WESTERN MASS. – As a result of the coronavirus pandemic and elections around the corner, mail-in voting has become an important topic for residents. Those who are uncomfortable with going to their assigned voting facility could request that a ballot be sent to them.

Easthampton’s City Clerk Barbara LaBombard said the town has a huge interest in mail-in voting and people are even asking for both primary and state election. Her estimate is they received 3,400 requests for mail-in voting. She said they have received a few interesting postcards from residents but for the most part no one has concerns.

To ensure security, when the Clerk’s Office receives an application, they put it into the computer, which prints labels with a barcode for each individual voter. LaBombard said the ballots will go out and the resident has to sign it before they send it back or drop them off. She said that it is very much like the process for absentee ballots. Residents cannot send in a fake ballot because it won’t work and she said if she gets more than one ballot from the same person, it alerts her.

Southampton Town Clerk Luci Dalton said they have received significant interest as well but could not give an exact number because the office was still processing them. As for safety, Dalton said the ballots will be sent in envelopes and they will send it back in one that is given to them. She said she hopes that the mail is not tampered with beforehand. The office also has a list of who gets them and who sends them back including the date.

In a Facebook post, Dalton said that she would send out the ballots as soon as she receives the envelopes from the state. She also stated that she has 900 ballots to send out and more applications arriving. “I would like to let you know that if you checked off all elections you will be receiving the state primary ballot and the local election ballot,” said Dalton in the facebook post. She wants residents to know that if they sent in a card without checking off which election, her office will be calling them.

Both towns are participating in early voting on Aug. 22 to the 28. Easthampton’s early voting will take place at 50 Payson Ave. on the top floor which is the School Department level. Hours will be announced once approved. Southampton will be announcing their location soon but it will be during normal town clerk business hours. Both towns are also still participating in their regularly scheduled voting for Sept. 1.

Westhampton Town Clerk "I received 251 early vote and 12 absentee vote applications to date. As ballots are received they’re secured in a restricted and locked location."

Westhampton's website indicates 250 ballots were process and mailed to voters on Aug. 6 and 7. The Clerk's Office also offers a link to a state service through which applicants may track their ballot at https://www.sec.state.ma.us/wheredoivotema/track/trackmyballot.aspx. All mail in votes must be received in hand or by mail no later than 8 p.m. on Sept 1.

Westhampton will conduct early voting by mail or in person from Aug. 22 to 28th At Westhampton Town Hall. In-person early voting will take place Aug. 22, 2 to 4 p.m.; Aug. 23, 8 to 10 a.m.; and Aug. 25, 3 to 7 p.m.

The voter registration deadline for the Sept. 1 election is Aug. 22 at 8 p.m. Westhampton will host in-person registration hours that day from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. The early voting or absentee by mail application deadline is Aug. 26 at 5 p.m. 

For the registration deadline for the Nov. 3 election, the voter registration deadline is Oct. 24 at 8 p.m. In-person registration will take place that day from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Early voing or absentee by mail application deadline Oct. 28 at 5 p.m. All mail-in votes must be postmarked no later than Nov. 3 and received in hand or by mail no later than Nov. 6 at 5 p.m.