§ 2.3a.
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/vt/2-3aA research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
§ 2.3a. Early voting
(a)(1) A voter choosing to vote early by Australian ballot in the Town Clerk’s office shall vote in the same manner as those voting on election day, provided that the voter completes a “Request for Early Voter Absentee Ballot and Certification” form stating the following:
(A)that the person is a legal voter on the voter checklist for Brattleboro;
(B)that the person is a U.S. citizen and will be at least 18 years of age by the date of a general election;
(C)that the person is not registering, requesting a ballot, or voting in any other jurisdiction except Brattleboro; and
(D)that the information provided is true, accurate, and complete to the best of the voter’s knowledge.
(2)The certificate shall be signed and dated by the voter.
(3)The voter shall mark the early voter absentee ballot and deposit it into a vote tabulator.
(4)As authorized for certain Town elections pursuant to this charter, a youth voter choosing to vote early shall vote in the same manner as a youth voter on election day, provided that the voter completes an early voting form required by the Town Clerk.
(b)(1) During business hours in the Town Clerk’s office, the vote tabulator and ballot bin shall be in a secured area accessible only to election officials and voters. The vote tabulator unit shall be secured with an identifiable seal and the ballot box containing voted ballots shall remain locked at all times and secured with an identifiable seal. Neither seal shall be broken prior to the time of closing the polls on election day. Ballots shall be comingled with those voted at the polls on election day prior to being examined for the purpose of identifying write-in votes.
(2)When an election official is not present or at times other than business hours, the sealed vote tabulator and ballot box shall be secured in the Town Clerk’s office vault. The sealed vote tabulator and sealed ballot boxes shall be transferred to the polling place on election day by two election officials and shall not be opened until the polls have closed on election day.
(3)Once early voting has commenced in the Town Clerk’s office, the Clerk or designee shall certify each day in a record prepared for this purpose that the seals on the vote tabulator and ballot box are intact.
(c)The Town Clerk shall maintain a record of those voting early voter absentee ballots in person. Prior to opening the polls on election day, the number of early voters who vote in person shall match the number of voted ballots displayed on the vote tabulator.
(d)All provisions regarding early voting, including other methods of early voting and those not addressed in this section, shall be prescribed by 17 V.S.A. §§ 2531-2547. (Added 2015, No. M-22 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 17, 2016; amended 2023, No. M-15, § 2, eff. June 20, 2023.)