Photo: Town Clerk will take absentee ballots until election day.

There’s still time to obtain absentee and early voting ballots: Deadline is Tuesday, March 31

Voters who are unable to go to the polls to vote on Election Day, or are worried about the COVID impacts, may request that a ballot be mailed to them. Requests must be in writing containing the voter’s signature and are due to the Town Clerk by 5 p.m., March 31 per a change made by the legislature.

An Absentee ballot application was included in every household’s February Belmont Light Bill and just this week, the Massachusetts Legislature extended availability of Early Vote by Mail to municipal elections held this spring.

The ballot is the same for Early Vote by Mail and Absentee Voting – please only file one request per voter so we can fulfill all requests in a timely way. If you’ve already filed an application to receive an Absentee ballot, do not file an Early Vote by Mail request. Applications can be dropped off or emailed to Voting@belmont-ma.gov

The ballot will be mailed to the voter using the US Postal Service; we ask voters to file requests early to avoid delays. Voted Absentee and Early Voting ballots may be mailed back or deposited in our secure Town Clerk Drop Box at the bottom of the steps to Town Hall, parking lot level. All ballots must be received by 8 p.m., close of polls on Election Day, April 6.

A Special Request: Belmont’s elementary school students will be returning to school full-time on Monday April 5, just one day before Election Day. If your precinct is located at Butler, Burbank or Winn Brook, and you can avoid voting during the school drop-off and pick-up times from 8:25 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., everyone will be safer and more relaxed.

Voters should wear masks and maintain social distance of at least six feet and be patient. Capacity limits at each polling place will be observed: dress appropriately for the weather – you may have to wait outside for a short time.