The process for voting by absentee ballot includes qualifying, applying, obtaining the ballot and returning the ballot.
Public Portal for Online Absentee Ballot Applications: https://oabr-sots.ct.gov/
Print out the Application for Absentee Ballot available here, and mail it to:
Cheshire Town Clerk 84 South Main St. Cheshire, CT 06410
You may also come in person to the Town Clerk's Office to fill out your application and immediately receive your ballot to vote. If you'd like an application mailed to you, please call our office at 203-271-6601.
To QUALIFY for voting by absentee ballot, an elector must be unable to appear at the required polling place during all hours of voting for one of the following reasons:
Active service in the Armed Forces of the United States
Absence from the town of residence
Sickness
Religious tenets forbid secular activity on the day of the election, primary or referendum
Duties as an election or referendum official at a polling place other than his/her own during all of the hours of voting
Physical disability
Permanent absentee ballot status for people with disabilities is available, but applications must be accompanied by an explanatory letter from a physician
To obtain an absentee ballot, an elector must first submit an application with an original signature to the Town Clerk's office by mail or in person. Absentee ballot applications are available here, from the Connecticut Secretary of State's website, and from the Town Clerk's office, either in person or by mail (requests can be submitted by calling 203 271-6601 or in writing to the Town Clerk, 84 South Main St., Cheshire, CT 06410). Ballots are then issued for each valid application. The actual absentee ballots for each election are available one month prior to the election, or three weeks before a referendum. These ballots can be picked up at the Town Clerk's office by the applicant or can be mailed directly to the applicant. Please note that anyone may pick up an absentee ballot application for an elector, however, the ballot itself can only be handed in person to the elector named on the application or mailed directly to the applicant. Ballots may be returned to the Town Clerk's office by the applicant in person, by mail, or in the ballot box located at Town Hall. An immediate family member may return a ballot, but must show identification and sign the sealed ballot envelope in front of a staff member. All ballots must be returned by 8:00 p.m. on the day of the election or referendum to be counted.
Sample ballots for upcoming elections will be posted here.
Please contact us at 203 271-6601 or visit the Town Clerk’s Office for more information.