RETURNING Early Ballot/Voting at the Polls

Be sure to use black pen when marking the ballot, felt tip pen works best (sharpie does not work well because it bleeds through the paper), Be sure to sign the certificate envelope and place your ballot inside, Be sure to note that the ballot is 2-sided, It is OK to leave a race blank, that tabulator will count all races that you mark. Be sure to look at the vote for no more than number specified : example State Representative "vote for no more than two", Justice of the Peace "vote for no more than twelve" --- it is OK to vote for less than that but make sure you don't vote for more.

Monday November 4th the Town Clerk Office will be open 8am to 4pm. 4pm on Monday is the deadline to request an early ballot

Returning an early ballot: If you are returning an early ballot to Jericho Town Hall, the outside drop box to the left of the front door is the Official Ballot Drop Box for Jericho voters. The dropbox is available 24/7 until it closes on Monday November 4th, 4pm. If you plan on voting early, it is helpful to drop off the ballot over the weekend so that we have time to process the ballot as returned in the Vermont Election Management System. This way when we print the checklist Monday evening the your name will be pre-checked off for the poll workers on election day. (If you used the smaller black drop box at the base of the stairs, instead of the "Official Ballot Drop Box" to the left of the door, we still got your ballot.)

Ballots can also be returned via the Official Ballot Drop Box until 4pm on Monday November 4th. If your ballot does not make it to the drop box by Monday at 4pm, anyone can bring it back for you at the polls (Mount Mansfield Union High School) on Tuesday November 5th. If someone else is returning your ballot at the polls on election day, you will need to seal it in the certificate envelope and sign the certificate envelope. All ballots received by Tuesday November 5th 7pm will be counted.

We will continue to check the mail, including election day, for returned ballots.

If you plan to vote in person on election day, we will be at Mt Mansfield Union High School 7am to 7pm. School is not in session so parking in the front lot is fine. The best possible scenario is to bring the ballot that was mailed to you.

* If you have already marked your ballot, you can check in at the entrance table and then go straight to the vote tabulator to cast your ballot.

*If you still need to mark your ballot after you check in at the entrance table, you can fill out the ballot in a voting booth and then go to the vote tabulator to cast your ballot.

*If you have the ballot that was mailed to you, but you made a mistake and want a new ballot, you can return the first ballot at the entrance check in and receive a second ballot. (You can get a new ballot up to 3 times)

* If you don't have the ballot that was mailed to you, then you will need to fill out an affidavit. We will have the affidavit at the polling place. Once you sign the affidavit, a second ballot will be issued to you. (This is also true for voters that registered to vote in Jericho after September 3rd that transferred their voter registration from another Vermont town.)

Mount Mansfield Union High School, 211 Browns Trace is the polling place for Jericho voters. The polls will be open from 7am to 7pm on Tuesday November 5th.

If you want to track the status of your early/absentee ballot go to mvp.vermont.gov also know as "My Voter Page"

There are currently 2 returned ballots marked as returned defective and "My Voter Page" will tell you how to "cure" the ballot. These are 2 residents that I did not have a phone or email contact so a post card was mailed to you with directions how to cure it.

We have also received 6 ballots back (3 in drop box and 3 by mail) that were in the outside mailing envelope but the inside certificate envelope was not there. There was no return address on the outside mailer so we have no way to know who the ballot came from. These were received between October 15 and October 26. So if you check the status of your absentee ballot on line and it show that it is not returned, this may be you. Another hint would be if you found the certificate envelope at home after you returned your ballot. As of November 1st, all returned ballots through November 1st will show as returned (2,111 RETURNED so far). This will be updated throughout the weekend.

Here is a link to track state wide to check on the return of early ballots (% returned of each Town's checklist) https://ccn-election-map-2024.netlify.app/

At the Center for Research on Vermont, this ballot tracker was put together to show absentee ballots returned – updated to reflect new numbers every time the Sec of State sends out their updates.

Sample Affidavit of No Vote Cast

Affidavit of No Ballot Cast This affidavit may be given to voters who have been issued a ballot but who have not returned that ballot or otherwise cast a ballot in this election, and did not bring the ballot that was issued to them to the polling place, before they are provided a ballot and permitted to vote.

I, , do hereby swear/affirm that I have not returned any ballot previously issued to me, nor have I otherwise cast a ballot in the: (Election Name and Date) Subscribed and sworn to this day of , . (Month) (Year) (Signature of Voter)

13 V.S.A. §2901 – Punishment for perjury: “A person who, being lawfully required to depose the truth in a proceeding in a court of justice, commits perjury shall be imprisoned not more than fifteen years and fined not more than $10,000.00, or both.” 17 V.S.A. §1971 – “A legal voter who knowingly casts more than one ballot at any one time of balloting for the same office shall be fined not more than $1,000.00 if the offense is committed at a primary or general election, and not more than $100.00 if committed at a local election.”