As was the case for the Primary and General Elections in the fall, COVID-19 protocols will not play a role in the Town Elections on Tuesday, March 14. We will have masks and hand-sanitizer available for anyone who wants them.
Voting on Town Election Day at the polls involves three ballots: the Town Officers Ballot, the School Board Ballot, and the Warrant Articles Ballot.
There are candidate statements in this issue of the Beacon. You will also find statements from people who missed the deadline for filing to run and who are therefore running as “write-in” candidates. Please be sure to read all statements.
Please keep in mind that there are two kinds of warrant articles for us to consider.
There are warrant articles that are required by law to be on the “official” printed ballot. Two of these warrant articles are from the Planning Board, one on Workforce Housing and one to clarify the existing language within Zoning Article VI- Nonconforming Structures Or Use. These warrant articles were explained at public hearings. There is also information in the February Beacon on these articles.
There are several additional warrant articles that will be on the agenda at Town Meeting. These warrant articles can only be voted on at Town Meeting. Please check Kimberley Edelmann’s article in this issue of the Beacon for information on these warrant articles.
You may vote absentee for reasons of:
being absent from Andover on Election Day
illness or disability
observance of a religious commitment
employment obligations requiring the voter to be at work when the polls are open
caring for children or infirm adults
You may call, email, or stop by Town Hall to get an application for an absentee ballot. You can also download the application for an absentee ballot from sos.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt561/files/inline-documents/sonh/absentee-ballot-application-local-election.pdf. You can find this form quickly by searching “request an absentee ballot New Hampshire Secretary of State.” Please be sure to select “Absentee Ballot Application for Local Election.”
It is important to note that if you request an absentee ballot you will receive three ballots: the Town Officers Ballot, the School District Ballot, and the ballot for the warrant articles. Please read the candidates’ statements in the March Beacon, and information on the Planning Board warrant articles in the February Beacon.
Timing is important! You do not want your absentee ballot to arrive by mail at Town Hall after election day. You may want to stop by Town Hall in person and fill out the absentee ballot application right away and receive the ballots immediately. You can vote then and return your ballot all in one visit to Town Hall.
If you receive your ballot in the mail, the best and quickest way to return it is to drop it off in person at Town Hall, when the Town Clerk is present.
If you are planning to register to vote on Election Day, please be sure to bring the following documents with you: proof of identity, age, citizenship, and domicile.
On Town Election Day, March 14, most people will vote in the Andover Elementary/Middle School gym in person. However, if you have mobility issues or you have small children with you in the car, you may let one of the greeters know that you would like to vote from your car with curbside/accessible voting, which follows the absentee ballot procedure. There will be volunteers who will collect your ID information, check you in with the ballot clerks, and return with the paperwork you need to vote.
Please be sure to be an informed voter and vote.
Please feel free to call or email me if you have any questions: 603 735-5756 or LeeWells.LocustFarm@nullgmail.com.