Elections FAQs

Index

What is Vermont’s new My Voter Page?

Vermont’s new “My Voter Page” is an online resource that allows every registered voter to login and have access to a unique, voter-specific web page where you can:

Check your voter registration status
Request an absentee ballot and track its status
Update your voter registration record
View a sample ballot
Find your polling place
& much more

Am I eligible to vote?

You can vote in Vermont ONLY if you:

Are a citizen of the United States;
Are a resident of Vermont and a resident of the town in which you apply to be added to the checklist;
Take, or have previously taken, the Voter’s Oath (formerly called the “Freeman’s Oath”); and
Are 18 years of age or older.

In Vermont, you must be 18 on or before the date of a Primary or General Election to be entitled to vote in that election. A 17 year old who will be 18 years old on or before an election can register to vote, but must then take the Voter’s Oath after their 18th birthday.

Am I on the voter checklist?

You can check your voter registration status by accessing Vermont’s new “My Voter Page“.

You can also click on the document below to check Guilford’s current voter checklist. The Board of Civil Authority is responsible for maintaining an up-to-date Voters’ Checklist and will make changes to the Checklist as needed for up-coming elections.

Voter Check List as of 4-25-19

How do I register to vote?

You can register to vote by using Vermont’s Online Voter Registration Tool using the link below. The Registration Tool allows all eligible Vermonters to submit their voter registration application online. The link also allows you to change your name and/or address on your current registration record.

Vermont Online Voter Registration

You can also register to vote by completing the “Application for Addition to the Checklist,” which you can get at the Town Office or download below. As of January 1, 2017, eligible persons may register to vote on any day up to and including the day of the election. Registration is available during all normal business hours of your town clerk’s office on days preceeding the election and during polling hours on Election Day at the place of polling.

You must include your Vermont Driver’s License Number on the application form. If you do not have a Vermont Driver’s License Number or if your license is suspended, include the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number. Be sure to take the Voter’s Oath if you have not voted in Vermont before. Once the form is completed you must submit it to the Town Clerk.

Another way to register to vote is through the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) at the time you register your car, get a driver’s license or renew your registration or license. It is advisable to contact the Town Office in order to verify that your DMV voter registration has been received.

Application for Addition to Voter Checklist

How do I vote absentee or early?

REQUESTING A BALLOT ON LINE

Any registered voter can request and track the status of an early/absentee ballot by accessing Vermont’s new “My Voter Page” at the link below.

Vermont My Voter Page

VOTING EARLY BY MAIL

Any registered voter can submit a form requesting the Town Clerk to mail them an Early or Absentee Voter Ballot. The request form is available at the town office, or can be downloaded from the link below. A voter can request an Early or Absentee Voter Ballot at any time before an election. The Town Clerk will begin mailing absentee ballots within the 30 days prior to the election.
This ballot will arrive with a return envelope so that it can be returned to the clerk. In order for the ballot to be counted on Election Day, the clerk must receive it by the close of polls.

HAND DELIVERED BALLOTS

Any registered voter can pick up an Early or Absentee Voter Ballot at the Town Office at any time within thirty days, and no later than 5 pm on the day prior to a general or primary election. A voted Early or Absentee Voter Ballot, in a sealed envelope, can be returned to the Town Office prior to Election Day or to the polling place on Election Day before the close of polls.

Absentee Request Form.pdf

When, where & how do I vote on election day?

If you have any questions about voting in Guilford, or at any time during the voting process, ask the Town Clerk or an Election Official.

VOTING HOURS

Unless otherwise posted, voting takes place from 10 am until 7 pm on the day of the election.

POLLING PLACE

On Town Meeting Day, voting takes place at the Town Meeting, Guilford Central School on School Road in Guilford Center. Unless otherwise posted, all other voting takes place at the Broad Brook Grange on Guilford Center Road in Guilford Center.

CHECK-IN

Go to the table with the “Check In Here” sign. Give your name and, if asked, your residence to the Election Official in a clear, audible voice. Wait until your name is repeated and checked off by the Election Official. An Election Official will hand you a ballot(s). Enter the voting area (the area enclosed within the guide posts & ribbons) and do not leave until you have voted. Go to a vacant booth or table.

MARK YOUR BALLOT

Fill in the oval for either “YES” or “NO” for each question on the question ballot and the oval next to each candidate you wish to vote for on the candidate ballot. If you mark the wrong oval by mistake, ask the Election Official for a new ballot. Three ballots are the limit.

VOTE

Once you have completed your ballot(s), go the table with the “Exit Voting Area” sign. Give your name to the Election Official and wait until your name is checked off. Place your voted ballot(s) into the ballot box slot(s) and leave the voting area by passing outside the voting area.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU‘RE NOT ON THE CHECKLIST

If your name has been dropped from the checklist and you think it was in error, speak to an Election Official at the polling place and ask that your name be put back on.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU‘RE DISABLED, VISUALLY IMPAIRED, CAN‘T READ OR CAN‘T GET FROM YOUR CAR TO THE POLLING PLACE

Tell an Election Official. You may bring a friend or relative to help you as long as she or he is a registered voter. A ballot may be brought out to your car by two Election Officials so you can vote there.

IT IS ILLEGAL TO

Knowingly vote more than once either in the same town or in different towns.
Try to tell another person how to vote once you‘re inside the building where voting is taking place.
Mislead the Board of Civil Authority about your own or another person‘s eligibility to vote.
Show your marked ballot to others in order to let them know how you voted.
Make a mark on your ballot which would identify it as yours.

PLEASE DON‘T

Chat or socialize in the voting area especially when people are in the process of voting.
Leave brochures, buttons or other campaign literature in the voting booth.

How do I run for local office?

If you are a legally registered voter and interested in running for local election of town offices in the Town of Guilford, you must submit the Petition for Candidacy form and the Consent of Candidate form to the Town Clerk. These forms are available at the town office or can be downloaded from the links below.

The Petition of Candidacy form must be filed with the Town Clerk no later than the sixth Monday preceding the election. The Petition for Candidacy form must be signed by no fewer than 1% of the registered voters (no fewer than 18 registered voters in 2016).

The Consent of Candidate form must be filed with the Town Clerk no later than 5:00 pm on the Wednesday after the deadline for the Petition of Candidacy form.

Petition for Candidacy

Consent of Candidate

Whom should I contact with further questions?

If you have any further questions, contact:

Penny Marine, Town Clerk
236 School Road
Guilford, Vermont 05301
802 254 6857 ext 101

You can find out more about Vermont Elections on line at:

http://www.vermont-elections.org