Town outlines plans for fall state primary, presidential election

Aug 3, 2020

Voters are able to choose between three ways to vote in the fall state primary and presidential elections: voting by mail, voting early, and voting on Election Day. All registered voters can choose any of the three methods, and no application is required to vote early.

All registered voters are qualified to vote by mail in this fall’s elections. Application postcards to receive a vote-by-mail ballot have been mailed to all registered voters for the state primary, and will be sent for the presidential election in the coming weeks.

Returning postcards early is recommended to allow for enough time for the application to be processed and the postal service to deliver a ballot. 

Ballots must be returned to the Town Clerk’s Office by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. Postal Services are inconsistent, and it could take up to 11 days for a ballot to get to Town Hall through the mail. Ballots can also be returned in a designated drop box outside Town Hall at 54 Marion Road.

Voters who have requested a vote-by-mail ballot can track the status of that application online here. The Clerk’s office requests allowing two weeks before checking the status of the application online, and states that it may take at least 10 days to receive a ballot once the sire indicates it has been mailed. Only after waiting past those benchmarks should voters send status inquiries to clerk@wareham.ma.us.

No application is required to vote early in either election. Early voting for the State Primary Election will be held at the Town Hall from August 22 through 27 at various times of day, as early as 8:30 a.m. and as late as 6:30 p.m., before the Election Day on September 1.

Early voting for the Presidential Election will begin on October 17 and run through October 29 at Town Hall before Election Day on November 3.

During the State Primary Election, voters registered with a particular party will only be allowed to vote on that party’s ballot. Unenrolled or Independent voters may choose which party’s ballot to vote with, and will be unenrolled from that party after returning the ballot.

During early voting, only eight voters will be allowed in the auditorium at a time. All voters must wear a face covering. Those who don’t want to use provided pens and a voting booth may bring a blue or black ink Sharpie or Paper Mate Flair pen and a clipboard or book on which to fill out the ballot. Six feet of social distancing must be maintained between oneself and those not from one’s household. 

Those safety guidelines will also apply on Election Day, which will be held at the precincts throughout town as normal.

Those whose vote-by-mail ballots have not been received by the Town Clerk’s office by Election Day may vote in person, but will be require to fill out extra paperwork and show an ID.