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Absentee Ballots

Absentee Ballots are available from the Town Clerk's Office prior to an election, referendum or primary. In order to receive an absentee ballot you must be a registered voter in East Hampton, complete an application for Absentee Ballot and meet at least one of the requirements which include:

  • My active service in the armed forces
  • My absence from the Town During all of the hours of voting
  • My illness
  • My physical disability
  • My religious tenets, which forbid secular activity on the day of the election, primary or referendum
  • My duties as a primary, election or referendum official at a polling place other than my own during the hours of voting.

The completed form must bear an original signature and received in advance of an election, referendum or primary. After the application is completed, the individual requesting the ballot may receive it immediately. If the individual requesting the absentee ballot cannot come into the office, the ballot must be mailed and cannot be given to anyone other than the individual requesting the ballot.

Applications for absentee ballots can be obtained in this office or on the Secretary of the State website.

Absentee ballots for budget referendums are available within 4 business days after the questions to be voted on are finalized. Absentee ballots for referendums authorized to be held with less than 3 weeks notice cannot be mailed.

You can register to vote online via the Secretary of the State website.

PERMANENT ABSENTEE BALLOTS

Public Act 12-57, “An Act Concerning Permanent Absentee Ballot Status for the Permanently Disabled” created permanent absentee balloting status for certain individuals and became effective January 1, 2013.

IN GENERAL

To be eligible for permanent absentee ballot status, an elector must file with the Town Clerk an absentee ballot application together with a doctor’s certificate stating that they have a permanent disability and are unable to appear in person at their polling place. The doctor’s note should be on letterhead. There is no prescribed form—the doctor’s note and the absentee ballot application would satisfy the requirement of the law.

Permanent absentee ballot status enables the elector to receive an absentee ballot for each election, primary, and referendum in the municipality in which they are eligible to vote. Absentee ballots are available 21 days before a Primary and 31 days before an Election.

ELIGIBILITY

In January of each year the Registrars of Voters will send written notice to each elector with permanent absentee ballot status to determine if the elector continues to reside at the address on the permanent absentee ballot application. If the elector fails to respond to the notice, the permanent absentee ballot status will be removed, but the elector will remain on the voter registration list.

PROCEDURE

The Freedom of Information Commission has indicated that they feel that any doctor’s note on file with the Town Clerk is not subject to disclosure. The original absentee ballot application, however, would continue to be subject to disclosure just like any other application for absentee ballot.