CT’s Primary is Tuesday; Have You Completed, Sent In Your Absentee Ballot? Do You Know Where, When to Vote in Person?

LYME/OLD LYME — Connecticut’s Primary takes place next Tuesday. Hopefully everyone who requested an Absentee Ballot has now received it

For many Lyme and Old Lyme residents, this may be the first time voting by absentee ballot. Based on the information that Town Clerks received from the state, there will be three pieces inside the absentee-ballot packet:

the ballot;
an inner envelope (which you must sign and date); and
a blank outer envelope (for returning the above materials).

Town Clerks have been informed by the State that the instructions included in the absentee-ballot packet may incorrectly refer to a serially numbered envelope. This is, in essence, a typo – as neither the inner nor outer envelope has a serial number.

Instructions for Completing Your Absentee Ballot

Based on the information received by the Town Clerks, these are the correct instructions to follow:

After filling out your ballot, insert the ballot in the inner envelope.
Sign and date the inner envelope. The most important thing to remember to do is to sign and date the inner envelope where indicated. Failure to do so will result in the ballot being rejected.
After signing and dating the inner envelope, insert it inside the larger outer envelope (the blank envelope).
Your ballot is now ready to be returned.

Instructions for Returning Your Absentee Ballot

To return your absentee ballot:

The official Ballot Box outside Lyme Town Hall. Photo courtesy of the Town of Lyme website.

FOR LYME RESIDENTS

You may walk into Lyme Town Hall and hand it to the Town Clerk.
You may mail it using the U.S. Postal Service. Ballots returned by mail must be received by the Town Clerk by 8:00 p.m. on Aug. 11.
You may insert it in the Official Ballot Drop Box located on the edge of the sidewalk at Lyme Town Hall. (See photo at left.)

Do not return your ballot via the mail slot in the door of Lyme Town Hall.

Voters who have questions on absentee voting are welcome to contact the Lyme Town Clerk at 860-434-7733 during regular business hours.

The official Ballot Box outside Old Lyme Town Hall. Photo courtesy of the Old Lyme Selectman’s Office.

FOR OLD LYME RESIDENTS

To return your absentee ballot:

You may walk into Old Lyme Town Hall and hand it to the clerk at our front desk.
You may mail it using the U.S. Postal Service. Ballots returned by mail must be received by the Town Clerk by 8:00 p.m. on Aug. 11.
You may insert it in the Official Ballot Drop Box located in front of the Old Lyme Town Hall. (See photo at right.)

Do not return your ballot via the mail slot in the door of Old Lyme Town Hall.

Please note that the Official Ballot Drop Box is for completed ballots only. No other material should be deposited in the drop box. You should only deposit your ballot in the Town of Old Lyme drop box if you are a voter of Old Lyme. Do not drop your ballot in the drop box of any other town. Voters who have questions on absentee voting are welcome to contact the Old Lyme Town Clerk at 860-434-1605 x 220 and x 221 during regular business hours.

FOR BOTH TOWNS

If at all possible, residents are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to return a completed ballot via the Official Ballot Drop Box rather than mailing it via the U. S. Postal Service. There are only a few days left until the primary, and this will ensure that the ballot is in Town Hall when it needs to be, in order to be counted.

In-Person Voting

FOR LYME RESIDENTS

For voters who do not plan to vote by absentee ballot and prefer to vote in person, the polls at Town Hall will be open on Tuesday, Aug. 11, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

FOR OLD LYME RESIDENTS

For voters who do not plan to vote by absentee ballot and prefer to vote in person, the polls at our new location at the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School gymnasium, 53 Lyme Street, Old Lyme will be open on Tuesday, Aug. 11, from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

FOR BOTH LOCATIONS

Masks will be required and social distancing will be observed.