Has anyone called the town office (743-2501) to see when absentee ballots for the upcoming recall election(s) in Paris will be available?
By law, absentee ballots are to be ready 30 days before the corresponding referendum ballot election. (A recall election is simply an election with a different purpose - to see if voters want to: remove someone from office, as opposed to put someone into office. The same laws apply.)
A recall election on February 1st should, then, have absentee ballots ready by January 4th, or so; a recall election on February 5th should, then, have absentee ballots ready by January 6th , or so.
Absentee ballots are available to registered voters who:
(1) wish to vote before the polling day, in the town office, in the presence of the town clerk;
or
(2) wish to vote but know they cannot get to the polls because of health reasons and need someone to bring them a ballot and return it to the town clerk for them;
or
(3) wish to vote but know they will be out of town on the polling day;
or
(4) simply wish to take the ballot home to study before returning it to the town clerk with the voting choice(s) marked.
There are specific legal steps for absentee ballot voting, as well as for the way those votes are counted. There is also a legal process for how voters can check on the recording of such votes. Call and ask the Town Clerk how - and when - you can vote by absentee ballot in the Town of Paris.
