Make Sure Your Absentee Counts!
Our goal is for zero absentee ballots to be rejected at the polls.
The City Clerk’s Office strongly encourages absentee voters to take the following steps to make sure their ballot is counted:
- Read the step-by-step instruction letter that you receive with your absentee ballot.
- Sign the certificate envelope on the line marked “Signature of Voter.”
- Have your witness sign the certificate envelope on the line marked “Signature of Witness.” It is perfectly acceptable if your witness is your spouse or significant other.
- Have your witness write their address underneath the witness signature (street number, street name, municipality, state, zip code).
- Seal the envelope.
- Mail your absentee ballot back to the Clerk’s Office as early as possible. The ballot must be to your polling place by 8:00 pm on Election Day.
- If you have moved, register to vote at your new address. Crossing out the address on your absentee label and writing in your new address does not update your voter registration.
- Vote absentee in the Clerk’s Office or at an In-Person Absentee Voting location.
Absentee ballots are rejected for the following reasons:
-
Voter has not signed absentee certificate envelope.
- Voter has not had a witness sign the absentee certificate envelope.
- Witness did not write address on absentee certificate envelope (street number, street name, municipality).
- Ballot has not been received by Election Day.
- Voter has not registered to vote at their current address.
- Voter has not sealed the absentee certificate envelope.
- Voter dies before Election Day.