BROOKLINE– The Town of Brookline wishes to share important information regarding early voting for the upcoming primary election, and also encourages residents to submit the ballots they’ve received by mail in-person at the secure drop box outside Town Hall.
The primary election will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 1. Residents are encouraged to utilize early voting or mail-in voting options as an alternative to voting in-person on election day in order to limit the number of people at the polling locations as part of the ongoing effort to limit close interactions and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Residents with questions about the election may contact the Town Clerk’s Office at 617-730-2010 or townclerk@brooklinema.gov.
Early Voting
Early voting will be available for registered voters for the primary election.
All early voting will be held in Room 103 at Town Hall, 333 Washington St. Voters will not need to fill out an application or make an appointment ahead of time. Only six voters will be allowed in the Town Hall polling place to vote early at any given time and as such, voters may have to wait to vote.
Town Hall will be open for early voting for the primary election on the following dates and times:
- Aug. 22 and 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- Aug. 24-26 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Aug. 27 from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Aug. 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Those who vote early in person must do the following:
- Wear a face mask or face covering.
- Bring a pen, such as a blue or black ink sharpie or Paper Mate Flair, if you do not want to borrow one.
- Bring a clipboard or book to use when marking your ballot if you do not want to use a voting booth.
- Bring an ID, as voters will be required to show an ID in some cases.
- Don’t touch your face while at the polling location.
- Maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet from anyone who is not from your household.
Vote By Mail or Drop Off Your Ballot at Town Hall
All registered voters can vote by mail for the fall 2020 elections and are encouraged to allow for ample time for the processing of the application and for the postal service to deliver the ballot.
With the primary less than two weeks away, those who have not yet applied for mail-in ballots should plan to take part in early voting, due to ongoing service impacts at the United States Postal Service resulting in mail delays.
Additionally, voters who have already applied for mail-in ballots are strongly urged to deliver their ballots themselves to the drop box outside Town Hall. Ballots for the primary election must be received by the Town Clerk by Sept. 1 by 8 p.m. in order to be counted.
Ballots returned by mail should be addressed to the Town Clerk’s Office at PO Box 470860, Brookline, MA, 02447.
Further details about the November presidential election will be made available next month.
Applications and ballots that have been mailed can be tracked here. Due to the anticipated high demand of applications, voters are asked to allow at least two weeks before checking the status of their application and expect at least 10 days to receive your ballot from the date of mailing.
If your vote-by-mail ballot has not been received by the Town Clerk’s Office prior to Election Day, voters can vote in person during the early voting period, or on Election day and their mail-in ballot will be rejected and not counted. The Town Clerk’s Office has identified all voters who received an incorrect ballot for the primary election and has re-issued a correct one to all who were affected.
More information about the fall elections, including in-person voting locations and requirements, can be found here. Anyone with questions about either election should call the Town Clerk’s Office at 617-730-2010.
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