Photo: Adobe Stock
It’s nearly time for voters to start marking their ballots, though a court decision Thursday is delaying — for how long, no one knows — the start of absentee voting.
Counties were to start mailing absentee ballots to voters this morning, but they’re holding off because Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants his name removed from the ballot.
A Superior Court judge turned him down Thursday, but gave Kennedy 24 hours to appeal. So, timing of the first absentee ballots going out depends on what happens with the appeal. As a state Board of Elections lawyer told county election directors, “Stay tuned.”
Counties will send out absentee ballots eventually. If you plan to vote by mail, here are some things you should know.
The absentee ballot request deadline is 5 pm, Oct. 29.
Every voter will be asked to show a photo ID, including people who vote by mail. People voting by mail are required to include a copy of their ID or a complete exception form with their ballot.
When it arrives, the ballot package will include the ballot, a ballot envelope with a form on one side and a clear sleeve on the other side, and a yellow photo ID exception form for voters who do not have a copy of an ID, and a return envelope.
The voted ballot goes into the ballot envelope. A copy of the photo ID or a completed ID exception form goes into the clear sleeve.
The completed ballot envelope must include the voter’s signature and the names, addresses, and signatures of two witnesses, or alternatively, a notary public seal and certification. Notaries public are not allowed to charge fees for ballot service.
To send the ballot back through the mail, put $1.77 worth of postage on the return envelope. That means the envelope needs three “Forever” stamps. Voters can also hand deliver their completed absentee ballots to early voting sites in their counties during the early voting period or to their county elections headquarters any time before 7:30 pm on Election Day.
The deadline for getting absentee ballots back to county elections offices, whether they’re hand-delivered or sent through the mail, is 7:30 pm on Election Day. Mail-in ballots will not be accepted at polling places on Election Day.
The fact that you requested an absentee ballot doesn’t require you to vote by mail. If you request an absentee ballot, you can still vote in person. Just don’t do both.
About 4% to 5% of voters choose to vote by mail in typical presidential years, according to state data. The recent exception was the pandemic year of 2020, when 18% voted by mail.
As of Thursday morning, 127,645 voters had requested absentee ballots, according to the state Board of Elections. That included 2,440 requests from people in the military and 9,761 citizens living overseas.
More people use in-person early voting than any other voting method.
The in-person early voting period starts Oct. 17 and ends Nov. 2.
Registering to vote is allowed during the early voting period. Same-day registration allows people to register and vote all in one trip. People who want to register to vote at an early voting site must show a document with their current address.
Acceptable documents include a valid driver’s license; another government document with a name, address, and photo; or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, or paycheck with a name and address. For students living on campus, a school document with the applicant’s on-campus housing address will work.
Nov. 2, the last day of early voting, will be the last chance to register to vote in this year’s election. Voter registration isn’t allowed on Election Day.
If you want to know what your ballot will look like before you go to the polls, you can find your sample ballot using the Board of Elections voter search.
Polling places will be open from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm on Election Day. Voters will be asked to show a photo ID. People without IDs can fill out an exception form and vote a provisional ballot, or vote a provisional ballot with the understanding they will return to their county elections headquarters to show an ID in order for their ballot to be counted.
Here are the key dates to remember, according to the State Board of Elections.
Oct. 11: Voter registration deadline, 5 pm
Oct. 17: In-person early voting begins; same-day registration available.
Oct. 29: Absentee ballot request deadline, 5 pm
Nov. 2: In-person early voting ends, 3 pm
Nov. 5: General Election Day.
Nov. 5: Absentee ballot return deadline, 7:30 pm