Voter Information

Register to Vote

Vermont Voter Portal

The Vermont Voter Portal is the primary online resource for election information pertaining to you. After logging in to your Vermont Voter Portal, you may check your registration status, update your information, request and track your ballot(s), locate your polling place, view a sample ballot and volunteer to be an election official! **If you are unable to log in, please contact the clerk’s office so we can verify your information and assist you with logging in.**

Log into Your Vermont Voter Portal

Request an Absentee Ballot

Voters can request absentee ballots online or in-person at the Manchester Town Clerk’s Office!

Authorized family members or health care providers can request absentee ballots on a voter’s behalf. However, they cannot pick up the ballot on their behalf. Only individual voters may receive their ballot. When requesting on behalf of another person, the ballot will be mailed.

You must request your absentee ballots at least once a year, for any and all elections you want to vote in during that year. You may request ballots until 2pm in the Manchester Town Clerk's Office on the day preceding an election.

Vermont only mails ballots automatically for General Elections (occurring every two years). Absentee ballots are provided by request only for all other elections.

If you are out of town, be aware that ballots are not forwarded unless you have a premium service! You may request your ballot be sent to a specific address, without changing your current mailing address. This ensures the rest of your state mail is sent to your usual mailing address.

Return an Absentee Ballot

After sealing the ballot within the certificate envelope, and following the instructions to complete the certificate envelope, you, or someone of your choosing, may return your absentee ballot.

You, or someone acting on your behalf, may return your absentee ballot one of three ways to the Manchester Town Clerk’s Office!

In-Person:

You may return your ballot in person at the Manchester Town Clerk’s Office! We are open 8am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday, except federal holidays, and are located at 40 Jeff Williams Way, Manchester Center, VT 05255.

Mail:

You may enclose the certificate envelope (with ballot inside) in the provided mailing envelope, and send them out via post!

Drop-Box:

You may return your ballots to the municipal drop-box. This is open 24/7 and is on camera surveillance. It is located outside the Manchester Town Hall, at 40 Jeff Williams Way, Manchester Center VT 05255.
The drop-box closes at 5pm on Election Day, following this you will need to bring your absentee ballot into the polling place in order to return it.

Be sure to return your ballot to the Manchester Town Clerk’s Office by 2pm the day before the election, or to the polls by 7pm on Election Day!

17 V.S.A. § 2543

HowtoReturnAbsenteeBallot.pdf

Ballot Status

Accessible Voting

The Vermont Election Laws are designed to, “provide equal opportunity for all citizens of voting age to participate in political processes” 17 V.S.A. § 2101.

You have several rights as a voter with a disability:

The right to vote (if otherwise qualified)
The right to access your polling place
The right to receive reasonable accommodations for your disability

To receive your absentee ballot, there are several options available:

Two justices of the peace can bring a ballot to your home
Curbside voting is available on request
Absentee ballots can be either taken home to vote on, or mailed to the voter

Accommodations at the polls:

You can bring a person of your choice to help you vote, or ask two election officials to assist you.
You can bring a magnifying glass or other devices to help you use the ballot
You can bring a reminder list or palm card to assist you in voting (you must take this with you when you leave the polling place)
For statewide and federal elections, you may use our accessible ballot-marking tool, the OmniBallot Tablet.

For accommodations at the polls, please contact the Manchester Town Clerk!

Voter's Guide for Vermonters with Disabilities

Secretary of State Accessible Voting

17 V.S.A. § 2101

AccessibleVoting.pdf

Election Officials

Forms and Links

Infographics

Annual Town Elections

Petitions and Consent Forms

Biennial Purge

What Is the Biennial Purge?

The Board of Civil Authority (BCA), responsible for administering elections, is required to review and purge the voter checklist by September 15 of each odd-numbered year.

This process involves reviewing each name on the checklist to determine whether each person on it is qualified to vote.

If there are concerns that a voter has moved away, the BCA will instruct the Town Clerk to mail out "challenge" letters to the voters in question. These are intended to confirm whether or not the voters still reside in Manchester.

If a challenged voter does not respond within four years, that voter will be automatically purged from the voter checklist.

What do I do if I receive a letter?

If you are still a Manchester resident, check off the box that states, "I still reside" and complete the card with your town and current physical and mailing addresses.

If you are no longer a Manchester resident, check off the box that states, "I am no longer a resident" and complete the card with your town and physical and mailing addresses. (Remember to register to vote in your new municipality once you have completed this step!)

Remember to complete the card with your printed name, signature, and today's date for it to be considered valid!

Please return the card to the Manchester Town Clerk's Office as soon as possible!

For more information on the Biennial Purge, please review the Vermont Justice of the Peace guide, or 17 V.S.A. § 2150(c).