On Monday, March 7, voters can vote on the School District Warrant Articles at the annual School District Meeting at AE/MS.
On Tuesday, March 8, the polls at AE/MS will be open from 11 AM to 7 PM for voting on Town and School District officers and on a Planning Board proposal. Please remember to bring an ID with you.
The only opportunity voters will have to vote on the rest of the Town Warrant Articles is in person at Town Meeting on Tuesday, March 8. The meeting begins at 7 PM.
As deputy moderator in charge of the election, it is important to me that as many people vote as possible, and that they feel as safe as possible as they do it.
Voters may vote absentee if they are concerned about COVID-19. To get an absentee ballot, you must first apply for it. 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 the Secretary of State’s website at sos.nh.gov/elections/voters/absentee-ballots/request-an-absentee-ballot/.
You can print out the application at home, fill it out, and then mail it or bring it to Town Hall. You will notice that the absentee ballot application does not list “concern about COVID” as a reason for requesting an absentee ballot; you should check off the “disability” box instead.
It is important to note that if you request an absentee ballot you will receive two ballots: the Town Officers ballot and the School District Officers ballot.
If you stop by Town Hall in person and fill out the absentee ballot application right away, you can receive the two 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 way to return it is to drop it off in person at Town Hall when Town Hall is open; you can hand your ballot directly to our Town Clerk, Lisa Meier.
If you drop it off at the Andover Post Office and put it in the “local” mail slot, it will be placed directly in the Town Hall’s PO box.
This is not the case at the East Andover Post Office; any ballots mailed from there or from our mailboxes in front of our homes will be sent to Manchester first for sorting. Please plan ahead and allow enough time for your ballot to arrive on time if you are voting by mail.
On Town Election Day, Tuesday, March 8, there are two ways to vote. You may come into AE/MS to vote in person, or you may let one of the greeters know that you would like to vote from your car with curbside/accessible voting.
Anyone may vote curbside. In the past we have seen parents not wanting to bring their kids with them into the polling place vote curbside, and we have seen people with mobility issues vote curbside.
If you do vote curbside, just let the greeters know that you would like to vote curbside. They will verify your ID, check you in with the ballot clerks, and bring you all the paperwork for you to vote.
The warrant articles and a sample ballot are in this issue of the Beacon, as well as candidate’s statements. Please take the time to read the candidates’ statements and be an informed voter.
If you would like to volunteer to help out at the election or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 603 735-5756 or LeeWells.LocustFarm@nullgmail.com.