Voting might feel like a daunting endeavor, especially for the first time. However, it is a relatively straightforward process. The following will offer step-by-step directions on how to cast an empowered vote in Charlotte.
How do I register to vote?
If you are 18 years of age or older, a United States citizen and a resident of Vermont, you are eligible to vote on Tuesday, Nov 5.
Registering to vote can be done online, by mail or in person. Vermont also offers same-day voter registration. If registering online or by mail, you must provide an acceptable form of ID. Registering in person is done at the Charlotte Town Clerk’s office. Contact Town Clerk Mary Mead at 802-425-3071.
If registering for the first time, you must take the Voter’s Oath, one of the Green Mountain State’s little quirks.
How can I vote by mail?
Once you have registered to vote, the next step is casting your ballot.
Absentee ballots for the general election will be mailed by Oct. 1 to all active registered voters. Also, you can request an early or absentee ballot by contacting your town clerk online, by snail mail or in person. First-time or unregistered voters can register and send an absentee ballot request at the same time.
The deadline for requests is 5 p.m. on the day before Election Day and the deadline for ballot submissions is before 7 p.m. on Election Day.
If you are sick or have a disability, you may request an absentee ballot be delivered to your home on Election Day. For more information, contact the town clerk or the Vermont Secretary of State’s office or visit the website.
Click to request an absentee ballot.
How can I vote in-person?
Charlotte’s polling place is town hall, 159 Ferry Road. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Mail-in or early voting ballots are accepted at in-person ballot drop boxes across the state. You will find the local drop box located at the front door of the Charlotte Town Hall.
Polling and ballot drop box locations are accessible via the Green Mountain Transit bus system. Visit ridegmt.com to find more information on bus routes and schedules.
Who are the local candidates?
Charlotte belongs to the Chittenden-Southeast State Senate District. Three seats are up for election and five candidates on the ballot: incumbents Thomas Chittenden (D), Virginia Lyons (D) and Kesha Ram Hinsdale (D), as well as challengers Bruce Roy (R) and Taylor Craven (I).
For House District Chittenden-5, incumbent Chea Waters Evans (D) is uncontested.
CCTV is hosting candidate forums prior to Nov. 5, which you can access here. For more candidate events, click here.
(Via the Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship, on assignment for The Charlotte News.)
This post was originally published on here
