Two Weeks To Go: Voting In Person, Voting By Mail

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Photo: You can stuff your ballot in the drop box outside Town Hall up to and including election day, Tuesday, April 6 at 8 p.m.

Belmont Town Clerk Ellen Cushman wants eligible voters to know there are three ways to cast your ballot for the annual Town Election being held on Tuesday, April 6.

Vote by Mail Options

Absentee Voting or Early Vote by Mail
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 so 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; The Town Clerk asks voters to file requests early to avoid delays. Voted 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.

Voting In Person

Registered voters may cast their ballots in person only on Election Day; polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the usual polling locations:

  • Precinct One: Belmont Memorial Library, Assembly Room, 336 Concord Ave.
  • Precinct Two: Belmont Town Hall, Select Board Room, 455 Concord Ave.
  • Precinct Three: Beech Street Center , 266 Beech St.
  • Precinct Four: Daniel Butler School Gym, 90 White St.
  • Precinct Five: Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.
  • Precinct Six: Belmont Fire Headquarters, 299 Trapelo Rd.
  • Precinct Seven: Burbank School Gym, 266 School St.
  • Precinct Eight: Winn Brook School Gym, 97 Waterhouse Rd., Enter From Cross Street

To see the specimen ballots or download an Absentee or vote by mail application, please visit the Town Clerk’s web page:

http://www.belmont-ma.gov/town-clerk

Absentee Ballot Applications Coming With Your Light Bill

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Photo: Look in your Light bill for the application.

Due to the latest pandemic surge, the Belmont Town Clerk’s Office and Board of Registrars of Voters has collaborated with Belmont Light to include an application to receive an absentee ballot in customer’s February bill.

If you feel you qualify, please forward your application to the Belmont Town Clerk as soon as possible. The application can be copied for additional voters. Once the ballots have been printed, they will be mailed to voters in the order applications are received.

For more information, head over to the Town Clerk’s web page under Elections: Vote By Mail.

FYI: Town Clerk Provides Voting Updated For Annual Town Election June 23

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Photo: “I voted” sticker

By: Ellen Cushman, Belmont Town Clerk

Do you usually like to vote in person on Election Day, and vote early in the morning, in the afternoon or early evening? For the June 23 annual Town Election you could miss out. 

In-person voting at the precincts on Election Day will be limited from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the safety of our election workers and voters. 

This is a different election and different behavior will keep us all safe and guarantee your vote gets counted on Election Day. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has opened Absentee Voting to all registered voters, no excuse necessary. The Belmont Town Clerk encourages all voters of Belmont to consider voting early by mail, instead of going to the polls on Election Day. Every voted absentee ballot received by the close of polls will be counted on Election Day.  

Apply NOW for Your Absentee Ballot: Time is Running Out

Absentee Ballots can only be mailed to those voters who request them in writing, though every voter is eligible during the pandemic. The written request must include the voter’s signature or that of an immediate family member or person living with the voter.  

There are two ways to accomplish this, either complete and submit an application or simply write a letter that contains the voter’s name, voting address, signature, the mailing address for the ballot and contact information for the voter. Voters may choose to request Absentee Ballots be mailed to them just for the Annual Town Election or for the remainder of 2020.

If for all year, the voter must also include which party ballot to send for the Sept. 1 Massachusetts State Primary: Democratic, Green-Rainbow, Libertarian, or Republican. 

Application forms are available on the Town Clerk pages on the Town of Belmont website: https://www.belmont-ma.gov/town-clerk   and select the link on the left of page

Ways to Submit A Request For An Absentee or Early Voting Ballot by Mail

  • Fastest methods are to email the signed Absentee Ballot request to mpiccione@belmont-ma.gov    (by a clear scan, pdf, or photo), or fax to 617-993-2601,  or place it in the Town Clerk drop box at Town Hall (located directly outside the doors facing the parking lot).  
  • If you must, mail it to Town Clerk, 455 Concord Avenue, Belmont, MA 02478 but realize there may be a delay in the Post Office getting it to us. Ballots are mailed out in the order requests are received and  voters are urged to file requests as soon as possible. 
  • The legal deadline to file a request for an Absentee or Early Voting by Mail Ballot is Noon, Monday, June 22, but realistically voters should allow plenty of extra time for mail delivery in both directions.  Ballots may be returned by mail or placed in the Town Clerk Drop Box, as described above.

Absentee Ballots Already Received Are Valid for June 23

If you’ve already requested and received an Absentee Ballot for the election, bearing the original April 7 date, please vote that ballot and mail it in.  New ballots will not be printed for the June 23 date; the special legislation allows the use of ballots that were already printed for the original election date.  

Other Voting and Election Information

For more information about voting or to see the Annual Election Ballot, visit the Belmont Town Clerk’s pages on the Town website at https://www.belmont-ma.gov/town-clerk and select a topic in the green Elections links on the left of the page. Questions should be sent by email to townclerk@belmont-ma.gov   or by phone 617-993-2603 during the pandemic.

Register to Vote by June 12 for the Town Election

Only Belmont residents who are registered to vote by June 12 will be eligible to vote in this year’s June 23 Annual Town Election.  Once you’re registered to vote and remain at the same address, there is no need to register again.

To register to vote, or change your voting address, party affiliation or name, to find out whether and where you are already registered, or where you vote, visit:    www.RegisterToVoteMA.com 

What Do Belmont Voters Need To Know To Cast Ballots By Mail

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Photo: Absentee ballot

It is now less than a month before Belmont voters head to the polls – or a post office – to cast their ballots in the annual Town Election.

The Select Board voted to postpone the local election from April 7 to Tuesday, June 23 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. And due to safety concerns related to the virus, the state has made it easier for residents to vote via the US Postal Service after the Massachusetts legislature and Gov. Charlie Baker have temporarily expanded the acceptable reasons for voting absentee to include any person taking precaution related to Covid-19.

In response, Belmont Town Clerk, Ellen Cushman encourages people who want to vote in the local election to consider doing so by mail. Voting in person will be different with social distancing protocols and other safety measures in place to protect Belmont’s election workers and voters.

Ideally most people who want to vote in the local election will do so by mail to limit exposure. Voters choosing absentee voting must submit a written signed request to receive ballots by mail.

It is easy to sign up for ballots to be mailed to you by using the application form or writing a letter.

  • Requests for absentee ballots must be in writing and signed by the voter.
  • Completed, signed requests may be submitted to the drop box outside of Town Hall (parking lot level), US Mail (Town Clerk, P.O. Box 56, Belmont, MA 02478), fax (617-993-2601), or email (mpiccione@belmont-ma.gov).
  • You may request ballots for all elections remaining in 2020: June 23: Belmont Local Election; Sept. 1: Massachusetts State Primary; Nov. 3: Presidential Election.
  • Apply early. All absentee ballots are counted every election.
  • Town Clerk’s webpage with more details: https://www.belmont-ma.gov/town-clerk/pages/elections-absentee-voting-early-voting
  • Questions? Email to townclerk@belmont-ma.gov or leave a voicemail at 617- 993-2603.

Presidential Primary Elections Include Early Voting Days

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Photo: Early voting is coming to Belmont.

Belmont’s Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians and Green/Rainbows will have the chance to vote for presidential candidates in their party’s primary election from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3 after the Select Board signed the warrant approving the measure, according to Belmont Town Clerk Ellen Cushman.

In addition to the four party voters, the 9,000 residents registered as unenrolled can pick up one of the party’s ballots to vote for those candidates. But if you belong to the Pizza or Pirate parties – yes, the state recognize those political entities – you’ll have to sit this one out.

Voters will cast their ballots at their usual polling precinct. Residents can register to vote, change their party affiliation, change their name or voting address up until Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. at the Town Clerk’s Office in Town Hall.

Cushman will also be registering students at Belmont High School on Feb. 10 during the lunch periods outside the cafeteria.

Cushman has announced a week of early voting on the following dates and times:

  • Monday, Feb. 24        8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Tuesday, Feb. 25        8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Feb. 26  8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Thursday, Feb. 27     8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Friday, Feb. 28          8 a.m. to Noon

All Early Voting will take place at the Belmont Town Hall, 455 Concord Ave. Election Day voting will take place at each of the eight voting precinct locations.

Early Voting is available to all voters of the Commonwealth, unlike Absentee Voting that is only available to those voters who will not be in Belmont on Election Day or cannot vote in person on Election Day due to a medical disability or religious conflict with voting on Election Day.

The Town Clerk’s office always recommends that voters carry  identification when going to the polls or Early Voting in case one is required due to inactive status.

Questions should be directed to the Town Clerk’s office at 617-993-2600.

Absentee Voting Available Until Monday, April 2

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Photo: Vote at Town Hall until April 2

Residents who wish to take advantage of absentee voting in the annual town-wide election can do so at the Belmont Town Clerk’s office until noon, April 2, the day before the election. 

To vote absentee, all ballot requests must be made in writing and received before noon on April 2. Absentee ballot applications can be used for one election or for an entire calendar year. A new application must be filed for each subsequent calendar year.

Please note that fax and email requests are not acceptable; only original signatures are acceptable.

Click here for more information regarding Absentee and UOCAVA (Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) Voting.