MONTPELIER — Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas reminded voters this week of their options for casting their ballot in the upcoming General Election and emphasized the importance of having a voting plan.

In 2021, the Vermont legislature passed Act 60, which requires the Secretary of State’s office to mail General Election ballots to all active registered voters automatically. Allowing time for postal delivery, Vermonters can expect their ballots to arrive via the U.S. Postal Service by the first half of October.

“There has been a lot of activity at the federal level that frankly seems intended to sow confusion and doubt into our election process at the last minute,” Secretary Copeland Hanzas said. “But let me be clear: states run elections. From the statewide to the municipal level, Vermont is standing strong, and we’re ready to administer a free, fair, secure and accessible General Election via Universal Vote-by-Mail.”

There are four main ways to cast your ballot in the November General Election.

1. Follow the included instructions to mail your ballot back to your clerk’s office.
2. Bring your ballot to your clerk’s office in-person during their regular business hours.
3. Drop your ballot into an official ballot drop box any time before Election Day.
4. If you want to vote in person on Nov. 3, take your ballot with you to your polling place. Voters who arrive to vote in-person without their mailed ballot will need to sign an affidavit of “No Ballot Cast” before receiving a new ballot to vote then and there.

Copeland Hanzas also encouraged voters to visit the online Vermont Voter Portal: vote.vermont.gov. Voters can log in with their voter registration information to see when their ballot has been mailed. Ballots will be mailed at the end of September. Voters can track their ballot’s progress and, after they return it, confirm their town or city clerk received it. Starting in early October, voters will be able to access the Online Vermont Voter Guide, which features candidate statements and election information. Additionally, in October, a printed copy of the Voter Guide will be mailed to every active registered voting household.

Secretary Copeland Hanzas encouraged voters who choose to mail their ballot back to do so promptly.

“I recommend mailing your ballot back as soon as possible or taking advantage of the convenient option of dropping it in your town’s official ballot drop box, which you can do any time up to Election Day,” she said. “And if you prefer to vote in-person on Nov. 3, please ‘Bring Your Own Ballot’ to avoid any delays at the polls.”

If a voter registers to vote after Sept. 1, their town or city clerk will mail a ballot to them. Secretary Copeland Hanzas advised voters to reach out to their clerk if they do not receive their ballot in the mail by mid-October.

“Our town and city clerks play a huge role in making our elections a success,” Copeland Hanzas said. “They are also a great resource for voters!”

Voters can find their local clerk online at sos.vermont.gov/elections/town-clerks.

Voters can find polling and drop box locations at sos.vermont.gov/elections/voters/polling-places.

They can also find this information (and more) in their Vermont Voter Portal: vote.vermont.gov.