Applying for an Absentee Ballot

If a registered voter is unable to vote in person on Election Day, he may apply to the Town Clerk for an absentee ballot for any of the following reasons:  

• Absence from the Town during all of the hours of voting
• Active service in the armed forces
• Duties as an election official at a polling place
• Sickness
• Physical disability
• Religious tenets  

Before a ballot can be issued to the voter, an application must be completed and returned to this office. The application can be obtained in person, by mail or online (PDF) (the application must be printed from the webpage, signed by the voter and mailed or hand delivered to the Clerk’s Office).  

Absence or inability to vote in person does not mean that you must forfeit your right to vote! Voters are urged to contact the Clerk’s Office at (860) 665-8545 with any specific questions.

Online Absentee Ballot Request Portal

Voters may now use the new Connecticut Online Absentee Ballot Request Portal to request a ballot for November 8, 2022 Gubernatorial Election.  

Permanently Disabled

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 (PDF) 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.

Federal Military & Overseas Voter Empowerment Act

The federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act was signed into law by President Obama on October 28, 2009 and makes provisions for mailing a ballot electronically, upon request, to a voter who is in the military or who is an overseas citizen and their dependents.  

The actual ballot is a blank ballot format that is sent along with a list of candidates. If you qualify for an emailed ballot, please email the Town Clerk.  As well as the ballot, the absentee ballot application can now be faxed or emailed to us. 

How to Apply

If you are not military personnel, an overseas voter or their dependent, please follow the instructions outlined below to request an absentee ballot.   

1. Open the absentee ballot application (PDF).
2. Print the form on white paper.
3. Complete the required information on the form.
4. Mail it to:
   Town Clerk
   Town of Newington
   200 Garfield Street
   Newington, CT 06111