Press Releases
10/03/2025
Your Town, Your Vote: Absentee Ballots Available for November 4 Election
(Hartford, Connecticut) – The Office of the Secretary of the State announced today that absentee ballots for the November 4, 2025, municipal election are now available to eligible voters.
“Your vote helps shape the quality of your schools, the services your family relies on, and the future of your community,” said Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas. “Local elections have a direct impact on our daily lives, and every ballot makes a difference. Our office is committed to ensuring that every eligible voter has safe, secure, and accessible options to participate — whether it’s in person on Election Day, during early in-person voting, or by absentee ballot.”
Despite the fact that voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2024 to allow for no-excuse absentee voting in Connecticut, members of the General Assembly have not yet enacted the needed legislation for it to take effect. As a result, Connecticut law still permits absentee voting only for specific reasons. These include:
- Active service in the armed forces;
- Absence from town on Election Day;
- Sickness (not necessarily the voter’s own);
- Physical disability (not necessarily the voter’s own);
- Religious beliefs that prevent secular activities like voting on Election Day;
- Duties as an election official at a polling place other than one’s own.
To receive an absentee ballot, voters must complete and sign an application and return it to their Town Clerk. Voters can visit MyVote.CT.gov/absentee to download an absentee ballot application in English or Spanish, or obtain one in person from their Town Clerk’s office.
Absentee ballots may be returned by mail, dropped in a drop box, or returned in person to the Town Clerk. State law limits who may return a completed absentee ballot. Only the following individuals are permitted:
- The voter;
- An immediate family member who lives with the voter, such as a spouse, child, parent, or sibling;
- A designee caring for a voter with an illness or disability, such as a doctor or nurse;
- A town police officer, a Registrar of Voters, a Deputy Registrar of Voters, or an Assistant Registrar of Voters;
For an absentee ballot to be counted, it must be in a drop box, or received by the Town Clerk, no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Voters who see absentee ballots being handled in a way that seems wrong are encouraged to report it to the State Elections Enforcement Commission at 1-866-733-2463 (1-866-SEEC-INFO).
Early Voting: In addition to absentee voting, early in-person voting will be available from October 20 through November 2, which includes two weekends. Each town has at least one designated early voting location.
Early voting is not the same as absentee voting. Absentee voting allows you to cast your vote from home or elsewhere, because you are not able to cast your vote in person. Early voting allows you to cast your ballot in person, at an official polling location, during a specific state statute-set time period before Election Day.
For more information about absentee voting, early voting, or other information about Connecticut elections, visit MyVote.CT.gov.
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Contact: Roger Senserrich
Phone: 860.543.1488
Email: Roger.Senserrich@ct.gov