Vitale Encourages Residents to go to the Polls Early

While it may seem like the 2020 presidential election is far away, Massachusetts residents will be able to vote in the primary in just under a month. From Feb. 24 to 28, early voting across the state will commence, and Winthrop Town Hall wants to encourage residents to do so, during the following times:

Monday: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Wednesday: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Thursday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Friday: 8 a.m. to noon

Voters are encouraged to vote early and registration for preferred parties must be submitted by Feb.12 at 8 p.m. in the office or by midnight online. Due to projected long lines at Town Hall, it is recommended that voters register online at:

www.registertovotema.gov.

Because this is a party election, you will only receive the ballot for the party you are registered in, unless you are unenrolled. Legally, you cannot be a registered Democrat or Libertarian and request a Republican ballot and vice versa. 

“We expect up to 250 early voters a day,” said Town Clerk Carla Vitale. “This is in addition to the preparations that the staff will be handling for the real election and while we conduct our normal everyday business of vital records, public records, etc. The public can assist us by trying to conduct only critical business in the two weeks leading up to the primary.”

Vitale also encourages voters to bring their ID to the polls if they did not return their census.

“This applies to both those who opt for early voting and those who decide to vote on the primary presidential election day on March 3. Voters may get asked for an ID, and if they don’t have it, it will hold up the lines even more.”

Another way that Town Hall is hoping to make the voting process quick and simple, is by utilizing Poll Pad Technology, which is an electronic poll book to assist voters in moving quickly through the lines. This cutting edge technology is only legally available to be used during early voting.

For information on this new technology, please view:

https://tinyurl.com/pollpad.

Absentee ballot applications are available now and ballots will be mailed as soon as they are received, generally three weeks before an election. Deadline to vote absentee is noon day before election.