college), in-laws, father, mother, sister, brother, adopting parent or adopted child, stepparent or stepchild, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, grandparent or grandchild.
Once you have an application, you can submit it by mail or directly to the Town Clerk’s office (where you can also pick up one in person). To be counted, your completed ballot must be received by the time the polls close on Election Day.
For more information on the process, or to directly download an application, you can check the state’s election and voting page here.
I have to say I am quite taken aback by this…is this even legal?!?! I was under the impression that all ballot and election paperwork was under the strict jurisdiction of the Town Clerk’s office. I do not understand how it can be that applications can be filled out off of town office property. I had to go to the Town Clerk’s office to apply for an absentee ballot for our daughter’s when they were away at college. To me this is a bit too loosey goosey with something as important as a way to get a ballot. I’m just sayin’…
Applications do not need to be filled out at the Clerk’s office, they can be mailed or brought in already completed. The form is also available to download from the state website. Which means it is available to anyone – but not everyone has easy access to a printer (or computer).
It appears that how you receive an application isn’t important – how you complete and submit one is.
Thanks, Beth…just seemed to me to be a bit too…unsupervised. Totally understand that it still has to be checked by the Town Clerk’s office before an actual ballot can be sent out. As I said, it just took me by surprise having never run into this before…and I have been voting a very long time :-)
As a registered independent voter, I want to thank the Southborough Democratic Town Committee for this great “get out the vote” effort. What a smart and creative idea.
Now that the Democrats have laid claim to Starbuck’s, perhaps the Republicans can reciprocate this good deed for the town by holding a similar event at Dunkin Donuts?
Then we could get the Liberterians to host one at Red Barn!
We’d all benefit!!!!
Hats off to the Dems!
Bravo!
Well, at least now the Dems are trying to register people who can fog a mirror as apposed to sending out letters encouraging EBT card holders to register/vote last fall (recent audit showing >1000 EBT card holders are dead).