Voting in the November 3 General Election

Who can vote?

All registered voters may vote.

What will Needham voters be voting on?

County, state, and district offices; US House of Representatives, US Senate, US President.

To find out who the candidates are, visit our Voter Guide webpage.

For information on Needham’s elected officials, visit our Elected Officials webpage.

The Secretary of the Commonwealth has distributed the familiar “Information for Voters” red booklet. In addition to the information on the two 2020 ballot questions, there is full information on voting options for the 2020 Election.

News and Updates

Posted November 1, 2020 by LWV-Needham

Emergency Absentee Ballots

If you have been admitted to a healthcare facility or you are instructed to quarantine in your home within 1 week of the election, you may use the absentee ballot application to designate someone of your choice to deliver a ballot to you.

The person you designate to deliver your ballot will need to bring the signed application to your local election office, pick up your absentee ballot, bring it to you, and return it for you by the close of polls on Election Day. Emergency ballots may be requested up until the close of polls.

The absentee ballot application is here:

https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleabsentee/absidx.htm 

Posted October 27, 2020 by Town of Needham

NOTICE

Upon the request of the Elections Division of
The Secretary of The Commonwealth,
The Red Ballot Drop Box will be locked at 5 PM on both
Friday, October 30, 2020 and Saturday October 31, 2020
For security purposes.  The box will be unlocked for
Deposit of ballots the next morning by 8:30 AM.
Theodora K. Eaton, MMC,
Town Clerk

Source: http://www.needhamma.gov/Calendar.aspx?EID=22570

Posted in a Town of Needham News Flash, October 23, 2020

One More Week of Early Voting & Other Election Announcements
If you haven’t had a chance to cast your ballot yet before Election Day, there is still time. Early Voting is available for one more week. Early voting will take place at Town Hall every day through Friday, October 30th. All voters must wear a face covering and practice social distancing while in Town Hall. Voting hours are as follows:

  • Saturday, October 24 & Sunday, October 25: Noon to 5 pm
  • Monday, October 26 – Friday, October 30: 9 am to 5 pm

Mailed ballots may be returned in the Big Red dropbox outside of Town Hall until 8 pm on November 3rdor mailed back to the Town Clerk. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by November 3 at 8 pm. Please place your ballot inside the brown envelope and sign the envelope. Then place it in the white envelope. If it is not signed or inside the white envelope when it is mailed or dropped in the drop box , it will be rejected. Visit the Town Clerk’s webpage for complete Election 2020 information. The Attorney General’s office has set up a website with information on voter rights, voting methods, and election protection.

Notice of Advanced Removal of Early Ballots From Envelopes and Advanced Depositing of Early Voted Ballots
In accordance with Regulations 47.12 of the Secretary of the Commonwealth and the provisions of section 7(k) of Chapter 115 of the Acts of 2020, the Town of Needham will be opening and depositing Early Vote By Mail and Early In-Person Ballots received up until Saturday, October 31, 2020 in Powers Hall in Town Hall, 1471 Highland Ave., Needham, MA 02492 as follows:

  • Wednesday, October 28, 2020 – 9 am to 5 pm
  • Thursday, October 29, 2020 – 9 am to 5 pm
  • Friday, October 30, 2020 – 9 am to 5 pm
  • Saturday, October 31, 2020 – 9 am to 4 pm

If you wish to observe this process, please email the Town Clerk at TEaton@needhamma.gov

Posted October 19, 2020 from Needham Town Clerk.

Posted October 15, 2020 from Needham COVID-19 Update.

Posted Oct 2, 2020 from Needham Town Clerk

Voter Registration

The deadline to register to vote or change party affiliation for the November 3 Election is Saturday, October 24.

Am I registered?

Check your voter status and party affiliation at this link.

How do I register to vote?

The Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website has complete information. There are online, mail-in, and in-person options for registering.

On October 24, Needham residents can register to vote in person by visiting Needham Town Hall during the special voter registration hours of 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. or 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Early Voting by Mail

The November 3 Election will include Early Voting by Mail. Voting by mail is available to all voters. You do not need an excuse to vote by mail this year. Applications for a mail-in ballot must reach the Needham Town Clerk no later than Wednesday, October 28 at 5 p.m. It is highly recommended, however, that you submit the application by Tuesday, October 20.

Steps to Early Vote by Mail

  1. Complete* a Vote by Mail Application (see below for optioins)
  2. Deliver** your application to the Needham Town Clerk
  3. Vote after your ballot arrives
  4. Return your ballot. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by November 3 and reach the Needham Town Clerk’s office by November 6.

*Options to complete (request for and submit) a Vote by Mail Application:

  • Complete (remember to sign) the postcard you received in the mail and deliver to the Needham Town Clerk
  • Download, complete, sign a Vote by Mail Application and deliver to the Needham Town Clerk
  • Complete the Online Vote by Mail Application, which will notify the Needham Town Clerk

**Ways to deliver the postcard or downloaded application: (Note, if you used the Online Vote by Mail Application there is no delivery required.)

  • Mail to Town Clerk’s Office, 1471 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA 02492
  • Place in the secure Drop Box in front of Town Hall
  • Fax to 781-449-1246
  • Email to Votingapplications@needhamma.gov

Apply early, in order to have enough time to return your ballot.

Details and FAQs

In July, a new law was passed to allow all registered voters in Massachusetts to vote by mail in any 2020 election, with no excuse needed.

As required by the new law, in mid-July a Vote by Mail application was mailed to every person who was registered to vote as of July 1 and who had not already requested an absentee ballot for the State Primary or for all elections this year. A second mailing was sent out in September to all voters who had not already applied for a Vote by Mail ballot for the November election. The applications are pre-addressed to your local election official and no postage is necessary.

If you wish to vote by mail, you are strongly encouraged to return your application as early as possible, to make sure that you will receive your ballot in time to return it and have it be counted.

Vote by Mail applications are available for download and may also be requested by contacting the Elections Division.

Voters can request which language they would like for their mailed ballot.

The voter will receive from the Needham Town Clerk materials to Early Vote by Mail, including the ballot, envelopes, and instructions. Be sure to carefully check that you have completely followed the instructions.

Deliver your completed ballot via US Postal Service (postage is pre-paid) or deposit it in the Drop Box at Town Hall.

For more information on voting by mail, see Voting by Mail FAQs.

For questions on any aspect of voting in Needham, contact the Needham Town Clerk:
Theodora K. Eaton, MMC
1471 Highland Avenue Needham, MA 02492
Phone: (781) 455-7500
Email: Teaton@needhamma.gov
Website: www.needhamma.gov

Track My Mail-In Ballot

If you submitted an application to vote by mail, you can track the status of your mail-in ballot application and ballot with this online “Track My Ballot” tool. You should be able to find your information if you have submitted an application and the Town Clerk has received it. The Tracker indicates the date the ballot was sent and the date it was received. If you do not find your name wait a few days and try again.

If you did not submit an early or absentee ballot application you will not find your name.

Early Voting In Person

Early Voting in Person for the November 3, 2020, Election will be held Saturday, October 17 – Friday, October 30.

You may vote at the early voting location in the city/town where you are registered to vote. The Needham Town Clerk has announced that Needham Town Hall will be open for In-Person Early Voting for the State Election from October 17 – October 30, 2020 during the following dates and times:

Saturday, October 17:  Noon – 5:00  p.m.
Sunday, October 18:  Noon – 5:00 p.m.
Monday, October 19:  9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, October 20:  9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 21:  9 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 22:  9 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 
Friday, October 23:  9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday, October 24: Noon – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 25:  Noon – 5:00 p.m.
Monday, October 26:  9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, October 27:  9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 28: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 29:  9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Friday, October 30: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Per Needham Town Clerk: Masks and social distancing will be required when entering Town Hall.

If you have any questions on Early Voting contact the Needham Town Clerk’s Office at (781) 455-7500 x 216, 218, 219, 252.

Election Day In Person

Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2020
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For voters casting ballots in person, expect protocols in place to ensure social distancing.

Precincts A & B:  Center at the Heights, 300 Hillside Avenue
Precincts C & D:  Newman Elementary School, 1155 Central Avenue
Precincts E & H:  Needham Golf Club, 49 Green Street
Precincts F & G:  Rosemary Complex, 178 Rosemary Street
Precincts I & J:  Town Hall, 1471 Highland Avenue

Sources for this page:

https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/covid-19/covid-19.htm
http://www.needhamma.gov/4826/New-Polling-Locations-for-2020
http://www.needhamma.gov/77/Town-Clerk
https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleidx.htm
Massachusetts Information for Voters 2020 (red booklet) https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/IFV_2020.pdf

Visit These Posts for Candidate Information